Which bakkies are most stolen in South Africa?

Why is the Hilux the most stolen bakkie?

Every list agrees on the Hilux, but none says how many are taken. King Price calls it “consistently the most hijacked vehicle in South Africa”, and Auto Trader says it is hijacked “at nearly double the rate of any other bakkie”, without giving a figure for either.^1,2 MasterDrive says the Hilux and the Polo “continue to dominate the statistics” it relied on.⁵

The methods reported against it are getting more technical. In August 2026 TopAuto, citing LandCruiserSA, named the Hilux as the vehicle most targeted by CAN-bus injection, a way into the car’s data network from outside.⁸ A year earlier, TopAuto’s sources described replay gangs watching parking lots for vehicles “with a high resale value … such as a Toyota Hilux or Ford Ranger”.⁹ Our Toyota page covers each Hilux trim.

The Ranger, NP200 and D-Max

The Ford Ranger is third for King Price and Auto Trader, and fifth for Gauteng Tourism. Auto Trader calls it “A permanent target in the top three”, and MasterDrive says its numbers “are reportedly increasing”.^2,5

The Nissan NP200 is the only bakkie on Fidelity ADT’s 2026 list of targets, which leaves out the Hilux and Ranger.⁷ King Price links it to small businesses and delivery companies whose vehicles run predictable routes, and Auto Trader says that since it went out of production, legitimate parts have become scarcer and dearer, which feeds the black market in parts.^1,2

The Isuzu D-Max is seventh for King Price, which says it “appears regularly in hijacking reports” and is wanted for parts “particularly in agricultural and construction sectors”.¹ In 2025 The Star reported an Isuzu bakkie recovered with a Fortuner and a Land Rover Discovery at a Kibler Park property, “allegedly en route to Eswatini”.¹⁰

How many bakkies are stolen and hijacked?

SAPS counts vehicle types, not makes. From April to June 2026 it sorted 3 788 carjackings by type: 1 083 were of bakkies and panel vans, second only to sedans, hatchbacks and coupés at 1 552.¹¹ Theft of a parked vehicle is counted separately, with 6 994 cases of motor vehicle and motorcycle theft in the same three months, and we found no breakdown of those by vehicle type.¹²

Some stolen bakkies leave the country. In April 2026 IOL reported that syndicates target 4x4s and bakkies, that 36 vehicles had been brought back through joint Interpol operations in six months, and that stolen vehicles are “primarily exported, used for spare parts, or cloned for resale within South Africa”.¹³

Which bakkie is least stolen?

No South African source ranks the least stolen bakkies. What we can say is which ones no 2025 or 2026 list names: the Nissan Navara, Mitsubishi Triton, Mahindra Pik Up, Peugeot Landtrek and GWM P300 are on none of the lists we checked.^1,2,5,7 The GWM P-Series was named among the most targeted models by TopAuto in 2024.¹⁴

Not being on a list doesn’t mean not being stolen. In August 2026 Limpopo police recovered two stolen Navaras on the N1 heading for Beitbridge, taken in Springs and Alberton.¹⁵ In 2025 a Mahindra S6 Karoo bakkie hijacked in the North West was found in a garage in Malamulele, Limpopo.¹⁶

Before you insure a bakkie

Ask your insurer what it requires for your bakkie before cover starts. King Price, for example, says an anti-theft device “will be confirmed with you at the inception of your cover, and will also be noted on your policy schedule”.¹⁷ Our guide to anti-hijack systems covers the factory security on the Hilux, Ranger, NP200 and D-Max.

Our deals start from R99pm for a wireless recovery unit, or R149pm for a full insurance-approved tracker. Free installation, 36-month contract.

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