We take a closer look at local sales of new-energy vehicles — traditional hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery-electric — in South Africa in 2026.
Naamsa, the Automotive Business Council of South Africa, has released the new-vehicle sales statistics for September 2026…and with it, a breakdown of new-energy vehicle (NEV) sales in our market. NEVs comprise traditional hybrid (HEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and fully-electric (EV) vehicles. According to naamsa, South Africa’s NEV market continues to demonstrate robust growth and notable acceleration in consumer adoption.
Case in point, according to naamsa’s figures, the number of NEVs that’s been sold in our market in the first eight months of 2026 already surpasses the total number of NEVs sold in 2025 — 18 945 vs 16 703 units, respectively. That’s a 13.4% increase, with several months of the year still remaining. Year-to-date, approximately one in every 20 new vehicles sold in South Africa is of the NEV variety, naamsa notes. While there’s an array of reasons for the increase in NEV adoption in our market, including the introduction of more value-oriented models, the continued rise in the price of fuel has arguably played a significant role.
HEV, PHEV and EV sales in South Africa in 2026
According to naamsa, HEVs continues to lead NEV growth in our market; accounting for 49.6% of total NEV sales year-to-date. The latter is followed by PHEVs, with an NEV market share of 36.5%, and EVs (13.8%). Taking a closer look at the former and latter, by August 2026, PHEV and EV sales had reached 6 919 and 2 622 units, respectively. Compared to 2025, PHEV and EV sales in the first eight months of 2026 showed notable increases — up 4 109 (40.6%) and 1 534 (41.5%) units, respectively.
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