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Two common words on the lips of most South Africans right now are "Go Bokke" – as the excitement around the 2023 Rugby World Cup continues.
No one knows for sure which country will win the World Cup (fingers crossed, it's South Africa). However, something conclusive can be revealed, and that's what cars some of our beloved Bokke drive – and what their vehicles cost.
Not surprisingly, many of the automotive brands have partnerships with the Bokke. For instance, Jaguar Land Rover sponsored the Springboks until January 2022, and the company continues to sponsor Springbok players such as Bongi Mbonambi, Cheslin Kolbe and Duane Vermeulen.
Jaguar Land Rover's support was replaced – in 2022 – by a deal with Toyota South Africa, whereby the company announced a three-year partnership with the Springboks. Toyota has promoted this partnership via two heart-warming videos – one that celebrates South Africans and their support of our national rugby team, the Springboks. and another that showcases the Bokke taking on a rival of equal toughness, namely the Hilux.
The latter stars five iconic Springbok players: Malcolm Marx, Jesse Kriel, Willie le Roux, Pieter-Steph du Toit, and Lukhanyo Am and their supposed scrum machine, the Toyota Hilux. According to George Mienie, AutoTrader CEO, the Hilux was the most searched-for used car model in South Africa in 2023.
"The 2023 AutoTrader Car Industry Report reveals that the Hilux was the most searched-for model with 3.9% of the total search share – or 10.3 million searches!" he reveals. The Hilux is listed on AutoTrader for an average of R461 956, with an average mileage of 102 942km and an average age of five years.
Despite showing their support and appreciation for the rugged Hilux, you can expect to find fan-favourites Jesse Kriel, Willie Le Roux and Pieter-Steph Du Toit, further representing Toyota while enjoying their Land Cruiser Prado, with Cobus Reinach representing team Hilux.
Moving away from one of South Africa's favourite brands (Toyota typically sells the most new and used cars in the country), Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, Makazole Mapimpi and Lukhanyo Am have been appointed ambassadors for Mercedes-Benz South Africa.
Kolisi drives a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, while Mapimpi and Am drive a Mercedes-Benz C43 4Matic AMG. You can also expect Eben Etzebeth to arrive in style in his Mercedes-Benz GLE 400d.
What would those aspirational cars cost?
Mapimpi and Am's wheels are listed on AutoTrader for a mere R814 944 (average mileage 54 015 km; average age of five years), while Kolisi's G-Class is listed for an eye-watering R2 944 481 (average mileage 48 423 km; average age of five years). Clearly, being the captain has its perks!
Toyota, Jaguar Land Rover and Mercedes appear to be Springbok staples among the Bokke. But Jasper Wiese seems to be the Springbok wildcard, being the only player who drives and enjoys his Volkswagen Amarok V6.
It seems that most Springbok players have enjoyed an array of cars over the years, with all of them having two things in common: durability and reliability. The perfect combination to represent the Bokke!
