One in five new vehicles now Chinese as sales surge by 75% year-on-year

19% of new vehicles sold are now Chinese and this figure is sure to grow with the introduction of new brands such as Lepas and iCaur.

South Africa’s new passenger vehicle market grew by 12.6% in the first quarter of 2026, the latest statistics show, but traditional manufacturers saw very little of this growth in their own showrooms.

According to TransUnion’s Q1 2026 Mobility Insights Report, Chinese car sales grew by 75% year-on-year in the first quarter of this year, significantly outpacing the 2% growth seen by traditional OEMs.

Chinese brands now account for 19% of all new passenger and light commercial vehicles sold in South Africa, with the Chery Group now emerging as a top-three player if one combines sales of its core brand with Jetour, Omoda and Jaecoo.

The Chinese market share is surely poised to grow further, with Chery Group recently introducing the Lepas and iCaur brands, while automakers such as Geely and BYD are rapidly expanding their local model line-ups, particularly in the new energy space.