Electric vehicle (EV) sales in South Africa held steady in the first half of 2025.
According to new data covering the first half of 2025, the total number of new energy vehicles (NEVs) sold reached 7,129, a slight decrease from the same period in 2024.
The data, sourced from My Broadband, a South African media platform, highlights a diverse market. In the first half of 2025, electric vehicle sales stood at 570 units, while traditional hybrid vehicles dominated with 5,771 units sold.
Plug-in hybrids contributed 788 units, rounding out a robust total. This surge follows a steady climb, with total NEV sales rising from 167 in 2020 to 7,129 in 2025.
The trend gained momentum in 2022, when NEV sales hit 2,139, driven by 1,846 traditional hybrids and modest contributions from electric (207) and plug-in hybrid (86) models.
By 2023, sales nearly doubled to 3,206, with traditional hybrids leading at 2,566 units. The momentum continued into 2024, with a total of 7,178 NEVs sold, including 749 electric vehicles and 6,130 traditional hybrids.
Earlier this year, in March, South Africa announced that it would spend 1 billion rand ($54.27 million) to support the local production of new energy vehicles and batteries and related manufacturing projects.
The money would be set aside for the industrial development support programme, an incentive scheme that aims to increase participation and investment in infrastructure.
South Africa released its Electric Vehicles White Paper in 2023, outlining the country’s strategy to transition the automotive industry from primarily producing internal combustion engine vehicles to a mix that includes electric vehicles by 2035.
