Hyundai Crowned Manufacturer of the Year

Hyundai has been crowned the overall Manufacturer of the Year at the 2026 Southern African Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (SAVRALA) Manufacturer of the Year (MOTY) Awards, held in Sandton, Johannesburg on Thursday, 22 October 2026.

Hyundai secured its first Overall Gold Award since 2009, achieving the highest combined rental and leasing score among this year’s competitors. Isuzu claimed second place overall, followed by Toyota in third.

The MOTY Awards, an initiative of the Southern African Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (SAVRALA), recognise motor manufacturers for the service and support they provide to rental and leasing companies operating in South Africa. Performance is evaluated through two industry-specific surveys conducted twice annually, covering 40 criteria, including manufacturer communication, support, maintenance, financial considerations, the uptake of electric vehicles and B-BBEE compliance. Awards are presented in the rental and leasing categories, as well as for combined performance, providing manufacturers with valuable insights to strengthen industry relationships and identify opportunities for operational improvement.

“Lightstone Auto forecasts that South Africa’s New Light Vehicle sales, comprising Passenger and Light Commercial Vehicles, will exceed 620,000 in 2026, while naamsa data for the year to September shows that imports account for more than 70% of sales in this category. The automotive landscape is changing rapidly, with greater vehicle choice, new market entrants and shifting fleet preferences creating both opportunities and challenges for rental and leasing operators. 

As competition intensifies, manufacturers need to differentiate themselves not only through their vehicles, but through the quality of service, support and partnerships they provide. The MOTY Awards offer an important, independent measure of this performance, helping manufacturers better understand and respond to the evolving needs of the industry,” says Paul-Roux de Kock, Chief Analytics Officer at Lightstone.

Lightstone Auto has served as the trusted independent research lead for SAVRALA’s Manufacturer of the Year Awards since 2010, delivering analytics that highlight excellence in performance, service and innovation across the value chain. 

The graph below tracks scores in both the rental and leasing categories since 2010. The overall industry scores shown below are based on all evaluations submitted by participating SAVRALA rental and leasing members across both rounds.

Rental Results for 2026:

Isuzu was the top-scoring manufacturer in the rental category, making its first podium appearance since placing third in 2023. Toyota, which was last year’s top rental performer, moved down one position into second, narrowly outperforming BMW, which placed third.

The Value Award recognises the automotive member achieving the highest combined score in the financial section. Toyota performed the best in this category, winning the Rental Value Award for the ninth year in a row.

Isuzu received the Rising Star Rental Award for achieving the greatest improvement compared with the previous year.

The Tutuka Award is presented to an automotive member that was evaluated by six different rental companies during the two rounds of evaluations. The 2026 Tutuka Award went to Mini for the second consecutive year. Manufacturers evaluated by seven or more rental companies qualify for the main Rental Awards.

The table below shows the top three rental positions for the last five years.

Leasing Results for 2026:

Hyundai won its first Gold Award in the leasing category this year, improving on its second-place finish in 2025. Kia also moved up one position to take Silver, with last year’s winner, Toyota, moving into third.

The Value Award for the manufacturer achieving the best score for the financial section in the leasing category was awarded to Hyundai for the first time.

The Rising Star Leasing Award for the manufacturer who improved the most since the previous year was awarded to Suzuki.

The table below shows the top three leasing positions for the last five years.

Overall Results for 2026:

The rental and leasing scores for qualifying manufacturers are combined to determine the overall winner. The 2026 results saw Hyundai take Gold, followed by Isuzu with Silver and Toyota with Bronze.

Best Representative Awards for 2026:

The participating rental and leasing companies have the opportunity to nominate individuals for the Best Representative Awards based on their performance and support during the year. Sarah Burkey from Suzuki was voted the Best Account Representative in the rental section for the second consecutive year. Caleb Syce from Toyota won the award for Best Account Representative in the leasing section.

Lufuno Nephawe from Toyota won the Best Technical Representative award in both the rental and leasing sections. This was his fourth consecutive win in the rental section. 

SAVRALA congratulates all the 2026 award winners on their achievements and thanks participating manufacturers and rental and leasing companies for their continued commitment to the programme. The MOTY Awards remain an important industry benchmark, encouraging continuous improvement, stronger partnerships and higher standards of service across South Africa’s rental and leasing sectors.