Hybrids dominate South Africa’s growing new-energy vehicle market
Hybrid vehicles continue to dominate South Africa’s growing new-energy vehicle market, with sales significantly outpacing fully electric models during the first half of 2026.
South Africa's new-energy vehicle market saw significant growth in the first half of 2026, with hybrids leading the charge. According to Naamsa data, 13,193 NEVs were sold between January and June, accounting for 4.1% of the overall new vehicle market. Hybrid vehicles comprised the bulk of this figure, with 6,667 units sold, or 50.5% of all NEV sales.
Plug-in hybrids followed as the second-most popular NEV type, with 4,623 units sold, making up 35% of the NEV market. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) trailed with 1,903 sales, representing 14.4% of NEV sales. The data showed a steady increase in the use of electrified vehicles, with NEVs making up 5.5% of the market in June, up 104.2% year-on-year.
The popularity of hybrids can be attributed to factors such as affordability, consumer driving patterns, charging infrastructure, and technology choice. Despite this growth, South Africa is not following a rapid shift towards fully electric vehicles, but rather adopting a more diverse approach in electrified vehicle uptake. Chinese automakers are also playing a role in South Africa's NEV market, with 7.31% of demand coming from Chinese brands, primarily for petrol and hybrid SUVs rather than electric vehicles.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
