The Chinese car brand selling more cars in South Africa than Mercedes, Volvo, and Honda
Jetour has only been in South Africa for little more than a year, yet it is already outselling established names like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and Honda.
The Chinese automaker launched in South Africa in September 2024 and has rapidly climbed through the ranks to become the nation’s 16th best-selling car brand.
These were the top-selling car brands in October 2025, excluding medium and heavy commercial vehicle manufacturers:
- Toyota – 13,559 units
- Suzuki – 6,890 units
- VW – 6,221 units
- Hyundai – 3,017 units
- Ford – 2,946 units
- GWM – 2,805 units
- Isuzu – 2,784 units
- Chery – 2,210 units
- Kia – 1,808 units
- Mahinda – 1,551 units
- Renault – 1,446 units
- Nissan – 1,360 units
- Omoda & Jaecoo – 1,311 units
- BMW – 1,306 units
- Stellantis – 921 units
- Jetour – 856 units
- MG – 606 units
- Mercedes-Benz – 563 units
- Foton – 403 units
- Mazda – 243 units
- JAC – 221 units
- Jaguar Land Rover – 216 units
- BAIC – 157 units
- Mitsubishi – 155 units
- Honda – 111 units
- Porsche – 100 units
- Volvo – 95 units
- Subaru – 62 units
Notably, Jetour is outselling Mercedes-Benz despite the fact that the latter has an assembly plant in East London, giving it an advantage as a local manufacturer.
Admittedly, it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison, given that Mercedes is a luxury make while Jetour is geared towards the mass market, but even so, it’s remarkable how quickly the Chinese brand has climbed through the ranks.
It’s also outperforming competitors like Mazda, Honda, and Mitsubishi, all of which are well-regarded Japanese marques with decades of experience.
In contrast, Jetour was established in 2018, making it a relatively new entry by global standards, not just in South Africa.
Jetour is part of the Chery Holding Group; however, it elected to launch in South Africa independently of its parent company.
It reports separate sales figures to the Automotive Business Council (Naamsa), which means the 856 units recorded in October are only for Jetour models, and that the figure is not being boosted by sales from adjacent brands.
Another interesting point is that Jetour is selling more cars than other Chinese brands, including MG, Foton, JAC, and BAIC.
In fairness, JAC and Foton are focused on bakkies while Jetour makes SUVs, but MG and BAIC are direct competitors.
MG is even newer than Jetour, having launched at the start of this year, but it is a much larger brand globally, so it remains to be seen whether MG will overtake its Chinese rival in the near future.
BAIC, on the other hand, has been in South Africa for years and even has a factory in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth).
What’s next for Jetour
During its launch event, Jetour announced an ambitious road map for South Africa, which heralded the arrival of several new models.
The carmaker’s initial selection consisted of two urban SUVs – the Dashing and X70 Plus – both of which have been a big hit.
More recently, the company expanded its catalogue with the new T1 and T2, which are catering to a different audience as off-road-focused SUVs.
These two additions to the Jetour family are only the beginning, as the carmaker stated it would add a new “Deluxe Pro” flagship to the Dashing and X70, which are currently available in Momentum and Deluxe specifications.
While not confirmed, the speculation is that these units will feature a more powerful 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine with 145kW and 290Nm.
For reference, the current options use a 1.5-litre turbo with 115kW and 230Nm.
In 2026, the company plans to launch the T5, which will presumably function as the flagship of its T Series of 4×4 SUVs.
The last two models Jetour promised are the P5 and the T0, which are only expected to arrive in 2027.
The T0 has only been mentioned by name and is evidently still in early development, as there are no official images of it online, though it should serve as the entry point to the T Series.
More intriguing is the P5, which will be Jetour’s first double-cab bakkie.
Given our market’s affinity for pickups, this model is sure to attract attention when it launches in South Africa, but it will still be a while before we see it in the metal.
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