What Makes South African's love Toyota

From the iconic 1st Generation Corolla to the top-selling Hilux bakkie, Toyota has become deeply entrenched into South African culture, selling more than a million vehicles in the country. Today, the Corolla and the Hilux have become South African legends in their own right. 

When searching for a car to buy, we understand that buying a Toyota means reselling will be relatively easy when the time comes. Besides their reputation of reliability, we know that they’re arguably the most popular car brand across the country. 

With so many other trustworthy and innovative car manufacturers available, why do so many South Africans put Toyota at the top of their list? How has the brand kept itself relevant for four decades? 

Full commitment

In 2009, the president of Toyota Motor Corporation made a global recommitment to ensure that their cars met with the highest standards for quality, safety, reliability and retained value. Since then, Toyota has accumulated a long list of awards and recognition for its efforts. 

Legendary reputation

Trustworthy and reliable, it’s a proven fact Toyotas are built to last. Their durability affords them a long-standing reputation of building robust, reliable cars designed to withstand wear and tear, needing less time in the repair shop. 

According to research by R.L. Polk & Company, 90% of Toyotas sold new between 1996 and 2010 are still on the road today. 

Affordable quality

When it comes to buying a car, South Africans are like any other car consumer across the world – they want quality. Toyota knows that car buyers deserve the same good quality and service wherever they are in the world. South African consumers are well-informed, and they know what they want. The car manufacturer has made sure they cater to the need of quality along with affordability by developing lower-priced cars like the Taz and the Quest. 

High resale value

South Africans know that buying car is more about the initial price of the vehicle, it’s also how much that car is worth when it’s time to sell it. Because of their reputation for building reliable and durable cars, Toyota has been awarded several times for brand with the Best Resale Value.

Affordable and economical

Think of small ink printers designed for home use. They’re sold at rather affordable prices themselves – but the ink runs out quickly and replacing the cartridges are surprisingly pricey. There’s no point in buying a lower-cost product only to spend a small fortune over time to keep it running. 

This is where Toyota excels brilliantly. Affordable to buy, economical to run, and relatively little to maintain.  

A fun workhorse

South Africans love road trips, they love the outdoors, they’re adventurous, exciting people with attitude to boot. Toyota models cater for all this and more. Sporty, fun, and practical, the carmaker ensures their cars have ample boot space for all those fun-related items like picnic baskets, golf bags, and djembe drums. 

Safety is standard

Due to the lack of convenient public transport in a vast country like ours, for most South Africans a car is more than a status symbol. Because we spend so much time driving on the road, safety is a number one concern. 

According to spokesman Curt McAllister, safety is paramount in the design, engineering, and production of all Toyotas. The Star Safety System is standard on all models and includes enhanced vehicle stability control, traction control, electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, antilock brakes and smart stop technology. But safety innovation doesn’t stop there and the brand continues to develop new technologies such as Safety Sense, which come standard in most models.

Wide selection

Covering all bases by offering hatchbacks, sedans, SUVs, bakkies, 4x4s, panel vans, and minivans in a plethora of variants, Toyota is a brand on almost every South African car buyer’s radar.

Always innovating

With each generation of Toyota, the brand have continuously pushed to create a smoother, smarter, more refined version than the previous one, without losing its fun and affordability factor. 

Adapting to local

When Toyota recognised the huge popularity of the Corolla in South Africa, they reworked the car to cater to the needs of South African consumers. The car was designed and manufactured locally, giving car buyers quality at an affordable price. 

Conclusion

Perhaps the answer is plain to see. Yes, South Africans love their cars, but more importantly, they understand cars well enough to know which brands tick all the boxes. Toyota seems to score full marks.

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