The Rise Of Chinese Car Brands In South Africa: Huge Sales Growth In Just Five Years

In the past few years, Chinese vehicles have become a formidable threat to established manufacturers, particularly in the SUV space.

But just how significant are these sales figures?

We compared the first quarter sales of all Chinese brands, from 2020, 2023 and 2025, and although these brands have yet to command a lions share of the market, their share of the sales pie is growing rapidly.

Chinese car and light commercial vehicle sales, as reported to Naamsa, amounted to just 3,247 units in the first quarter of 2020, accounting for 2.78 of the total vehicle market.

By Q1 2023, this share had grown to 6,98 of the total vehicle market, from 9,559 unit sales, and by the first quarter of this year, the Chinese brand share was 11.81, with 17,003 sales.