South Africans are often told to buy the car they can afford. The problem is that affordability is still measured largely through the purchase price and monthly instalment, while the true cost of modern vehicle ownership is becoming harder to see.
A proposed vehicle linked fee to help fund the Road Accident Fund (RAF) could add another compulsory cost to annual licence renewals and vehicle registrations. The RAF already receives more than R48-billion annually through the fuel levy, yet it owes more than R518-billion and holds assets worth only R33-billion. Asking motorists to pay more without first addressing the system’s failures will understandably face resistance.
At the same time, vehicles are becoming more technologically complex. Recent Ford Transit and Tourneo recalls relate to a transmission defect that could cause a sudden loss of forward or reverse movement. Repairs linked to recalls are completed at no cost, but the incident highlights how dependent modern cars have become on advanced components, electronics and specialised expertise.
This complexity has a long standing impact after a vehicle leaves the showroom.
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“A feature packed car may appear to offer exceptional value, but buyers must establish what those features could cost to insure, calibrate, repair or replace,” says Mike Pashut, CEO and Founder of ChangeCars. “The affordable option is not necessarily the vehicle with the lowest instalment. It is the one whose full ownership cost remains manageable.”
The electric vehicle market adds another layer of uncertainty. Geely may have received around 1 200 orders for its E2 in less than three months, while BYD accounted for 1 026 of the 1 293 officially reported electric vehicle sales across March, April and June. However, not every manufacturer reports sales to naamsa (The Automotive Business Council), meaning the market may be moving faster than official figures indicate.
Younger buyers are already responding to financial pressure. Under 35s accounted for 34.9 percent of Standard Bank financed vehicle purchases between 2021 and April 2026. Chinese brands grew by more than 423 percent between 2021 and 2025, largely through competitive pricing, strong specifications and warranties.
South Africa needs a standard vehicle affordability disclosure that shows estimated insurance, service, tyre, technology repair, energy and tax costs alongside the instalment.
Until then, buyers should stop asking only what a car costs to buy. They should ask what it could cost to keep.
Tamryn Gwenossis
