BYD to nearly triple its dealer network in South Africa by 2026

BYD plans to expand its dealer network in South Africa to 20 stores by the end of this year and increase to 30 to 35 stores by 2026.

BYD currently sells six models in South Africa, including six BEVs and two hybrid models.

(A BYD Song Plus DM-i displayed at the Shanghai auto show in April 2025. Image credit: CnEVPost)

BYD (HKG: 1211, OTCMKTS: BYDDY) plans to nearly triple the size of its dealer network in South Africa by 2026 to expand its market share in Africa's largest automotive market.

By the end of this year, the company will have about 20 dealerships in South Africa, Steve Chang, General Manager of BYD South Africa, said in an interview with Reuters on Wednesday.

"The aim is to expand that to about 30, 35 the next year," Chang said.

Join us on or

BYD launched its all-electric Atto 3 in South Africa in 2023 and currently has around 13 dealerships there, the report noted. The Atto 3 is known as the Yuan Plus in China.

BYD currently sells six models in South Africa, including the all-electric Sealion 7 SUV, Seal sedan, Dolphin compact car, Atto 3 SUV, and the hybrid Shark 6 pickup truck and Sealion 6 SUV.

The Sealion 7 is known as the Sealion 07 EV in China, while the Sealion 6 is the Song Plus DM-i.

South Africa's new energy vehicle (NEV) adoption remains relatively low. In China, NEVs already account for half of new vehicle sales.

In 2024, South Africa's NEV sales rose to 15,611 units from 7,782 units in 2023, according to data from the automotive industry body NAAMSA, as cited by Reuters.

"We want to educate and cultivate the market of South Africa and make sure that the South African consumers can catch up with the rest of the world," said Chang.

Due to limited charging infrastructure, unstable power supply, and relatively high import tariffs compared to fossil fuel vehicles, the adoption and investment in electric vehicles in Africa have been relatively slow compared to emerging market countries, Reuters noted.

BYD sold 382,476 vehicles in May, up 15.27 percent year-on-year and 0.63 percent month-on-month.

The company sold 89,047 NEVs overseas in May, marking the sixth consecutive month of record-breaking sales. This represents a year-on-year increase of 137.46 percent and a month-on-month increase of 12.60 percent.