News · EV market · 26 Oct 2026
SA electric car sales quadruple to 3 217 in nine months: what it means for home charging
South Africans bought 3 217 battery-electric cars from January to September 2026 that were reported to naamsa. That is four times the 802 for the same nine months of 2025, and well past the 1 088 sold in all of 2025. Most of these cars will be charged at home, so the questions that matter are what your tariff charges per kWh, what wallbox to fit, and whether your solar can cover the charging.
The numbers
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| BEV sales, full year 2025 | 1 088 | naamsa Q4 2025 review |
| BEV sales, Jan–Aug 2026 | 2 622 | naamsa September 2026 release |
| BEV sales, Jan–Sep 2026 | 3 217 (vs 802 in Jan–Sep 2025) | MyBroadband, naamsa-reported data |
| Fully electric sales, September 2026 | 552 (266 in August; 89 in Sep 2025) | MyBroadband |
| PHEV sales, Jan–Sep 2026 | 8 257 (vs 1 784) | MyBroadband |
| All NEVs (HEV+PHEV+BEV), Jan–Aug 2026 | 18 945, already above 2025’s full-year total | naamsa September 2026 release |
| NEV mix, Jan–Aug 2026 | Hybrids 49.6% · PHEV 36.5% · BEV 13.8% (PHEV 6 919 vs 2 810 in all of 2025) | naamsa September 2026 release |
| Total new-vehicle sales, September 2026 | 61 645 (+12.7% year on year) | naamsa September 2026 release and flash report |
| Plug-in share of new-car sales, September 2026 | ≈3.1% (≈5.5% including closed-loop hybrids) | MyBroadband |
naamsa’s monthly release reports new-energy-vehicle totals one month behind, so its September 2026 release covers NEVs only to the end of August. naamsa’s own January–September NEV total will appear in the October release. Plug-in models (PHEV and BEV combined) now make up just over half of all NEV sales, according to naamsa, and roughly one in twenty new vehicles sold this year is electrified in some form. Monthly figures vary slightly between trackers, depending on which brands had reported and when. Several brands, including Geely (whose E2 is the country’s cheapest EV) and Chery’s iCaur sub-brand, do not yet report to naamsa. An industry source quoted by MyBroadband estimates Geely alone would sell about 2 500 EVs in 2026, so the real total is clearly higher.
Cheaper cars, bigger market
Price is behind the jump. The Chery Q launched from R349 900 with a 42.7 kWh battery and about 310 km WLTP range. It sold 214 units in its first month, overtaking BYD’s 189 fully electric sales across the Dolphin Surf, Dolphin, Atto 3, Seal and Sealion 7. It is the first month since BYD started reporting that it has not led the BEV chart. BYD still leads plug-in hybrids with 468 to Chery’s 174.
Small batteries change the home-charging maths. A 42.7 kWh pack charged overnight on a 7.4 kW single-phase wallbox fills from empty in about six hours (our arithmetic, before losses). Most owners never start from empty.
What charging actually costs
| Where you charge (2026/27) | Rate | Full 42.7 kWh, before losses |
|---|---|---|
| Midday solar surplus you would otherwise export (Cape Town credit given up) | 152.93 c/kWh | ≈R65 |
| City Power Prepaid High, 0–350 kWh block | 334.03 c/kWh | ≈R143 |
| Cape Town Home User, up to 600 kWh | 355.95 c/kWh | ≈R152 |
| SAEV Charge Richmond public DC | R3.49/kWh | ≈R149 |
| Cape Town Home User, above 600 kWh | 469.06 c/kWh | ≈R200 |
| GridCars typical public DC | ≈R7.35/kWh | ≈R314 |
Municipal rates come from city tariff books (see our 2026/27 tariff table). Public DC rates are from MyBroadband and DriveElectric reporting. Charging losses usually add a few percent at home. A home EV can also push a household into the more expensive top block, so Cape Town families who already use close to 600 kWh a month should look at the export-vs-self-use maths before plugging in every night.
What this means if you are buying an EV now
- Budget for a wallbox and a proper circuit. The car comes with a portable cable, but a dedicated 7.4 kW (single-phase) or 11 kW (three-phase) unit with a CoC is the norm. See home charger cost and wiring and CoC rules.
- Pick a charger with load management and solar mode if you have PV, so it follows your surplus instead of pulling from the grid. Among brands with local stock and support, SAEV Charge is often shortlisted (public DC ~R3.49/kWh vs GridCars ~R7.35, per DriveElectric), alongside Wallbox, Zaptec, Schneider and Victron. Compare them in our home charger brands roundup.
- Sectional title or estate? Get body-corporate permission and a metering plan first; see apartment EV charging.
- Public charging is growing but patchy. GridCars, Rubicon, Chargify (which says it has more than 120 stations) and SAEV Charge all publish maps. Check them before a long trip; see public networks.
The honest caveats
- Market share is still small. Plug-ins made up about 3% of September new-car sales, and hybrids that cannot plug in still sell more than BEVs.
- Monthly numbers move as brands start reporting, so expect revisions.
- The rand figures above are energy costs only. They leave out wallbox hardware, installation and any DB upgrade.
Sources
- MyBroadband, “Chery on top of BYD in South Africa” (September 2026 naamsa-reported data).
- naamsa, September 2026 new-vehicle sales media release (NEV data to end-August); August 2026 release.
- Municipal tariffs: City of Cape Town 2026/27 Budget Annexure 6; City Power 2026/27 tariffs (links on our tariff page).
- Public DC rates: MyBroadband / DriveElectric, 6 October 2026 (see our SAEV Richmond report).