Almost all new and used light vehicle sales to women take place in South Africa’s major metros and cities. Lightstone’s analysis of South African vehicle buyers, based on data sourced through its Signio system since the start of 2021, shows that 99% of vehicle purchases by women take place in areas classified as urban rather than rural, a trend that has remained consistent for more than five years.
“While almost all women buyers are concentrated in the urban centres, they are spoilt for choice, with a greater variety of new and used vehicles available than ever before. Toyota has been the preferred brand across all sales to women (new and used combined), with a 17% share in 2021, rising to 19% in 2023, before slipping back to 17% so far in 2026,” says Andrew Hibbert, Lightstone Auto Data Analyst.
Suzuki appears in second spot currently, having overhauled Volkswagen last year, while Chery and Ford round out the Top five. Interestingly, the Top four brands so far in 2026 make up 50% of all light vehicles purchased by women.
Share of women’s market by make: 2021 – 2026
The Top 10 makes for women buyers in 2026 are not the same as they were in 2021. Coming out of Covid, Toyota and Volkswagen were on top, followed by Ford and Hyundai with Nissan completing the Top 5. From 6 to 10 we found Suzuki, Mazda, BMW, Haval and Audi, and the Top 10 made up a combined 81% of sales to women.
Fast-forward to 2026 and Mazda, BMW and Audi have all dropped out of the Top 10, having been replaced by Chery along with Jetour and Mahindra. The Top 10 so far this year are responsible for a combined 79% of sales to women.
Top 10 makes for women buyers: 2021 – 2026
“Moving across to fuel type, 80% of female buyers are currently choosing petrol-powered ICE vehicles. This share has grown from 77% in 2021. Back then, 23% of sales were diesel-powered ICE vehicles, while so-called New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) made up a mere 0.1% of the market. In 2026, we see the preference for diesel ICE vehicles shrinking, now down to 17%, while the NEV share has grown to 3%,” says Hibbert..
Factors driving the significant bump in NEV sales to women include elevated fuel prices and the availability of a wider variety of affordable NEVs. As consumers become more concerned about fuel economy when buying a car, more -economical hybrid options – both traditional and plug-in – enter the picture, while full battery-electric options are now available for under R400 000.
Fuel type preferences among women buyers: 2021 – 2026
Factors driving the significant bump in NEV sales to women include elevated fuel prices and the availability of a wider variety of affordable NEVs. As consumers become more concerned about fuel economy when buying a car, more -economical hybrid options – both traditional and plug-in – enter the picture, while full battery-electric options are now available for under R400 000.
NEV breakdown for women buyers: 2021-2026
