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The SA Vehicle Industry Thread
- Thread starter FiestaST
- Start date
FiestaST
Honorary Master
FiestaST
Honorary Master
Jolion takes 4th! SA’s best-selling passenger cars in June 2026
GWM’s Haval Jolion grabbed 4th on the list of SA’s best-selling passenger cars in June 2026, posting its highest tally yet. Meanwhile, the Jetour T2 dropped out of the top 10…
- Passenger-car podium positions unchanged
- Jolion’s sales high sees it grab 4th position
- Ertiga returns as T2 drops out of the top 10
In June 2026, South Africa’s total new-vehicle sales increased 15.3% year on year to 54 482 units, with the local passenger-vehicle market posting even stronger growth, improving 18.1% to 38 393 units. So, which passenger cars led the sales charge in Mzansi last month?
Well, before we drill down into individual-model registration figures, it’s worth noting rental sales accounted for 9.7% (or 3 709 units) of the passenger-vehicle market’s total. A further 525 units were sold to government, while 1 062 units were reported as “single” registrations (vehicles the respective brands kept for their own use).
SA’s 10 best-selling passenger vehicles in June 2026
1. Volkswagen Polo Vivo (excluding LCV) – 2 371 units
2. Chery Tiggo 4 (including Cross) – 2 070 units
3. Hyundai Grand i10 (excluding LCV) – 1 490 units
4. GWM Haval Jolion – 1 424 units
5. Suzuki Swift – 1 388 units
6. Toyota Corolla Cross – 1 356 units
7. Toyota Urban Cruiser – 1 174 units
8. Suzuki Ertiga – 1 150 units
9. Suzuki Fronx – 1 092 units
10. Toyota Starlet – 968 units
GWM’s Haval Jolion grabbed 4th on the list of SA’s best-selling passenger cars in June 2026, posting its highest tally yet. Meanwhile, the Jetour T2 dropped out of the top 10…
- Passenger-car podium positions unchanged
- Jolion’s sales high sees it grab 4th position
- Ertiga returns as T2 drops out of the top 10
In June 2026, South Africa’s total new-vehicle sales increased 15.3% year on year to 54 482 units, with the local passenger-vehicle market posting even stronger growth, improving 18.1% to 38 393 units. So, which passenger cars led the sales charge in Mzansi last month?
Well, before we drill down into individual-model registration figures, it’s worth noting rental sales accounted for 9.7% (or 3 709 units) of the passenger-vehicle market’s total. A further 525 units were sold to government, while 1 062 units were reported as “single” registrations (vehicles the respective brands kept for their own use).
SA’s 10 best-selling passenger vehicles in June 2026
1. Volkswagen Polo Vivo (excluding LCV) – 2 371 units
2. Chery Tiggo 4 (including Cross) – 2 070 units
3. Hyundai Grand i10 (excluding LCV) – 1 490 units
4. GWM Haval Jolion – 1 424 units
5. Suzuki Swift – 1 388 units
6. Toyota Corolla Cross – 1 356 units
7. Toyota Urban Cruiser – 1 174 units
8. Suzuki Ertiga – 1 150 units
9. Suzuki Fronx – 1 092 units
10. Toyota Starlet – 968 units
FiestaST
Honorary Master
Top 5 vehicle exporters in SA – June 2026
We’ve rounded up the top five vehicle exporters in South Africa in June 2026. See the full list below…
Top 5 vehicle exporters in SA in June 2026
Volkswagen Group SA – 10 396 (down 114)
BMW Group – 6 630 (up 330)
Toyota South Africa Motors – 5 407 (up 3 651)
Mercedes-Benz SA – 5 100 (down 500)
Ford Motor Company – 4 752 (up 741)
www.carmag.co.za
We’ve rounded up the top five vehicle exporters in South Africa in June 2026. See the full list below…
Top 5 vehicle exporters in SA in June 2026
Volkswagen Group SA – 10 396 (down 114)
BMW Group – 6 630 (up 330)
Toyota South Africa Motors – 5 407 (up 3 651)
Mercedes-Benz SA – 5 100 (down 500)
Ford Motor Company – 4 752 (up 741)
Top 5 vehicle exporters in SA – June 2026
We’ve rounded up the top five vehicle exporters in South Africa in June 2026. See the full list below…
www.carmag.co.za
FiestaST
Honorary Master
FiestaST
Honorary Master
Chery Group officially takes over Rosslyn factory
Chinese automotive giant Chery has officially acquired the Rosslyn plant from Nissan and says it aims to create “nearly 3 000” direct and indirect jobs in South Africa…
- Chery Group gets keys to Rosslyn plant
- “Majority” of Nissan employees retained
- Jetour and Jaecoo production confirmed
Fast-growing Chinese automaker the Chery Group has officially acquired the Rosslyn factory from Nissan, a facility in which the Japanese firm had built new vehicles for South Africa and export markets for some 60 years.
In January 2026, Nissan confirmed it had reached an agreement with Chery regarding the sale of the facility, announcing that the Chinese company would purchase the land, buildings and associated assets, including of the nearby stamping plant.
Now that acquisition process is complete. At a ceremony attended by several government officials (including Paul Mashatile, Deputy President of South Africa) and various Chery global executives, the Chinese company announced it had retained the “majority” of the factory’s existing employees.
Aiming to build 50 000 units per annum in “phase one” of the project, the Chery Group furthermore revealed it planned to create “nearly 3 000 direct and indirect jobs, across manufacturing, supply chain and services”. It also announced plans to launch a “localisation programme”, with a target of 40% local vehicle content in the initial phase.
As a reminder, the Chery Group includes not only the core Chery brand but also various sub-brands, such as Omoda & Jaecoo, Jetour, iCaur and Lepas. In April 2026, Jetour confirmed that its T1 and T2 crossovers would start rolling off the line in Rosslyn by mid-2027.
Omoda & Jaecoo has subsequently announced that its Jaecoo J5 would “form part of the core production line-up” at the Chery Group’s newly acquired manufacturing plant. Interestingly, the sub-brand added that the J5 would be produced locally in both internal combustion engine (ICE) form and new-energy vehicle (NEV) guise.
Chinese automotive giant Chery has officially acquired the Rosslyn plant from Nissan and says it aims to create “nearly 3 000” direct and indirect jobs in South Africa…
- Chery Group gets keys to Rosslyn plant
- “Majority” of Nissan employees retained
- Jetour and Jaecoo production confirmed
Fast-growing Chinese automaker the Chery Group has officially acquired the Rosslyn factory from Nissan, a facility in which the Japanese firm had built new vehicles for South Africa and export markets for some 60 years.
In January 2026, Nissan confirmed it had reached an agreement with Chery regarding the sale of the facility, announcing that the Chinese company would purchase the land, buildings and associated assets, including of the nearby stamping plant.
Now that acquisition process is complete. At a ceremony attended by several government officials (including Paul Mashatile, Deputy President of South Africa) and various Chery global executives, the Chinese company announced it had retained the “majority” of the factory’s existing employees.
Aiming to build 50 000 units per annum in “phase one” of the project, the Chery Group furthermore revealed it planned to create “nearly 3 000 direct and indirect jobs, across manufacturing, supply chain and services”. It also announced plans to launch a “localisation programme”, with a target of 40% local vehicle content in the initial phase.
As a reminder, the Chery Group includes not only the core Chery brand but also various sub-brands, such as Omoda & Jaecoo, Jetour, iCaur and Lepas. In April 2026, Jetour confirmed that its T1 and T2 crossovers would start rolling off the line in Rosslyn by mid-2027.
Omoda & Jaecoo has subsequently announced that its Jaecoo J5 would “form part of the core production line-up” at the Chery Group’s newly acquired manufacturing plant. Interestingly, the sub-brand added that the J5 would be produced locally in both internal combustion engine (ICE) form and new-energy vehicle (NEV) guise.
FiestaST
Honorary Master
Chery formally inaugurates new South African assembly plant in Rosslyn - but what will they build?
As a historic chapter closes with Nissan South Africa having ended local manufacturing in May, another begins following Chery Auto’s acquisition of the Japanese carmaker’s assembly plant in Rosslyn, Gauteng.
Friday, July 3, marked a historic moment as the Chinese automaker formally inaugurated its local manufacturing operation, with a view to commencing local production from mid-2027 following a refurbishment of the plant.
In attendance were Deputy President Paul Mashatile, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, Tshwane Executive Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya, Chery Auto Chairman Yin Tongyue, Vice President Charlie Zhang and Chery's South African CEO Tony Liu.
Although the company did not use the occasion to reveal which products it plans to produce locally, there are strong indications of which models are set to cross the Rosslyn assembly plant in 2027. Chery brands Omoda & Jaecoo announced separately on Friday that the Jaecoo J5 will be among the models to be assembled locally. It is also strongly rumoured that the closely related Lepas L4 and Chery Tiggo Cross will be built alongside it.
Furthermore, Jetour announced earlier this year that its T-Series SUV, a larger vehicle than the latter trio, is also in the running for local production.
But that's not all. A Chery representative told IOL on the sidelines that the production version of the new KP31 bakkie was also under strong consideration for local production. This is the world's first bakkie to feature a diesel plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Chery Auto South Africa is aiming to produce 50,000 units per annum by financial year 2028.
The plant’s acquisition recently attained the approval of the Competition Commission.
The plant previously operated at low capacity, producing Nissan Navara bakkies for the local and other African markets. Chery Auto said it plans to upgrade the plant and its equipment with a view to returning it to full production capacity.
iol.co.za
As a historic chapter closes with Nissan South Africa having ended local manufacturing in May, another begins following Chery Auto’s acquisition of the Japanese carmaker’s assembly plant in Rosslyn, Gauteng.
Friday, July 3, marked a historic moment as the Chinese automaker formally inaugurated its local manufacturing operation, with a view to commencing local production from mid-2027 following a refurbishment of the plant.
In attendance were Deputy President Paul Mashatile, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, Tshwane Executive Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya, Chery Auto Chairman Yin Tongyue, Vice President Charlie Zhang and Chery's South African CEO Tony Liu.
Although the company did not use the occasion to reveal which products it plans to produce locally, there are strong indications of which models are set to cross the Rosslyn assembly plant in 2027. Chery brands Omoda & Jaecoo announced separately on Friday that the Jaecoo J5 will be among the models to be assembled locally. It is also strongly rumoured that the closely related Lepas L4 and Chery Tiggo Cross will be built alongside it.
Furthermore, Jetour announced earlier this year that its T-Series SUV, a larger vehicle than the latter trio, is also in the running for local production.
But that's not all. A Chery representative told IOL on the sidelines that the production version of the new KP31 bakkie was also under strong consideration for local production. This is the world's first bakkie to feature a diesel plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Chery Auto South Africa is aiming to produce 50,000 units per annum by financial year 2028.
The plant’s acquisition recently attained the approval of the Competition Commission.
The plant previously operated at low capacity, producing Nissan Navara bakkies for the local and other African markets. Chery Auto said it plans to upgrade the plant and its equipment with a view to returning it to full production capacity.
Chery formally inaugurates new South African assembly plant in Rosslyn - but what will they build?
As a historic chapter closes with Nissan South Africa ending local manufacturing, another begins following Chery Auto’s acquisition of the Japanese carmaker’s assembly plant in Rosslyn, Gauteng.
FiestaST
Honorary Master
SA’s 10 most popular Chinese vehicles in H1 2026
We’ve tallied up the sales figures and identified South Africa’s 10 best-selling Chinese vehicles in the first half of the year. Here are Mzansi’s H1 2026 favourites from China…
- Chery Group and GWM dominate list
- Jetour T2 rockets up to 4th position
- GWM P-Series the only bakkie here
- Tiggo 7 the only model to shed sales
Which Chinese vehicles are proving particularly popular in South Africa at the moment? Well, we’ve crunched the numbers from the opening half of 2026 to identify the local market’s 10 best-selling vehicles from Chinese brands.
Note we’ve included both the passenger-vehicle segment and the light-commercial vehicle space in this exercise, though just a single bakkie cracked the top 10. Predictably, the remaining 9 models are all unibody crossovers, with the list dominated by contenders from the Chery Group and GWM.
Furthermore, keep in mind that some Chinese brands operating in South Africa – including GAC, Geely, iCaur, JMC and Lepas – unfortunately don’t currently report sales figures to Naamsa. It’s also worth pointing out that BYD Auto SA started reporting sales figures only in March 2026.
Right, let’s dive into the figures. The Chery Tiggo 4 range – which, as a reminder, includes both the Tiggo 4 Pro and the Tiggo Cross – ranked as South Africa’s best-selling Chinese vehicle in H1 2026. Local sales of this crossover increased 39.0% year on year to 11 322 units, enough to see the Tiggo 4 also take 2nd on the list of Mzansi’s most popular passenger cars for H1 2026.
SA’s 10 most popular Chinese vehicles in H1 2026
VEHICLE H1 2026 SALES Y-O-Y CHANGE
1 Chery Tiggo 4 11 322 units +39.0%
2 GWM Haval Jolion 7 588 units +18.8%
3 Omoda C5 5 219 units +62.1%
4 Jetour T2 4 942 units no H1 2025 data
5 GWM P-Series 3 647 units +87.3%
6 Jetour T1 2 471 units no H1 2025 data
7 GWM Haval H6 2 408 units +28.0%
8 Jetour Dashing 2 222 units +16.9%
9 Chery Tiggo 7 2 173 units -12.5%
10 Jaecoo J5 1 568 units no H1 2025 data
We’ve tallied up the sales figures and identified South Africa’s 10 best-selling Chinese vehicles in the first half of the year. Here are Mzansi’s H1 2026 favourites from China…
- Chery Group and GWM dominate list
- Jetour T2 rockets up to 4th position
- GWM P-Series the only bakkie here
- Tiggo 7 the only model to shed sales
Which Chinese vehicles are proving particularly popular in South Africa at the moment? Well, we’ve crunched the numbers from the opening half of 2026 to identify the local market’s 10 best-selling vehicles from Chinese brands.
Note we’ve included both the passenger-vehicle segment and the light-commercial vehicle space in this exercise, though just a single bakkie cracked the top 10. Predictably, the remaining 9 models are all unibody crossovers, with the list dominated by contenders from the Chery Group and GWM.
Furthermore, keep in mind that some Chinese brands operating in South Africa – including GAC, Geely, iCaur, JMC and Lepas – unfortunately don’t currently report sales figures to Naamsa. It’s also worth pointing out that BYD Auto SA started reporting sales figures only in March 2026.
Right, let’s dive into the figures. The Chery Tiggo 4 range – which, as a reminder, includes both the Tiggo 4 Pro and the Tiggo Cross – ranked as South Africa’s best-selling Chinese vehicle in H1 2026. Local sales of this crossover increased 39.0% year on year to 11 322 units, enough to see the Tiggo 4 also take 2nd on the list of Mzansi’s most popular passenger cars for H1 2026.
SA’s 10 most popular Chinese vehicles in H1 2026
VEHICLE H1 2026 SALES Y-O-Y CHANGE
1 Chery Tiggo 4 11 322 units +39.0%
2 GWM Haval Jolion 7 588 units +18.8%
3 Omoda C5 5 219 units +62.1%
4 Jetour T2 4 942 units no H1 2025 data
5 GWM P-Series 3 647 units +87.3%
6 Jetour T1 2 471 units no H1 2025 data
7 GWM Haval H6 2 408 units +28.0%
8 Jetour Dashing 2 222 units +16.9%
9 Chery Tiggo 7 2 173 units -12.5%
10 Jaecoo J5 1 568 units no H1 2025 data
FiestaST
Honorary Master
FiestaST
Honorary Master
FiestaST
Honorary Master
FiestaST
Honorary Master
FiestaST
Honorary Master
Binary_Bark
Forging
naamsa extols auto support programme’s benefits as it hits back at APDP critics
www.engineeringnews.co.za
naamsa extols auto support programme’s benefits as it hits back at APDP critics
naamsa | The Automotive Business Council has hit back at critics describing the Automotive Production and Development Plan (APDP) as a honeypot, while also questioning the argument in favour of scrapping the government support programme to enable a reduction in the country’s value-added tax...
www.engineeringnews.co.za