Chinese cars on the rise in SA

IN THE past few years, Chinese vehicles have become a formidable threat to established manufacturers, particularly in the SUV space. But just how significant are these sales figures?

- JASON WOOSEY

We compared the first quarter sales of all three brands, April 2020, 2021 and 2023 to see how much the brands have yet to command a lion’s share of the market and how the sales pie is growing rapidly.

Chinese car and light commercial vehicle sales, as reported to Naamsa, amounted to just 1,247 units in the first quarter of 2020, accounting for 2.78% of the total vehicle market.

By Q1 2023, this share had grown to 6.88% of the total vehicle market, from 9 559 unit sales, and by the first quarter of this year, the Chinese brand share was 11.81%, with 17 003 sales.

Keep in mind that these percentages are based solely on the manufacturers that report sales to Naamsa, and some recently introduced brands, such as GAC, MG and LDV, are missing from that picture.

But from which thunder are they stealing from the premium brands?