When living in South Africa you have to think very differently that you would living anywhere else when it comes to purchasing a motor vehicle. The vehicle you may fancy may not always be a wise decision and you have to always double check if that particular model or brand is on the hijackers shopping lists. Normally they are attracted to high end 4 x 4 vehicles which are then sold on in neighboring countries. Toyota was a favorite target for so many years
The cars I have owned over the years were not exactly my first choice or even in my top 5 of motor vehicle, but more importantly they were not in demand which meant they were safe to travel in. I see a motor vehicle as something that gets you from A to B and as long as it is reliable it serves a purpose. I have been fortunate enough to have my fair share of fancy cars in the past with various promotional work vehicles which included Corvettes and various high end 4 x 4 imported vehicles. Those were actually deemed low risk vehicles because the company only imported 7 of each variety and they stood out so much with the livery if stolen they would be found rather quickly.
I was reading an article which highlighted that certain discontinued models were now on top of the hijackers shopping lists in 2026. The reason for this is rather obvious and that the parts for these vehicles are in high demand. These particular hijacked vehicles will end up in some local chop shop ad within a few hours the parts will be untraceable. Easy quick money for low risk compared to stealing ahigh end vehicle and trying to drive it over the border.
Insurance companies today employ vehicle recovery companies which compile ex military people who stake out certain porous sections of the border which there are many. Due to the volume of stolen and hijacked vehicles many still make it through to the other side, but a high proportion are still recovered. This is high risk high reward for the hijackers and rather have the risk they are now preying on the discontinued vehicles instead.
The one particular model is an odd choice being the Nissan Almera which is not a vehicle you would expect. With the increase in Uber and Bolt taxi vehicles the Nissan Almera has become a popular choice due to the leg room it offers. This particular Nissan model was discontinued in 2023 and the after market is what is creating the hijackers wet dream as those that own the vehicles being used as taxis need spare parts.
The other vehicle which was very popular in SA was the Nissan NP 200 which was a small work horse type van/bakkie. This model was discontinued in March 2024 and was one of the cheapest vehicles of it's kind on the market. Again this is a prime chop shop vehicle in demand for it's spares. This is not used as a taxi, but more by those doing trade work.
For those interested the latest hijack hot list is as follows
- VW Polo (all variants)
- Hyundai Grand i10
- Nissan Almera (taxi)
- Toyota Quantum (taxi)
- Hyundai Venue (taxi)
- Nissan NP200
- Suzuki Ertiga (taxi)
As you can see the Uber/Bolt taxi industry has created demand for certain vehicles and I would suggest those vehicles that are current the demand by those buying them will drop off due to the risks. Any type of people carrier vehicle is at risk here and is what it is. This list does not feature one high end car which you would have expected or presumed.