Two Chinese car makers send a warning to Chery and GWM in South Africa
China’s two largest new energy vehicle (NEV) manufacturers, BYD and Geely, have rapidly expanded their dealership footprints in South Africa in 2026.
When MyBroadband previously assessed BYD’s dealership count in South Africa on 31 March 2026, it had 32 locations, already 60% more than the 20 dealers it had at the end of 2025.
In two months and one week, BYD’s vehicles have become available at 20 more locations, taking its total to 52 dealers.
Several of these dealers are located in smaller towns or cities, such as Bethlehem, Brits, Modimolle, Vredenburg, and Oudtshoorn.
The company had a slow start in South Africa, beginning with the launch of just one fully electric car — the Atto 3 — in mid-2023.
It added two more EV models in 2024: the affordable Dolphin hatchback and the premium Seal sedan. However, the brand remained a relative unknown until last year.
In 2025, it stepped on the accelerator, launching its first plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and South Africa’s first electric vehicle (EV) under R350,000 — the Dolphin Surf.
The company’s second-in-command, Stella Li, previously stated that the firm intended to have 60–70 dealerships in South Africa by the end of 2026.
BYD also plans to roll out extensive fast-charging infrastructure to support greater EV adoption in South Africa, targeting 250–300 locations by the end of 2026.
While it has yet to debut any of these chargers, the company has launched six free alternating current (AC) chargers at Menlyn Shopping Centre.
BYD’s expansion is not going unchallenged, however. Geely Auto has rolled out to 34 dealers since relaunching in South Africa in November 2025, averaging nearly 5 branches per month.
It is targeting 90 locations over the long term, with a realistic expectation of somewhere between 50 and 60 dealers by the end of 2026.
That could put its dealership rollout pace close to that of South Africa’s top-selling Chinese brand, Chery, which had 74 branches a year after its relaunch in November 2021.
Taking on Chery and GWM
The company launched two models last year: the fully electric E5 and the E5 DM-i PHEV, priced at R599,900 and R699,900, respectively.
Those prices were unlikely to move the market much, as several fully-electric and PHEV models from BYD and other carmakers already offered similar features.
The E2’s entry in May 2026 signalled far more serious intent. The hatchback is the carmaker’s best-selling model in China, but it had only rolled out to a handful of overseas markets at that point.
Priced at R339,900, it dethroned the BYD Dolphin Surf as the country’s most affordable EV. It also brought greater power, better range, and a more spacious interior.
Geely is not involved directly in infrastructure, but is working with third-party charge point operators on public infrastructure rollouts.
While Chery and GWM are currently the dominant Chinese players in South Africa’s broader vehicle retail market, BYD and Geely are leaders in NEV technology.
Geely sold 937,900 cars in the first quarter of 2026, 491,000 of which were NEVs, while BYD sold 700,463 vehicles globally in the first quarter of 2026, all of which were NEVs.
BYD started as a battery manufacturer and carried over its experience with the technology to electric propulsion.
It has been the world’s top NEV manufacturer for many years and surpassed Tesla in fully electric sales in 2025. While it continues to lead on this front, Geely is rapidly closing the gap.
Chery’s cumulative sales in the quarter reached 601,712. However, only 161,202 of these cars were NEVs, accounting for about 27% of its sales.
Chery yet to launch EVs, GWM’s first attempt falls flat
While Chery offers several PHEV models in South Africa, these are not built on dedicated NEV platforms. Its first fully-electric model is expected to be the Chery Q.
The company has positioned the car as a competitor to the E2 and Dolphin Surf, but it remains to be seen if Chery can price it as aggressively.
Of the 269,104 cars GWM sold globally during the quarter, just 52,630 were NEVs. GWM has only offered one fully-electric car, the Ora 03, in South Africa.
Only around 80 units have been registered since its debut in 2023. For reference, the BYD Dolphin Surf sold over 300 units in May alone.
GWM plans to replace the Ora 03 with the Ora 5 compact SUV, which will be offered in fully-electric, hybrid, and petrol-only versions.
The electric version is the most affordable electric SUV in Australia and is expected to be competitively priced in South Africa.
Like Chery, GWM’s handful of PHEV cars are built on internal combustion engine platforms, meaning they are not optimised for electric propulsion or energy efficiency.
The table below summarises the dealer footprints of the largest Chinese carmakers in South Africa and the average number of dealers they have rolled out since launch.
| Carmaker | Total dealership count | First branch | Average monthly additions since launch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geely | 34 | November 2025 | 4.85 |
| BYD | 52 | June 2023 | 1.45 |
| Chery | 96 | November 2021 | 1.41 |
| GWM | 105 | March 2007 | <1 |
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