Chinese automaker Foton has become one of the fastest-rising stars in South Africa’s bakkie market with its competitively priced Tunland G7.
Foton first appeared on domestic roads in 2008 with the original Tunland, but after a decade on the market and little to show for it in terms of sales, it decided to call it quits.
However, after seeing the success other Chinese nameplates were enjoying in the country, Foton decided to take another stab at South Africa and it relaunched operations here in June 2024.
It arrived with a comprehensive portfolio of commercial vehicles, most importantly a brand-new Tunland that greatly improved upon its predecessor in every aspect.
Things were somewhat quiet in the initial months as people were slowly discovering that Foton is once again active in the country.
More recently, however, it appears that Foton has hit its stride.
The Tunland G7 made it into the top 10 best-selling bakkies list in February 2025, ending up in ninth courtesy of its 201 customers.
It managed to repeat this achievement in March as well as in April, where it once again stood in ninth in both instances with 236 and 212 sales, respectively.
Additionally, the bakkie maker grabbed headlines when a Ford dealer in the tiny town of Aliwal North parted ways with the American manufacturer after 28 years and hitched its wagon to Foton.
Combined Motor Holdings (CMH) likewise heaped praise onto the Chinese nameplate in its annual earnings report.
CMH is the official importer and distributor of Foton products in South Africa.
CMH CEO Jebb McIntosh said that the “new Foton range has enjoyed an exciting and fruitful launch” since its arrival which exceeded all expectations.
He said that a network of 55 local dealers has been established for the commercial brand, with a further five to be added this year.
“Foton is expected to be a meaningful profit contributor in the year ahead,” said McIntosh.
“A significant return is expected from the first full year of Foton activity.”
What’s next
TopAuto sat down with Foton to find out more about how the manufacturer’s return to South Africa has been, and what lies ahead.
A spokesperson for the brand confirmed that the positive reception to its products far exceeded initial expectations.
The biggest driver behind this success, they said, was that its portfolio of vehicles punches above its price.
“The price is a major drawcard,” they said.
“But as soon as a prospective customer takes a test drive, they are immediately surprised with the interior, power, and performance, as well as handling.”
We asked, but Foton didn’t want to reveal its total sales since it re-entered South Africa.
However, considering the Tunland G7 by itself boasted 649 registrations in the last three months, it’s safe to say that Foton was probably close to its goal of doing 3,000 sales before the end of 2024.
The rise to success wasn’t without its hurdles, though.
Foton said that the biggest challenge in the domestic market remains foreign exchange rates and the global trade war.
The rand hit its lowest point against several major currencies this year, including a historic low of R19.9328 per US dollar in early April.
“This affects many factors such as shipping costs as well as the frequency of shipments,” said the Foton spokesperson.
Be that as it may, Foton is sticking to its original sales targets put forth in mid-2024 of having 18,000 domestic sales by 2028 and 40,000 by 2032.
“We do know that the future can change in an instant. For this reason, we do stay cautiously optimistic by staying with original estimations,” said the spokesperson.
What’s more, Foton isn’t just a company trying to catch a wave and make a quick buck.
It has firmly committed to the South African market by vowing to produce the Tunland G7 on domestic soil, as well as the larger Tunland V9.
Production of the Foton bakkies will take place at the BAIC factory in the Coega Special Economic Zone in the Eastern Cape.
BAIC – short for Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation – is the parent company of Foton and the first Chinese manufacturer to establish a factory within our borders.
As we speak, BAIC is expanding its manufacturing plant, adding new production lines and other subassemblies in preparation for the bakkie.
Foton confirmed to TopAuto that the plant upgrades should be ready by November 2025, with the first units of the G7 to roll off the line mere weeks thereafter.
The plan is to eventually churn out as many as 100,000 units of the bakkie a year, both for the local market and for export to the rest of Africa.
Meanwhile, the Tunland V9 is planned to enter local production in the first quarter of 2026 following its market launch in October 2025.
In fact, the V9 is one of three vehicles Foton plans to roll out in the country this year. While it didn’t reveal which models the other two are, one of them could be the Tunland G9.
The manufacturer confirmed last year that its “most complete pickup” – i.e., the G9 – is on its way to South Africa, but at the time didn’t provide any indication of when we can expect it to arrive.
Discussing its five-year plan, Foton said that it views South Africa as a “lighthouse market” from which it will expand into the rest of the African continent.
It will therefore establish “five major centres” within our borders over the next five summers, comprising:
- Operations centre
- Manufacturing centre
- Service training centre
- Parts distribution centre
- Research and Development centre
“Foton will use its product offerings strategically to gain commercial market share, and aims to be one of the top three commercial brands in South Africa,” said the spokesperson.
In closing, TopAuto asked Foton to characterise its South African relaunch in one word.
Its response: “Value-packed!”
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