Jetour is quickly establishing itself as one of the most popular car brands in South Africa.
The Chinese automaker, which falls under the Chery Group, made its local debut back in 2024 with two family SUVs, the Dashing and the X70 Plus.
Since then, Jetour has rapidly grown to the point where it is now one of the top 10 best-selling automakers, outperforming well-established nameplates like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Mazda, and Opel.
The company’s sales skyrocketed with the introduction of its next two cars, the T1 and T2 Adventure SUVs.
The T-Series has proven to be a smash hit, helping Jetour achieve over 2,000 sales per month.
“June 2026 saw Jetour record 2,054 vehicle sales, capturing approximately 5.3% of the passenger vehicle market, and moving to 9th-place position in South Africa’s overall new vehicle sales rankings. July sales are expected to surpass this performance,” said Vice President for Jetour South Africa, Nic Campbell.
Jetour’s dealership network has expanded to more than 55 outlets nationwide. It was also awarded Gold Status in the 2025 National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA) Dealer Satisfaction Index (DSI) Survey.
The T1 and T2 also marked the debut of the brand’s new-energy vehicle drivetrains, as both models are available as plug-in hybrids.
All of this helped the T2 to claim the coveted South African Car of the Year title earlier this year, a first for a Chinese car.
The T2 competed against 55 models from different brands, split across six segments – Premium, Performance, Mild Adventure, Adventure, Family, and Compact – and ultimately claimed both the Mild Adventure and Car of the Year awards.
Jetour to build cars in South Africa
In April 2026, Jetour announced that it would build the T1 and T2 at Chery’s newly acquired factory in South Africa.
The Chery Group purchased Nissan’s manufacturing plant in Rosslyn, Gauteng, earlier this year. The company held the official opening ceremony on 3 July 2026.
“The increasingly popular T-Series, launched in South Africa in October last year, will begin local production at the plant from next year,” Jetour said in an official statement.
While Jetour and Chery operate as separate brands in South Africa, the former is still a sub-brand of the global Chery Group.
The T1 and T2 are two of the five cars that have been confirmed for local production at Rosslyn. Jaecoo will build the J5, while Chery plans to assemble the Tiggo 4 and Tiggo Cross.
TopAuto received confirmation that the company plans to add the Lepas L4 to the assembly line, and that other cars could be added in the future if there is sufficient demand.
This may even include a bakkie like the upcoming Himla or KP31, as Chery said it is conducting feasibility studies to introduce a light commercial vehicle.
“Chery’s recent acquisition of the Rosslyn manufacturing plant from Nissan means Chery South Africa transitions from an importer to a local manufacturer,” said Jetour.
“By mid-2027, Chery aims to produce 50,000 units annually and create over 3,000 jobs across manufacturing and supply chain sectors.”
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