The Chinese car brand painting South Africa red with one extremely popular model

Chinese vehicle manufacturer Chery has made significant inroads since launching as a stand-alone subsidiary in South Africa five years ago.

Chery’s increasingly popular Tiggo 4 model has been a standout performer, constituting 80% of the manufacturer’s local sales.

The Chinese manufacturer is set to further expand its presence in South Africa following the opening of its new plant in Rosslyn, Pretoria.

Chery’s growth in South Africa marks a significant achievement for the brand, which initially failed to gain traction in the local market.

Founded in 1997, Chery Automobile Company is headquartered in Wuhu, Anhui, China. Its vehicles are manufactured in 13 plants worldwide and distributed to 84 countries.

Chery vehicles were first introduced to the South African market in 2008, though they were initially only sold through local third-party importers.

The brand failed to gain traction because Chinese cars were considered substandard at the time, making it difficult to compete with established brands.

This led Chery to quietly exit the local market in 2018, before coming back with a vengeance three years later.

In November 2021, Chery re-entered the South African market, this time as a wholly owned subsidiary with a head office in Sandton, Johannesburg.

This move has worked out very well for Chery, which quickly rose to become one of the best-selling car brands in South Africa.

Chery went from selling fewer than 400 cars a month in 2021 to consistently exceeding 1,000 cars a month in 2022.

In 2026 to date, Chery has sold well over 2,000 cars every single month, rivalling established brands such as Mahindra, Kia, and Nissan.

The manufacturer’s best month so far this year has been July, during which Chery sold 2,709 cars in South Africa.

Between January and August 2026, Chery has sold 19,730 cars, and is on track to beat its 2025 total of 26,102.

To put this growth into perspective, Chery now sells more cars in two months than it did in the entirety of 2021.

In August 2026, Chery was ranked as the sixth-best-selling car manufacturer in South Africa.

Chery’s big plans for South Africa

One interesting aspect of Chery’s growth in South Africa is that its sales are driven largely by the popularity of one model: the Chery Tiggo 4.

TopAuto recently revealed that roughly 80% of Chery’s sales come from this one model.

The Tiggo 4 is one of six models that Chery offers in South Africa, including the Tiggo 7, 8, 9, and V, as well as its all-electric vehicle, the CheryQ.

TopAuto reported that between January and August 2026, Chery sold 15,729 Tiggo 4 vehicles, which is five-and-a-half times as many as its second-best seller, the Tiggo 7.

Chery attributed the popularity of its Tiggo 4 model to its “affordable luxury” offering, saying it is stylish, reliable, and feature-packed without hurting consumers’ wallets.

“From R269 900, it’s what we call affordable luxury. It’s compact enough for city life and spacious enough for friends, weekend trips, and all that extra luggage,” Chery stated in a 2025 blog post.

“Five seats of pure smart space, plus fashionable side mouldings and a diamond front grille that bring confidence to the look.”

Chery’s dominance in the local car market is only set to grow in the coming years as the company transitions from importing vehicles to local production.

In July 2026, Chery formally took over Nissan’s car manufacturing plant in Rosslyn, Pretoria, following a deal that was announced in January.

The Chinese manufacturer said it plans to spend millions of dollars on upgrades and additions to machinery ahead of starting vehicle production in South Africa in mid-2027.

“Our long-term goal is to turn the Rosslyn plant into a complete auto centre with research and development, supply chain operations, and training,” Vice President Charlie Zhang of Chery Auto said.

He said that this would support Chery’s goal of exceeding 100,000 annual vehicle sales in South Africa.