Mazda South Africa drops BT-50 from its line-up

LOCALLY the Mazda BT-50 ute sold in record numbers last year, but the model’s popularity is waning in other right-hand drive markets, with South Africa joining New Zealand in ditching the ‘bakkie’ from its portfolio this fortnight.

According to a report published by South African site Carz.co.za, the BT-50 has been officially discontinued in the country for “complex” reasons, including the model’s inability to compete with both locally produced and cheaper imported models.

Being built off-shore, the BT-50 was subject to an importation tax in South Africa, meaning it was considerably more expensive than a comparable Isuzu D-Max, which is built within the South African nation.

As with the BT-50 Down Under, the current-generation, South African-spec Mazda BT-50 was imported from Thailand, where it was produced by Isuzu alongside the latest-generation D-Max – and like Australia, the South African dual-cab ute (or bakkie) market is highly competitive.

“The Mazda BT-50 bakkie has been officially discontinued in South Africa, bringing an end to the nameplate’s 18-year run in the country,” reported Carz.co.za.

Staff at Cars.co.za noticed the Mazda bakkie was no longer listed on the Japanese firm’s local website and asked the company for comment on the BT-50’s local fate. Their suspicions were confirmed with the model quietly axed at the start of this month.

According to the South African website, Mazda says it “will continue to manufacture the BT-50 as part of its alliance with Isuzu for other global markets”.

Mazda sold just 69 examples of the BT-50 across the 2023 calendar year, forcing the importer’s hand in deleting the model from its range.

It was a similar story in New Zealand.

The importer sold just 347 units through 2023, the slump in sales attributed in no small part to that market’s now-defunct Clean Car Discount scheme (which funnelled levies on high-emitting vehicles into subsidies for models with a smaller carbon footprint).

Currently available New Zealand BT-50 stock will be the last to be offered.

“The conclusion of the BT-50 is certainly the end of an era for Mazda in New Zealand,” said Mazda Motors of New Zealand managing director David Hodge.

“Undeniably, the market changed significantly over the past few years. The move towards SUVs, a greater uptake of electrified vehicles, and most recently the Clean Car Discount program have all influenced customer tastes.”

Locally, Mazda Australia assures buyers the BT-50 is safe.

“I can’t comment on South Africa, but the Mazda BT-50 remains in production and on-sale in a number of global markets including Australia,” a Mazda Australia spokesperson told GoAuto.

“2023 was a sales record for BT-50 in Australia of 17,526 units and its popularity continues to grow with customers across the country.”

The popularity of the model remains steady with mid-field sales performance behind stronger competitors including the Ford Ranger (63,356 units sold in 2023), Toyota HiLux (61,111 units), Isuzu D-Max (31,202).