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South Africa’s largest car dealer, Motus, which has seen more than 200% growth in the sale of Chinese and Indian vehicles after shifting its portfolio towards Asian brands, says it expects some of the brands competing in the local market to fall away as the industry consolidates.For Motus, which has more than 300 dealerships across the country, the growth of Chinese brands has moved from something it was watching cautiously to an important part of its vehicle strategy.But with about 22 Chinese brands competing for market share, the group expects the market to consolidate, with some brands falling away while the more established manufacturers expand their presence.Motus previously acknowledged that it was too slow to introduce Chinese brands to its vehicle portfolio. The group has since increased the number of Chinese brands from one to five as it responds to growing customer demand and the rapid expansion of Asian vehicle manufacturers in South Africa.Motus CFO Brenda Baijnath has told Business Day that the group initially took a cautious approach because it wanted to see whether Chinese brands would gain acceptance among South African consumers.The company now represents several Chinese brands: Chery and brands within the Chery group, GWM and Haval, MG and Baic.Baijnath said the car retailer was deliberate about the brands it brought into its portfolio, focusing on manufacturers that had already established themselves in the market.“We were very deliberate and careful about which brands we actually wanted to bring into our stable. So we went rather for the established brands, where there’s customer acceptance,” she said.Sales of Chinese and Indian brands in its South African operations increased by more than 200% during the 2026 financial year to end in June, Motus said in its results.Chinese manufacturers continue to gain market share through competitive pricing, improved quality and technology-rich vehicles.According to Baijnath, some Chinese brands have already built the infrastructure needed to support customers, including parts supply and dealer networks, making them ready for the secondhand market. The growth of Chinese brands is changing competition for Motus’ established vehicle brands. The group said brands such as Hyundai, Kia, Toyota and Renault had responded by refreshing their model ranges, reviewing pricing and offering stronger value propositions.Baijnath pointed to Renault’s new Duster as one example of an established brand responding to changing consumer demand.She said customers were increasingly prioritising affordability, quality, technology and comfort when choosing vehicles, and Chinese products were increasingly meeting those requirements.Read: Motus reports 200% jump in SA sales of Chinese and Indian cars“So it really is about price that is driving a lot of the decisions but, most importantly, it’s also around quality and the attractiveness of the product, meaning high tech and the comfort that it provides,” she said.The shift towards Chinese brands is not limited to South Africa. According to Baijnath, sales of Chinese brands increased by more than 300% in the UK and 44% in Australia during the year. In Australia, Motus has Chinese vehicle representation and is continuing to pursue acquisitions to expand its presence, she said.The group is preparing for further changes in the South African market, including the growth of electric vehicles. Baijnath said Motus is beginning to introduce more electric vehicles, SUVs and entry-level models as manufacturers expand their offerings.Motus’s wider vehicle business benefited from stronger demand during the year. It sold more than 220,000 vehicles globally, an increase of 7%, while new-vehicle sales increased by 11% to 128,160 units.In South Africa, Motus sold 96,099 new vehicles, up 12% from the previous year.The rapid growth of Asian brands comes as South Africa considers how to balance rising imports with the need to support domestic vehicle manufacturing.Baijnath said Motus is engaging with the government on the review of regulations around import duties and the future of the local automotive industry, adding that it supported local manufacturers and wanted to ensure they remained profitable and sustainable in South Africa.Data collated by the Bureau for Economic Research shows South Africa’s vehicle trade deficit with China and India reached R90bn last year.TransUnion’s first-quarter report shows that Chinese brands now account for more than one in five new passenger and light commercial vehicle sales in South Africa, “a structural shift driven by tech, safety, warranties and design, not just competitive pricing”.Business Day
