Omoda and Jaecoo recently announced that it sold 1,418 cars in South Africa in January 2026 – a new record for the brand.
The two Chinese car brands, which operate jointly as Omoda Jaecoo South Africa, have grown enormously since they debuted in our market.
Omoda launched in April 2023, while Jaecoo joined the fold one year later in April 2024.
Despite its relatively short time on the market, the automaker’s sales have steadily grown to the point where it now places in the top 15 in each month’s best-sellers list, outperforming legacy brands like Honda, Mazda, and Opel.
The record sales achieved in January were also enough to push its total sales past the 20,000 unit mark, a new milestone for the company.
Omoda and Jaecoo (O&J) sold a total of 20,857 vehicles as of January, which has since grown to 22,154 thanks to February’s 1,297 purchases.
For context, Omoda sold 1,715 units in its first year in 2023, which jumped to 5,094 by the end of 2024, following Jaecoo’s introduction.
This more than doubled to 12,597 units in 2025, reflecting exponential growth.
“This achievement is further strengthened by an outstanding start to 2026, with January 2026 recording 1,418 vehicle sales, making it the best-performing month ever recorded for the brand in South Africa,” said the company.
“The record-breaking result represents a new benchmark for the automaker and reinforces its position as one of the fastest-growing automotive brands in the country.”
The automaker also provided a breakdown of its sales-to-date for all of its vehicles as of January 2026:
What’s on the horizon
O&J noted that there is growing interest in new-energy vehicles in South Africa, which is why three of its cars – the J7, C7, and C9 – are already available as plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).
“Plug-in hybrid sales continue to rise, with 590 SHS (Super Hybrid System) models already contributing to overall sales volumes. The J7 SHS, in particular, has shown strong momentum, with 317 units sold since its debut in June 2025,” it said.
“The C9 SHS, which carries a starting price of R999,900, has also performed exceptionally well, recording 218 units sold despite being the most premium offering in the Omoda & Jaecoo lineup.”
The Chinese carmaker also plans to launch a hybrid version of its two most affordable cars, the C5 and J5, in the near future.
The C5 SHS is set to launch later this month, featuring a 1.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor and a 1.83kW battery.
It produces a total of 165kW and 310Nm, which is sent to the front wheels via a dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT).
For comparison, the standard C5 uses a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine with 115kW and 230Nm.
Pricing has yet to be confirmed, but it will presumably sit at the top of the C5 range with all of the kit you’d expect from a flagship model.
Assuming it has all of the equipment found on the existing C5, buyers can expect 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and daytime running lights, keyless entry and start, a leather multifunction steering wheel, automatic climate control, a dual 12.3-inch driver and infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, leather upholstery, an eight-speaker stereo, an electric tailgate, a sunroof, cruise control, rear parking sensors, and a rearview camera.
Jaecoo stated that the J5 will launch in 2026 with no further elaboration, so it may still be a few months before motorists can get their hands on this one.
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