- Chery South Africa grew sales by 25.54% year on year in July, ahead of the overall market’s 13.8% increase.
- The brand secured 6.64% of the passenger vehicle market, placing fifth in passenger vehicles and sixth overall.
- Chery Group sold 276,820 vehicles globally in July, while Chery Automobile entered the 2026 Fortune Global 500 at number 383.
Chery South Africa continued to grow ahead of the local vehicle market in July, recording a year-on-year sales increase of 25.54%, compared with the overall market’s 13.8% growth.
The brand accounted for 6.64% of the passenger vehicle market during the month and 4.7% of the total vehicle market. This placed Chery fifth in the passenger vehicle segment and sixth overall when light commercial vehicles were included. The achievement also marks Chery’s rise to become South Africa’s best-selling Chinese automotive brand.
The July performance follows a strong first half of the year for Chery South Africa. The brand sold 14,593 vehicles between January and June 2026, an increase of 24.9% from the 11,687 vehicles sold during the corresponding period in 2025. This result
Chery’s monthly sales increased from 2,258 units in January to 2,602 units in June. Each month in the first half exceeded the corresponding 2025 result, with April recording the highest percentage increase at 32.9%.
June was the brand’s strongest sales month of the first half, with volumes increasing by 23.8% from 2,101 units in June 2025 to 2,602 units this year. Average monthly sales rose from approximately 1,948 units during the first six months of 2025 to more than 2,432 units in 2026.
The Tiggo 4 Pro remained Chery’s highest-volume model, accounting for 11,322 sales during the six-month period. The Tiggo 7 recorded 2,173 sales, followed by the Tiggo 8 with 816 units and the Tiggo 9 with 282 units.
“Chery’s July and first-half results show that the brand is gaining ground in a growing market,” said Jay Jay Botes, General Manager for Chery South Africa. “Our sales have increased year on year in every month of 2026 so far, supported by consistent demand across the SUV range.”
Chery’s petrol-powered SUV models continue to account for a significant proportion of local sales. The range has also expanded to include hybrid and plug-in hybrid derivatives, including the Tiggo Cross CSH Hybrid and Tiggo 8 CSH Plug-in Hybrid.
These models provide customers with additional powertrain options across different SUV segments, while allowing Chery to respond to growing interest in more efficient and electrified vehicles.
“Our focus is on maintaining sustainable growth by offering products that meet a broad range of customer needs,” Botes added. “This includes providing a choice of powertrains and supporting customers through our national dealer and aftersales network.”
Global sales increase in July
Chery’s local growth was supported by higher sales across the wider group.
Chery Group sold 276,820 vehicles globally in July 2026, an increase of 23.3% year on year. Exports reached 202,533 units, up 70.1%, marking the first time a Chinese automaker exported more than 200,000 vehicles in a single month.
New-energy vehicle sales reached 129,067 units during July, an increase of 97.5% compared with the same month last year.
Between January and July, Chery Group sold 1,634,353 vehicles, representing year-on-year growth of 10.1%. Exports increased by 71.2% to 1,146,350 units, while new-energy vehicle sales rose by 42.3% to 604,305 units.
By the end of July, Chery Group had more than 20.16 million users globally, including more than 6.99 million outside China.
Chery Automobile enters Fortune Global 500
Chery Automobile Co., Ltd. also entered the 2026 Fortune Global 500 as a listed company, placing 383rd with reported revenue of USD 41.778 billion.
The company was the only new entrant from mainland China on the 2026 list. Chery Automobile also placed 30th in the Fortune Global 500 return-on-equity ranking, with a reported return on equity of 36.5%.
Chery Holding Group had appeared on the Fortune Global 500 in each of the previous two years. The listed company’s separate inclusion reflects the scale of Chery Automobile’s operations and provides greater visibility of its financial performance following its listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
The Fortune ranking follows Chery Group’s cumulative global sales passing 20 million vehicles in July. Chery products are currently available in more than 130 countries and regions, with international markets continuing to account for a substantial part of the group’s sales.
Chery South Africa will build on its first-half and July performance during the remainder of 2026, supported by its existing SUV range, new powertrain options and continued investment in its local dealer and customer-support operations.
