Plug-in Chinese cars are flooding into South Africa

• Plug-in Chinese cars are flooding into South Africa, with the value of exports reaching an all-time monthly high of $80.84 million (R1.35 billion) in July 2026.
• The increase in exports coincided with the sharp increase in petrol prices resulting from the US war on Iran, which began towards the end of February, and is attributed to the introduction of affordable models by Geely, BYD and other manufacturers, as well as the fuel price shock sparked by the conflict in the Middle East.
• Official vehicle sales data from the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) showed massive increases in sales of fully-electric and PHEV cars in 2026, with 8,211 of these vehicles sold in South Africa between January and August 2026, an increase of 372% over the same period in 2025.