There are several Chinese car brands presently on offer in South Africa. The original foray of brands from China started well over 15 years ago. However, that was mostly carried out by wholesalers and importers. As a result of, then, iffy quality and poor after-sales service, most disappeared. However, those that still exist have returned, mostly, in an official capacity with full-scale backing from HQ. The list of Chinese car brands in SA seems to expand near monthly. We conclude our look at what is available on the SA market right now. Although, we have kept our list exclusive to passenger vehicles and not included commercials, of which there are few. Click here to read Part One of this list.

GWM 

GWM (aka Great Wall Motors) is probably one of the better-known Chinese car brands in South Africa. The company started out years ago by offering the likes of the Steed bakkie and H6 SUV. Its new range is comprehensive and GWM has multiple badges on offer locally such as Haval, Ora and Tank.

Haval’s range is its most extensive within the local market with the Jolion, H6 and stylish H6 GT (pictured above) on offer. H6 GT’s design aesthetic has been compared to the likes of the Lamborghini Urus; high praise indeed. The Ora 03 is an EV-only model that bears a passing resemblance to the modern-day VW Beetle. Lastly we have the go-anywhere Tank range that takes on a bit of a bruiser image. The Tank 500 is cast in the mould of a Nissan Patrol or Toyota Land Cruiser. This go-anywhere model is also the most expensive Chinese passenger vehicle on sale in SA today.

Jolion prices start from R345 950
H6 prices start from R492 050
H6 GT prices start from R652 250

Ora 03 prices start from R686 950

Tank 300 prices start from R725 950
Tank 500 prices start from R1 222 900

Click here to read about and watch our recent experiences driving a Pagani Huayra BC.

Jetour

Jetour is one of the newest additions to the local market. This is a sub-brand of Chery, that is sold completely independent of the parent company in the local context. Jetour has entered the local market with two models, namely the Dashing and the X70 Plus. Both are SUVs, with the Dashing (pictured above), in particular, having quite a unique appearance. Jetour makes use of the same engine and transmission in both models. A 1,5-litre turbopetrol is the engine of choice and is mated exclusively with a six speed dual-clutch transmission. Jetour will add two more models to its portfolio during 2025.

Dashing prices start from R439 900
X70 Plus prices start from R454 900

Jetour advert

LDV

LDV is a sub-brand of the SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation). The automaker has a few bakkies on offer and just the one SUV called D90. The D90 is a seven-seater and, according to the company’s local website, is loaded to the hilt with standard kit. Unlike most other Chinese offerings, the D90 is available with a turbodiesel powertrain. As a result it cranks our 500 N.m of torque. It also has a locking centre differential, so it seems suited to off-roading.

D90 prices were not available at the time of writing.

Omoda and Jaecoo

Omoda C9

Omoda and Jaecoo (O&J) are more offerings from the Chery group. These are among the newest brands created within the larger Chery Automotive portfolio. Omoda made its international debut in SA in 2023 with the C5. This small crossover has been a sales success for Omoda. A second, premium model called the Omoda C9 (pictured above) was introduced locally just a few weeks ago.

Jaecoo has just a single model on offer, for now. The J7 is a modern-looking prospect with high-tech touches inside and out. The company’s local website is already advertising the J6. The latter is an EV, which we encountered for the first time at the company’s HQ in China. We expect the J6 to go on sale early in 2025.

C5 prices start from R359 900
C9 prices start from R785 900

J7 prices start from R549 900

MG

MG (or Morris Garages) is a famous brand that started out life in Britain. The company went under in the early 200os. However, MG found a new owner in the shape of Chinese owners, SAIC Motor. The MG brand was revived just over ten years ago with design and production taking place entirely in China.
MG has just been introduced into the SA market with the company setting up its HQ in Johannesburg. Infrastructure rollout is taking place at the moment in all major cities. MG even took a media group to China in the last few weeks. We reached out to inquire about possible product offerings but company representatives were not yet at liberty to divulge that info. The Cyberster (pictured above) is one option. It is an all-electric roadster with 375 kW of power on tap. As a result it can blast from rest to 100 km/h in 3,2 seconds.