Chery South Africa took over from GWM as the country’s most popular Chinese automotive brand in July as it continued to grow stronger than the local vehicle market.Last month Chery sold 2,709 units to account for 6.64% of the passenger vehicle segment during the month and 4.7% of the total vehicle market. This placed Chery fifth in the passenger segment and sixth overall with light commercial vehicles included.In July the brand recorded a year-on-year sales increase of 25.54%, compared with the overall market’s 13.8% growth. The achievement followed the brand’s recent official opening of the Chery vehicle manufacturing plant in Tshwane, which it took over from Nissan. Chery’s shift from being an importer to a manufacturer will begin when the first vehicles roll off the assembly line by mid-2027.The July performance follows a strong first half of the year for Chery South Africa. The brand sold 14,593 vehicles between January and June, an increase of 24.9% from the 11,687 vehicles sold during the corresponding period in 2025. Average monthly sales rose from around 1,948 units during the first six months of 2025 to more than 2,432 units in 2026.Chery’s July and first-half results show that the brand is gaining ground in a growing market. Our sales have increased year on year in every month of 2026 so far, supported by consistent demand across the SUV range— Jay Jay Botes, Chery South Africa GMThe brand’s highest-volume model was the Tiggo 4 Pro and its next-generation evolution, the Tiggo Max — the two ranges listed as combined sales — accounting for 11,322 sales during the six-month period. Chery’s next most popular model range was: the Tiggo 7 which recorded 2,173 sales; followed by the Tiggo 8 with 816 units; and the Tiggo 9 with 282 units.“Chery’s July and first-half results show that the brand is gaining ground in a growing market,” said Jay Jay Botes, general manager for Chery South Africa. “Our sales have increased year on year in every month of 2026 so far, supported by consistent demand across the SUV range.”Chery’s petrol-powered SUV models continue to account for a significant proportion of local sales. The range has also expanded to include hybrid and plug-in hybrid derivatives, including the Tiggo Cross CSH Hybrid and Tiggo 8 CSH Plug-in Hybrid.Chery acquired the 59-year-old Rosslyn factory from Nissan, which until May produced the Nissan Navara one-tonne bakkie. Chery’s acquisition of the factory makes it the third Chinese brand to manufacture vehicles in South Africa after BAIC opened a plant in Gqeberha in 2018 and Foton began building the Tunland G7 bakkie at the same plant in 2025.The first South Africa-produced vehicles from the Chery Group will be the Jetour T-Series, the Jaecoo J5 and the Chery Tiggo Cross. The Jaecoo J5 will be produced in internal-combustion engine models and new-energy vehicles (NEVs) variants. At a later stage the KP31 one-tonne bakkie — to be launched here soon as an import — may be built there too if volumes justify it. Business Day