South Africa’s automotive trade deficit with China reached $3.5 billion in 2025, twice the size it was four years earlier and its largest bilateral automotive trade deficit with any country.

Chinese brands have aggressively seized market share, growing from under 10% in 2021 to over 20% last year, by undercutting competitors with budget-friendly SUVs.

The rapid rise has ousted established players like Nissan and Renault from top 10 charts and prompted calls by government officials for Chinese automakers like Chery and Jetour to set up factories in South Africa. Africa’s most industrialized economy is also considering proposals to raise import taxes to make South African-manufactured cars more competitive in the local market.