Chery South Africa has done the impossible, cracking the Top 10 sales list in under a year of local sales.
Brand loyalty plays a very large role in the minds of car-buying South Africans and very seldom do you find new brands cracking the Top 10 list of best sellers, more so if they are not from Japan, Korea or Germany. Come to think of it, there were only two brands which have managed to break South Africas fierce brand loyalty, Mahindra and GWM/Haval, but I say WERE because theres a new and unexpected contender Chery!
Yes, Chinese manufacturer Chery has managed to make subsequent headway in the South African market, and this is not just my opinion. No, in July 2022, Chery South Africa reported its official sales numbers to naamsa, the automotive business council, a mere 8 months after the local launch of their first SUV, the Tiggo 4 Pro and guess what? In July alone, Chery sold 1262 new vehicles which, according to naamsa make this newcomer the 8th most popular passenger vehicle brand in the country.
To call that impressive would be an understatement especially when you consider that Chery only entered the new vehicle market in late November 2021 with the Tiggo 4 Pro range, a model that remains the most popular in their line-up thanks to its competitive entry price, unmatched level of specifications and attractive styling.
In February of this year, Chery launched their Tiggo 8 Pro and in May, the local line-up was joined by the Tiggo 7 Pro. Despite these larger additions, the Tiggo 4 Pro made up 689 of the 1262 Chery units sold. That figure also places the Tiggo 4 Pro in the top-five best-selling SUVs in the segment.
What makes these figures even more significant is that all of Cherys sales were made through the dealer network and not as bulk sales to fleet or rental companies, meaning that the total sales figure is a perfect representation of Cherys acceptance by South African motorists.
Speaking on this very impressive achievement, Jay Jay Botes, National Sales Manager of Chery South Africa said Cherys sales performance is a tribute to our dealer network, which has been our greatest ambassador and which has been exemplary in its treatment of our Chery customers,
Apart from just offering new vehicle sales support, Chery has also launched a special Legacy Customer Campaign where they have renewed their commitment to Chery owners who purchased vehicles when the brand was originally offered by the previous importer and not under the stewardship of Chery HQ in China. This will allow those Chery owners to have their vehicles safely and comprehensively serviced at their local Chery dealer, doing away with the uncertainty that followed when the brand initially exited the market, leaving owners high and dry.
This newfound commitment to existing owners and the impressive support offered to new Chery owners should see the Chery brand grow from strength to strength on the local market, and I hope to see the day where that commitment translates into a local assembly plant thats a hint Chery South Africa!
Get your hands on a Chery by visiting the ClickaCar Virtual Showroom.