Chery SA hits new monthly record as Chinese car sales boom – theherald.co.za
Group motoring editor
Chery South Africa sold 2,506 new cars in November to set a new monthly record for the Chinese brand, positioning it as the seventh best-selling passenger vehicle marque in the country.
The sales were achieved against the backdrop of a strengthening new vehicle market, with motor industry body Naamsa reporting 54,896 units sold last month — a 12.5% increase compared with November 2024.
The Chery Tiggo 4 Pro was the best-selling SUV last month, with SUV sales boosted by the growing popularity of the model’s hybrid version.
Sales of this magnitude are a remarkable achievement for a brand that entered the competitive SUV segment at the end of 2021, with the launch of the Tiggo 4 Pro, said Jay Jay Botes, GM of Chery South Africa.
“Within 18 months, Chery SA had sold more than 20,000 vehicles, with the brand doubling its annual sales between 2022 and 2023. Last year again saw record sales achieved, and in 2025 we added plug-in hybrids to our already extensive range, with the introduction of Chery super hybrid plug-in versions of the Chery Tiggo 7, 8 and 9, as well as a hybrid-electric Tiggo Cross,” he said.
Chery, with a network of 80 dealerships, aims to broaden its local lineup by introducing its first fully electric vehicles and entering the competitive bakkie segment.
New brands such as Chery, Omoda, Jetour, JAC and Beijing have steadily grown from just 0.5% in 2022 Q2 to 10% in the two most recent quarters of 2025. These new entrants offer modern tech, competitive pricing and long warranties, helping them move from niche to mainstream
Chinese brands continue to grow stronger as consumers are won over by their affordability and high levels of features. In November, GWM was the country’s most popular Chinese car marque, in sixth place overall. Other notable performers were Omoda and Jaecoo, which jumped two places to 11th. Jetour displaced Stellantis from 15th.
South Africa’s vehicle sales landscape is changing, and new brands, mainly from China, are growing their market share. Traditional brands have seen fortunes rise and fall as they adjust strategies to keep pace with changing consumer preferences, said Andrew Hibbert, data analyst at Lightstone Auto.
He said the top six selling light vehicle brands in 2000 were Toyota, Volkswagen, Nissan, Opel, Mazda and Ford. From the turn of the century to 2010, these six held about 60% to 70% of the market. By 2024, their share slipped below 50% — a threshold they have not regained since.
“New brands such as Chery, Omoda, Jetour, JAC and Beijing have steadily grown from just 0.5% in 2022 Q2 to 10% in the two most recent quarters of 2025. These new entrants offer modern tech, competitive pricing and long warranties, helping them move from niche to mainstream,” said Hibbert. “This is highlighted in that Chery’s 2025 market share exceeds the combined share of Nissan, Mazda, and Opel.”
The combined market share of the brands that dropped out of the top six — Nissan, Opel and Mazda — has fallen sharply, from 24% in 2000 to 10% in 2015 and only 3% in 2025.
Toyota continues to be South Africa’s favourite brand, with a 24.7% market share in November, followed by Suzuki, Volkswagen, Ford, Hyundai, GWM, Chery, Isuzu, Kia and Renault.
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