Automotive Trade Manual
naamsa | The Automotive Business Council is excited to release its annual Automotive Trade Manual 2026 publication as the official source of all key automotive data in South Africa. This is the 20th annual publication since 2007, providing a comprehensive overview of the export and import performance of the South African automotive industry under the Automotive Production Development Programme (APDP) and APDP Phase 2 (APDP2).
As an export-oriented industry, the South African automotive industry’s export performance continues to highlight both market concentration as well as the expanding global reach. The long-standing free trade agreements with the EU and the UK ensured record exports to the region to the value of R182,8 billion, or 62,8%, of the total automotive export value of R291,0 billion in 2025. Light vehicles remained the dominant export category, with 80,3%, or four out of every five vehicles exported in 2025 destined for the region. Africa comprised the domestic automotive industry’s second-largest export region, accounting for R49,5 billion, or 17,0% of the total automotive exports of R291,0 billion with 85,1% of the export value destined for SADC, which is a free trade area. With the outstanding rules of origin for automotives now being adopted since February 2026 under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), it would open up further market access opportunities for the domestic automotive industry to the rest of Africa.
Global vehicle production in 2025 increased by 3,9% to reach 96,4 million vehicles, up from the 92,7 million units produced in 2024. China’s automotive industry continued to set new records in 2025, with vehicle production reaching 34,5 million units, up 10,4% year-on-year, marking the 17th consecutive year China has led global vehicle output, followed by the US with 10,2 million units, Japan with 8,4 million units and India with 6,5 million units.
South Africa’s automotive industry, as the cornerstone of the national manufacturing sector, is entering new territory as it is under pressure to transition towards a more sustainable and ever-increasingly globally competitive future. Growth prospects for the South African automotive industry will depend on a combination of effective and progressive policy support, strong export markets, increased localisation, technological transition to NEVs, improved logistics and infrastructure, and dynamic adaptability to a highly unpredictable global environment.