Chinese import surge raises fears over SA auto job, industry decline

By Johnathan Paoli

The rapid expansion of Chinese vehicle imports, particularly electric vehicles (EVs), hybrids and low-cost internal combustion engine (ICE) models, is fundamentally reshaping South Africa’s automotive market, intensifying pressure on long-established manufacturers and raising growing concerns about job losses across the sector.

Data from Lightstone Auto shows that the traditional “Big Six” automotive brands: Toyota, Volkswagen, Ford, Nissan, Opel, and Mazda, have collectively fallen below 50% market share for the first time.

This marks a sharp decline from the 60% to 70% dominance they enjoyed in the early 2000s, and from roughly 50% between 2020 and 2023.

While several structural factors are at play, one of the main concerns points to the surge of Chinese imports as the most disruptive force.

Chinese brands such as Chery, Build Your Dream (BYD), GWM (Haval), Omoda and Jetour have expanded at unprecedented speed.

Reports have indicated that newer Chinese entrants grew