China FAW Group Co., Ltd. (FAW) has announced that its South African subsidiary achieved an annual truck sales milestone in 2024, with terminal sales surpassing 5,000 units for the first time, a year-on-year growth of 31.9 percent.
It represents an 18 percent market share and the leading position in the South African market.
FAW’s presence in South Africa began in 1994 when the first Jiefang CA141 truck entered the market, making it the first — and for a time, the only — Chinese automobile brand in the country.
In 2012, FAW partnered with the China-Africa Development Fund to increase investment in South Africa by launching the construction of the Coega manufacturing plant. Designed with an annual production capacity of 5,000 units, the project received significant attention and support from both the Chinese and South African governments and was designated a key overseas investment project by China’s Ministry of Commerce.
Since 2013, FAW has participated in the Belt and Road Initiative and, in 2014, the Coega plant commenced operations. As FAW’s truck production base in South Africa, the plant has become the largest, most advanced and best-managed truck manufacturing facility in the south of the African continent, earning recognition as a “model of China-South Africa cooperation”.
In July 2024, FAW South Africa’s monthly production exceeded 500 units. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
FAW has established a comprehensive production, sales and service network in South Africa over the past three decades, encompassing more than 40 sales and service outlets across the country, as well as Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique. It has also built centralized spare parts warehouses and customer service centers to support its network and meet after-sales service demands.
By focusing on two key market segments — tractors and cargo trucks — FAW has developed an integrated value chain marketing approach, offering high-quality, reliable vehicle solutions tailored to the needs of Southern African customers.
Looking ahead, FAW is committed to further investing in South Africa and the broader Southern African market.
(Executive editor: Zhu Zeya)
