WeBuyCars

What WeBuyCars does

WeBuyCars is South Africa's largest used vehicle dealer, operating a vertically integrated platform that buys pre-owned vehicles directly from consumers and resells them through 129 branches and buying pods, an online marketplace of more than 16,250 vehicles, and a digital auction channel. The company employs 3,600 people across the country, including a national team of 500 mobile buyers who visit customers at their location to evaluate and purchase vehicles with immediate payment, completing an average of 15,000 buy/sell transactions per month. Its core technology stack centers on the proprietary Inspectify inspection platform, which has completed nearly 95,000 vehicle evaluations across 19 branches and delivers a documented 30% improvement in condition-scoring accuracy using AI-driven scoring combined with DEKRA-certified condition reporting. AI agents have autonomously purchased over 2,800 vehicles, AI chatbots support customer service, and data-driven pricing models are used to compete against newer entrants including cheaper Chinese vehicle brands.

The business model is anchored on per-vehicle spread economics: WeBuyCars buys from consumers at negotiated prices, then resells through branches, the website, daily online auctions, and a dealer loyalty programme, with an administration fee of R1,500–R2,400 per transaction. The company is expanding revenue streams into adjacent verticals: third-party vehicle disposals for banks, rental fleets, and dealerships (transaction-fee model), digital auction commissions via its 49% stake in GoBid.co.za (acquired December 2025 for R376.8 million), and attach-rate products including car finance, mechanical warranty (~R12,994 for two years), OUTsurance-branded insurance, service plans, vehicle tracking, scratch and dent cover, tyre and rim cover, credit shortfall cover, and a trade-in service. Following its JSE listing in April 2024 under ticker WBC, the company generated FY2025 revenue of R26.4 billion (+13% YoY) and H1 FY2026 revenue of R14.2 billion (+7.8% YoY). The company is publicly listed with founder-family leadership (CEO Faan van der Walt, Executive Director Dirk van der Walt) and Wynand Beukes promoted to Deputy CEO effective January 2026 amid explicit pressure on margins from Asian vehicle brand competition.

Name

WeBuyCars

Legal name

We Buy Cars (Pty) Ltd.

Website

https://webuycars.co.za

Company type

Public

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

WeBuyCars is South Africa's largest used car dealer, operating 129 branches and a national mobile buyer network that buys vehicles directly from consumers for immediate cash and resells them through retail, online, and auction channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Used Car Dealership Services

NAICS

Used Car Dealers (441120), Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers (441)

SIC

Retail-Auto Dealers & Gasoline Stations (5500)

akta.pro primary industry

Automotive Parts, Tools & Accessories Marketplaces (CRAFABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wholesale Vehicle Auctions (Physical & Online) (TLABAKAA)

Keywords

• Used vehicle buying
• Used car dealership
• Vehicle inspection services
• Car finance brokerage
• Online vehicle auctions

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices20 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Used Vehicle Sales: Core revenue from buying used vehicles from consumers at negotiated prices and reselling them through branches and online platforms. Revenue of R14.2 billion in H1 FY2026, up 7.8% year-over-year.
2. Third-Party Disposals: Disposals on behalf of third parties including banks, rental fleets and dealerships, representing an increasing income stream. Vehicles sourced from third parties integrated into the sales model.
3. Digital Auction Commission: Revenue from GoBid digital vehicle auction platform where WeBuyCars holds 49% stake, enabling vehicle sales through online auctions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

WeBuyCars buys used vehicles directly from individual consumers at negotiated prices with immediate payment, then resells them through 129 physical branches, the webuycars.co.za e-commerce marketplace, and online auctions. The service includes vehicle inspections, DEKRA-certified condition reports, car finance, car insurance via OUTsurance, warranty products, and a dealer loyalty programme for independent resellers.

Product overview

WeBuyCars operates as a platform-plus-services model consisting of a core used vehicle marketplace and multiple supporting products. The main WeBuyCars Marketplace is South Africa's largest used car dealer with 129 branches, enabling consumers to buy and sell pre-owned vehicles with features like Inspectify vehicle inspections, online auctions, and vehicle history reporting. Supporting products include financial services (car finance, warranty, service plans), protection products (insurance via OUTsurance partnership, tracking, scratch/dent cover, tyre cover), trade-in services, and a dealer loyalty programme. The company also acquired a 49% stake in GoBid.co.za digital auction platform in December 2025. The offering is differentiated through AI-driven pricing, autonomous vehicle purchasing agents, and AI chatbots for customer service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WeBuyCars Used Vehicle Marketplace South Africa's largest used car dealer marketplace operating through 129 branches nationwide. Enables individual consumers to sell used vehicles for immediate cash payment or purchase pre-owned cars, with services including vehicle inspections, financing, insurance, warranties, trade-ins, and online auctions. Processes approximately 15,000 vehicles per month with R14.2 billion revenue in H1 FY2026.
• GoBid Digital Vehicle Auction Platform Digital vehicle auction platform in South Africa. WeBuyCars holds a 49% stake and uses the platform for digital vehicle sales and supply chain sourcing.
• Car Insurance (OUTsurance Partnership) Comprehensive and essential car insurance products offered to WeBuyCars vehicle buyers at the point of sale via a partnership with OUTsurance, including OUTbonus, low flat excesses, and 24/7 roadside assistance. Sales executives and finance agents assist customers with insurance needs and send details to OUTsurance for quote generation.
• Car Finance Brokerage Vehicle financing services offered through partnerships with financial institutions including banks and Capitec personal loans for Category A vehicles, with various repayment terms arranged through WeBuyCars finance agents.
• Dealer Loyalty Programme B2B dealer loyalty programme offering exclusive benefits and advantages for independent automotive dealers partnering with WeBuyCars to purchase vehicles for resale through their own operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15,000 vehicles bought and sold per month
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and moderate.

• GoBid.co.zacoreTechnology or Integration · 22 December 2025WeBuyCars acquired 49% stake in GoBid.co.za digital vehicle auction platform for R376.8 million ($22.5 million) with options to increase ownership. The acquisition strengthens WeBuyCars' supply chain and enables increased vehicle sales through the digital auction platform.
• OUTsurancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with OUTsurance to offer convenient and affordable car insurance to vehicle buyers at point of sale. WeBuyCars sales executives and finance agents assist customers with insurance needs, sending details to OUTsurance for quote generation.
• DEKRAmoderateTechnology or IntegrationDEKRA-certified vehicle condition reports used on all vehicles. Inspectify platform provides independent evaluation of vehicle roadworthiness and mechanical condition using DEKRA standards.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cars.co.za: South Africa's leading online automotive marketplace for new and used vehicles, directly comparable to WeBuyCars' core consumer-facing marketplace and listing business, competing for the same buyer and seller traffic in the SA market.
• AutoTrader South Africa: Major South African online auto classifieds and marketplace platform, a direct competitor for vehicle listings and seller leads, serving the same individual buyer and seller customer base as WeBuyCars.
• Copart: Global online vehicle auction platform directly comparable to WeBuyCars' GoBid subsidiary, both operating digital marketplaces that facilitate vehicle sales via auction mechanisms to dealer and public buyers.
• Auto1 Group: European online B2B and B2C used car marketplace with technology-driven pricing and inspection, directly analogous to WeBuyCars in combining marketplace listing with proprietary AI-driven vehicle valuation.
• CarGurus: Global online car marketplace with data-driven pricing and dealer lead generation, comparable to WeBuyCars' online marketplace and AI pricing engine serving both consumer and dealer customers.

Broad incumbents

• Carvana: US online-only used car retailer with integrated financing, inspection, and delivery - a widely-followed business model benchmark for WeBuyCars' digital-first, vertically integrated used car marketplace approach.
• CarMax: Largest US used car retailer with branded physical stores and integrated financing - a benchmark for WeBuyCars' branch-based used car retail model at scale, with comparable fixed-ops and reconditioning economics.
• IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions): Major US salvage and used vehicle auction house operating a digital-first auction model, comparable to the GoBid acquisition and parallel in monetizing vehicle remarketing through online channels.
• Manheim: World's largest wholesale vehicle auction operator combining physical auction sites and digital platforms, parallel to WeBuyCars' branch network and GoBid digital auction in the vehicle remarketing value chain.

Regional players

• OLX South Africa: South African consumer-to-consumer classifieds platform with a strong vehicles category, comparable as a regional marketplace for individual vehicle sellers that WeBuyCars targets via its core offering.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WeBuyCars_SA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/WeBuyCars
• Facebookfacebook.com/WeBuyCarsTheCarSupermarket
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/we-buy-cars
• Instagraminstagram.com/webuycars

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WeBuyCars