Mahindra has cemented its position as one of South Africa’s favourite brands with an all-time sales record in 2025.

The company reported a total of 18 097 vehicles sold over the past calendar year, representing massive 40% year-on-year growth.

In contrast to Mahindra’s growing sales, the total vehicle industry grew by approximately 15% to recover to pre-COVID levels. Much of the industry’s sales growth recorded in this period was driven by the large number of new brands that have entered the market.

Mahindra’s stellar performance has propelled it to filling the position of the third best-performing volume brand in South Africa for 2025. It was the best-performing brand for three of the past six years, and when measured by the compound annual growth rate (CAGR), it has been in the league of top three fastest growing brands since 2017.

While Mahindra has historically been anchored by its locally manufactured Pik Up, the past year has seen its passenger vehicle sales reach new heights.

Mahindra’s passenger vehicle sales surged by over 100%, jumping from 3 969 units in 2024 to 8 085 units in 2025. This ranks Mahindra as one of the two top performers in the passenger vehicle segment, measured by sales growth.

This exponential growth was driven by the market reception of the XUV 3XO and the rugged Scorpio-N, with the former democratising technology by offering a true six-speed automatic transmission and features such as six airbags across all models with the latter democratising an active lifestyle by offering an unmatched feature set for families looking for a capable adventure SUV.

Both the XUV 3XO and the Scorpio-N were voted the Motor Enthusiast’s Choice at consecutive South African Car of the Year events.

At the heart of Mahindra’s performance is its unique approach to business. In contrast to many of the new brands that have entered the market of late, Mahindra has used its two decades in the country to invest in its dealer network and aftermarket support; it added local manufacturing capacity and deepened its support of local social and environmental causes.

“Mahindra is here to stay. As we enter our third decade in South Africa, we will double down on our business model of responsible investment, sustainable growth and authentic products with world class support,” says Rajesh Gupta, CEO of Mahindra South Africa.

“If we continue to focus on these business fundamentals, then the sales success will continue.”

Among the many examples of Mahindra’s unique business model is the recent opening of the new Mahindra Assembly Facility, based in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. This new state-of-the-art facility allows Mahindra to assemble over 1 000 Pik Up models a month, while adding more local content and building special edition models, such as the Pik Up Karoo range.

The locally assembled Mahindra Pik Up single cab now stands as one of the three most popular workhorses in the country, favoured for its durability and cost of ownership. Additional improvements, such as a change to a single-mass flywheel for even lower maintenance costs, should see the popularity of this model continue in the new year.

In the past year, Mahindra also opened a new national warehouse and distribution centre, its biggest yet. From here, the company distributes parts and components to its network of over 100 dealers every day.

Beyond the balance sheet, 2025 saw Mahindra take a leadership role in brand lifestyle and community engagement. The inaugural Mahindra Fusion Fest was launched as a celebration of South African creativity and cultural diversity.

The event drew over 7 000 attendees, including the Honourable Deputy President Paul Mashatile, setting a new benchmark for automotive brand experiences.

The success of the festival has redefined how manufacturers engage with the public, sparking several similar industry events, though none have yet matched the scale or cultural resonance of the original.

Plans are already afoot for the 2026 Mahindra Fusion Fest, which promises to be even larger in scope as the brand enters the new year with record-high momentum.