May was another strong month for the South African automotive sector, which maintained the positive momentum it has seen all year.
A total of 51,071 new vehicles were sold last month, a year-on-year improvement of 12.8%, or 5,784 units, compared to May 2025.
Chinese car manufacturers recorded an increase in sales, according to a report by The Citizen, using data from the Automotive Business Council (Naamsa), continuing their strong performance since the start of the year.
Leading the line once more was GWM, which managed to ship 2,605 vehicles throughout the month, and pipping close rivals Chery to the crown of South Africa’s best-selling Chinese car brand.
The Wuhu-based carmaker sold 2,569 units last month, while its sub-brands Jetour and Omoda & Jaecoo managed 2,020 and 1,369 units respectively.
While GWM, Chery and Jetour managed to finish in the top ten best-selling badges, Omoda & Jaecoo fell out of the top ten last month.
New Energy Vehicle (NEV) specialists, BYD, which only recently started reporting its sales figures to Naamsa, rounded out the Chinese top five with 748 total sales.
BYD’s performance contributed to the strong NEV sales growth in the local market, which gained 120% compared to the same period last year.
Overall, an estimated 45,999 units, or 90.1% of all car sales last month, represented dealer sales, around 5.3% were sold to the vehicle rental industry, 2.5% to corporate fleets, and 2.1% to government sales.
In May 2026, the new passenger car market recorded 36,871 units sold, an increase of 5,170 units, or 16.3%, compared to the 31,701 new cars sold in May last year.
Unfortunately, export volumes for vehicles manufactured locally decreased from 30,859 units shipped in May last year to 29,392 units last month – a contraction of 4.8%.
South Africa’s favourite Chinese cars
Chinese carmakers make some of the most popular offerings in the local market, and brands like Chery and GWM continue to outsell many of South Africa’s established legacy brands.
Below is a list of the ten best-selling Chinese cars in South Africa last month. Narrowly missing out are the Jaecoo J5 with 253 units sold, and the BYD Dolphin Surf with 242.
Click on their prices for more details about each model.
1. Chery Tiggo 4 – 2,059 units
- Starting price – R269,900
2. Haval Jolion – 1,345 units
- Starting price – R348,950
3. Jetour T2 – 1,090 units
- Starting price – R569,900
4. Omoda C5 – 858 units
- Starting price – R339,900
5. GWM P-Series – 689 units
- Starting price – R414,950
6. Jetour T1 – 448 units
- Starting price – R514,900
7. Haval H6 – 374 units
- Starting price – R495,500
8. Chery Tiggo 7 – 333 units
- Starting price – R389,900
9. Jetour Dashing – 293 units
- Starting price – R439,900
10. JAC T-Series – 261 units
- Starting price – R299,900
Loading ...
