Foton SA Rolls Out First Locally Built Tunland G7 Bakkie in South Africa
Foton SA has achieved a significant milestone by rolling out its first pre-production completely knocked down (CKD) Tunland G7 bakkie at its plant in South Africa. This marks the first time a Chinese commercial brand has established full-scale vehicle manufacturing operations in the country.
Local Manufacturing and Expansion Plans
From 2026, Foton will manufacture the Tunland G7 one-tonne pickup at the BAIC factory in the Coega Special Economic Zone near Gqeberha. The vehicles will be destined for the South African market and for export into other African countries.
The BAIC factory has already been assembling the Beijing X55 in small numbers on a semi knocked-down basis. BAIC also announced plans to build the soon-to-be-launched B30 SUV at the same facility.
Foton's Commitment to South Africa and Africa
According to Foton SA CEO Marius Smal, the pre-production CKD launch is a key achievement under Foton’s ambitious “Lighthouse Plan” in Africa. This plan is designed to establish the continent as a pivotal growth hub within the brand’s global expansion roadmap.
“By choosing SA as the base for CKD operations, Foton is making a long-term commitment to localisation, job creation and technology transfer,” said Marius Smal. “For customers across Africa, local CKD operations translate into the promise of faster availability, competitive pricing and increased confidence in aftersales support.”
He also stated that local manufacturing of the Tunland G7 will allow Foton to better adapt its vehicles to African driving conditions, customer preferences, and market demands.
Market Context and Challenges
Foton, China’s top-selling commercial brand and a subsidiary of the BAIC Group, made a comeback to South Africa in 2024 with the imported Tunland G7 bakkie range, six years after its discontinuation in the country. The brand is imported by Mandarin Parts Distributors, a subsidiary of Combined Motor Holdings, and distributed through a network of 40 dealerships. With its competitive pricing and high specification levels, the Tunland G7 has been popular since its launch and is the country’s second best-selling Chinese pickup after the GWM P-Series.
The move towards local manufacturing comes amid increasing pressure from local car producers and unions on the government to promote local manufacturing, create jobs, and drive meaningful localisation. Currently, about 64% of cars and bakkies sold in South Africa are imported, mainly from India and China, contributing to rising job losses as imports impact local production. Approximately 25 Chinese brands are currently on sale in SA, offering attractive pricing that has resulted in more than 10% of new vehicle sales. According to Toyota SA CEO Andrew Kirby, the percentage of CKD vehicles sold in SA has declined significantly from 56% to 33% in August over the past 19 years.
