Incoming new models a sign of our commitment: Volvo MD
The brand has faced criticism in recent months for its reduction in dealerships, which has led to speculation of it possibly leaving South Africa at some stage.
In addition, while Western manufacturers are considering pulling out of South Africa, Chery is exploring the possibility of establishing a local assembly plant.
Chery is derived from the Chinese Mandarin word “Qirui”, which translates to “lucky” or “auspicious” in English.
The company was established as a state-owned corporation in Whuhu, China, in 1997 and launched its first vehicle, the Fengyun, which translates to “wind cloud,” two years later.
Yin Tongyue, the company’s current chairperson, was appointed Chery’s first technical director after working at the FAW-Volkswagen joint venture.
Chery initially used other manufacturers’ technology for its vehicles. In some cases, these were licensed, but reverse engineering was also employed, leading to legal action from players like General Motors.
However, it eventually began building and selling its own engines in 2006 under the brand name ACTECO.
By the mid-2000s, the company had started exporting vehicles and had established its first foreign production facility in Egypt in 2009.
By 2010, Chery had manufactured its millionth vehicle and became the tenth largest automaker in the world.
That same year, it entered the electric vehicle (EV) market under a new division called Chery New Energy. In 2014, it launched its first fully electric vehicle, the Chery eQ.
A later variant of the eQ, the eQ1, launched in 2017, would become one of China’s most popular EVs until 2020.
Chery has also established various other brands as part of its multi-brand strategy, such as Jaecoo, Omoda, Jetour, iCar, and a joint electric car venture with Huawei called Luxeed.
Since the mid-2000s, exports have helped to rapidly increase Chery car sales, which grew from just over 3,600 in 2003 to a reported 467,000 in 2009. In 2024, it exported over 1.14 million vehicles.
Chery’s entry into South Africa
Chery entered South Africa in 2007 as an import by the McCarthy Group, followed by a Bidvest-Imperial joint venture, which distributed and marketed the vehicles.
The first Chery vehicle to enter the country was the QQ, a compact hatchback popular for its economic fuel consumption, appealing to first-time car buyers.
However, the brand’s entry initially faced scepticism given the extensive range of established brands such as Toyota, Ford, and Hyundai.
Despite this, Chery began to build a presence in the South African market in the 2010s, introducing models like the Tiggo, a compact SUV that diversified its offering.
Part of the automaker’s strategy at the time was establishing a network of dealerships, partnering with local businesses to provide clients access to sales and after-sales support.
While this brought about brand loyalty and awareness, Chery still faced stiff competition from other major brands, with consumer preferences shifting to more premium vehicles.
This saw Chery update the design of its vehicles and introduce new ones, such as the compact Arrizo sedan.
However, its failure to properly adapt saw it get lost in the noise of the South African market, and it withdrew in 2018.
This would not last long, as it re-entered the country in 2022 and became the sixth best-selling car brand the following year.
To adequately cater to South Africa’s premium car segment, it launched Omoda in early 2023, followed by Jaecoo and Jetour in 2024.
Today, it has become one of the most popular Chinese car brands among South African consumers, selling 2,101 vehicles in June 2025.
Vehicles like the Tiggo 4 Pro have taken the market by storm since Chery’s return, selling 12,646 units in 2024, ranking sixth overall and beating the VW Polo.
Most recently, Chery launched South Africa’s most affordable hybrid, the Tiggo Cross Chery Super Hybrid (CSH), and plug-in hybrid, the Tiggo 7 CSH, for R439,900 and R619,900, respectively.
Chery vehicles over time
