South Africa’s new energy vehicle market is growing rapidly, with sales of hybrids, plug-in hybrids and fully electric cars rising by 88% in the first seven months of 2026.
Data from the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa shows a major shift in what buyers are choosing, with plug-in hybrids and battery-electric vehicles taking a much larger share of the market.
Conventional hybrids still lead overall, but their dominance has weakened significantly.
Plug-in hybrids record biggest jump
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle sales reached 5,851 units between January and July 2026.
That was a 432% increase from 1,100 units during the same period in 2025, and a 1,539% increase compared with the first seven months of 2024.
PHEVs now account for 36% of new energy vehicle sales, up from around 10% a year earlier.
Fully electric vehicle sales also surged, reaching 2,360 units in the first seven months of 2026.
That represents a 268% increase from 641 units in the same period last year.
EVs accounted for 14% of total NEV sales.
Conventional hybrids lose market share
Conventional hybrid sales increased by 16.7% to 8,078 units.
However, their share of the overall NEV market dropped from 80% in the first seven months of 2025 to 50% this year.
The shift has been supported by the arrival of more affordable electrified models, particularly from Chinese manufacturers.
Recent launches include the BYD Dolphin Surf and Geely E2 at under R350,000, while Dongfeng reduced the price of its Box hatchback to R350,000.
The Chery Q is expected to arrive in September 2026 at around R360,000.
Buyers favour flexibility
Cars.co.za chief product and innovation officer Alan Quinn said the rise in PHEV sales suggests South Africans want the lower running costs of electric driving without giving up the flexibility of a combustion engine for longer trips.
He said the trend also reflects growing confidence in electrified vehicles as charging infrastructure expands.
Official sales figures may understate the market’s true size because some brands do not yet report their data to Naamsa.
BYD only began reporting sales in March 2026, while Geely, Dongfeng and iCaur have yet to submit their figures.