Haval opened their doors in South Africa in May 2017. Four years later, and the brand is in the top 10 for new car sales in the country.
“Improving every day, little by little” is the company’s slogan, and this appears to be working.
“This is exactly what Haval South Africa has been doing since day one back in 2017, when we first opened our doors in South Africa as a wholly-owned subsidiary,” said the company.
“It’s even imprinted on the facia of our headquarters in Baoding, China.”
Sales numbers
Following their launch in the country, Haval’s SUVs have gained in popularity.
In May 2019, Haval’s monthly new vehicle sales came in at 962 units for both the local and export market, as reported by Naamsa.
This put Haval in 13th spot for best-selling manufacturer in the country, based on the Naamsa rankings.
In May 2020, sales were down to 316 units – a result of the strict Covid-19 lockdown conditions implemented by the government.
Haval retained its 13th position for the period.
In May 2021, however, Haval is firmly back on track – selling 1,782 new units in South Africa during the month.
These sales numbers saw it earn seventh place in the Naamsa rankings for the period, out of a total of 38 vehicle brands.
The growth
The company attributes their growth to their “little by little” approach, but adds that it is not the only factor.
According to Haval, a great amount of time has been spent developing vehicles with high levels of standard equipment.
A new customer-centric approach also makes sure that “these extras add value, are easy to use, and improve the driver experience”.
This philosophy is evident in the new Jolion SUV, which has already become a top-seller for the brand only two months after its introduction.
The Jolion sold 701 units in its first month, far outperforming the competitors in its segment, said Haval.
Phil Li, managing director of Haval Motor South Africa, said the company is overjoyed with the performance of the Jolion and went on to say that “this is only the next step”.
“We are hoping to add to our offering in a manner that takes us to even higher accolades and milestones,” said Li.
“We assure the South African public that we are here, here to stay.”
Keyword: Haval’s big growth in South Africa