South Africa
In South Africa pickups are commonly called "bakkies" ("bakkie": singular). This is derived from the diminutive of the Afrikaans term bak - literally a bowl. Early pickups dating from the 1940s were sedans with a cargo carrier bin, added almost as an afterthought. A popular assumption is that the word "bakkie" was derived from the English "buggy" (a two-wheeled horse drawn cart used for light duty farmwork). The word "bakkie" is used by all language groups in South Africa.
Pickups are popular in South Africa, the Toyota Hilux has been the top selling vehicle in the country for decades. Other popular types are the Isuzu KB series, the Ford Ranger and the Mazda B-Series and lately the new Mazda BT-50. Larger types such as the Land Rover and the Toyota Landcruiser are also popular for the serious 4x4 user. The large end of the market is represented only by the Ford F250 which is available in limited numbers as a specially imported model.
Small "half-ton" pickups such as the Ford Bantam, originally a locally designed model based on the Ford Escort and later the Mazda 323, but now a Brazilian-designed Ford Fiesta are also popular. The Volkswagen Caddy, Datsun/Nissan 1400 Champ (discontinued due to emissions control problems, with 27,5000 sold and replaced from 2009 by the Nissan NP200), the Opel Corsa and Fiat Strada are also popular.
Tata and Mahindra from India as well as various Chinese brands have recently entered the cheaper end of the market since the easing of import restrictions.
Read more about this topic: Pickup Truck, Cultural Significance
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