Ford South Africa jumps 9.4% in Q1 2025 buoying vehicle sales recovery
South Africa's new vehicle market is showing signs of recovery in 2025 after a tough two years, and Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa is keeping pace with the rebound, posting a 9.4% increase in sales for the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year.
Ford sold a total of 8 274 vehicles in South Africa during the first three months of 2025, an increase of 713 units relative to the first quarter of 2024.
This was based on a sustained upward trajectory carried through from last year, with 2,467 vehicles sold in January 2025, followed by 2,900 units in February and 2,907 in March. Ford South Africa achieved a 6% share of the all-important dealer sales channel in Q1 2025.
'New vehicle sales have definitely gained momentum during the first quarter of this year, and this recovery after a couple of challenging years is a positive sign of consumer and business confidence,' says Ryan Searle, director of sales operations, Ford South Africa.
'It is encouraging that the positive results Ford achieved last year have been maintained through the first quarter of 2025, despite the continued influx of new competitor brands and models.
Ranger tops double cab charts
The Ranger continues as Ford's best-selling vehicle, accounting for 6,205 units sold during the first quarter of this year – 150 vehicles or 2.5% higher than the same period in 2024.
In the monthly sales charts, Ranger followed the same positive trend as Ford's overall volumes, climbing from 1,858 units in January to 2,168 in February and 2,179 in March.
Reinforcing its status as the country's favourite double cab bakkie that is suited to a wide variety of work, leisure and adventure lifestyles, the Ranger claimed a leading 31.7% of the double cab segment with 5 193 units sold and an increase of 1.5% compared to Q1 2024. This placed it 534 units ahead of its nearest competitor for the year to date.
In addition to its popularity amongst new vehicle buyers, the Ranger continues to lead in the used vehicle segment too. According to AutoTrader's latest statistics from March 2025, the Ranger was the top-selling used vehicle on the platform, with 1,753 vehicles sold for the month. Ford ranked third overall in March on this used car platform, achieving a 12% year-on-year growth.
The family-oriented Territory recorded a 3.8% share with 822 vehicles sold in the highly competitive compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) segment.
Following the launch of the thrilling seventh-generation Mustang late last year, it's no surprise that demand for this iconic model continues to far exceed supply.
A total of 68 Mustang GT and Mustang Dark Horse models were sold during the first quarter of 2025. This year's full allocation for the Mustang Dark Horse is completely sold out and new orders are being allocated to 2026 production.
Exports
Ranger exports from South Africa to more than 100 global markets remained flat for the first quarter of 2025 with 10,878 units shipped to customers around the world compared to 10,964 for the same period last year. Ford accounted for 11.2% of total industry exports from January to March 2025, along with a 34.5% share of the light commercial export volume.
Production of the Ranger PHEV is pegged at approximately 200 vehicles per day, further bolstering the company's export business – especially with the new PHEV models representing the first-ever Ranger exports from South Africa to Australia and New Zealand.
The South African-built Ranger has been Europe's best-selling pickup for the past 10 years with 43.6% market share, and the new Ranger PHEV is set to play a significant role in Ford's LCV line-up in the region.
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