The best-selling used Chinese cars in South Africa

Used car buyers in South Africa tend to prioritise budget options and value-for-money offerings over most other metrics, factors that can lead them towards considering well-priced Chinese models.

This is one of the fastest expanding, and also rapidly shifting segments in the country, where brands compete with one another for market share through highly-equipped models with well-priced variants.

As a result, Chinese car brands are no longer merely fringe players in the local automotive sector, but are instead challenging established legacy badges.

According to AutoTrader, are doing so through feature-rich offerings at aggressive prices, which positions them perfectly for South Africa’s budget and cost-conscious buyers.

This has led to more shoppers choosing Chinese brands when buying new, allowing them to strengthen their presence in the country, and reshaping the competition.

When comparing their performance to AutoTrader’s data from the first quarter of 2025, these brands have already shown massive improvement in sales this year, and an entirely new hierarchy has been established.

Between January and March last year, GWM dominated the market thanks to sales of the Haval Jolion Super Luxury, H2 Luxury Auto, and H6 GT Super Luxury – the three best selling models over the three months.

These sold 151, 128, and 127 units respectively, as GWM completely eclipsed the competition.

The table below outlines GWM’s dominance early in 2025, with Chery the only other Chinese marque to feature in the top ten.

South Africa’s favourite used Chinese cars in 2026

A year after GWM dominated the top three best-selling variants and beyond, Chery has almost entirely usurped its close rival.

The first quarter of 2026 sees three derivatives of the Chery Tiggo 4 Pro dominate at the top of the sales charts, thanks to 215 sales of the manual 1.5 LiT, 212 1.5 LiT Auto sales, alongside 164 1.5T Elite Auto units.

Chery’s massive rise in the used car market mirrors its growth in the new car segment, as it continues to scale rapidly, becoming one of South Africa’s top-selling brands overall.

According to AutoTrader, this matters, as strong new car sales feed into the used market pipeline ,and the Tiggo 4 Pro sits at the centre of this, with 1,888 new units sold in the past month alone.

Below is a table with updated used sales figures for Chinese brands in 2026 so far.

Despite GWM losing ground to Chery, the brand remained competitive, with its sales figures remaining steady compared to last year.

AutoTrader points out that the data also highlights a clear shift in buyer preference towards value and affordability, with higher-priced models falling out of the top 10 this time around.

This aligns with South Africa’s broader economic conditions, as rising living costs and slowed economic growth are driving buyers to look at more accessible options, which is exactly what Chinese brands offer.

“What’s particularly telling is how quickly the used market is responding to shifts in the new vehicle space,” commented George Mienie, CEO of AutoTrader South Africa.

“We’re seeing a much shorter lag between new model success and used market dominance, which points to growing consumer confidence in these brands, not just as value options, but as long-term ownership propositions.”