Chinese vehicle manufacturers are on course to capture 20% of Namibia’s automotive market by the end of 2026, marking a structural shift in the country’s vehicle landscape as brands such as Jetour, Haval and Chery continue to gain ground.
According to Simonis Storm economist Almandro Jansen, Chinese brands accounted for 16.3% of vehicle sales in May, maintaining the record share achieved in April and demonstrating that their rapid growth is not a temporary phenomenon.
“The Chinese brand share is on a credible glide path towards 20% by year-end, and the principal questions for incumbent manufacturers concern pricing discipline and product positioning rather than volume defence,” Jansen said.
He noted that the expanding presence of Chinese manufacturers across passenger, light commercial and heavy vehicle segments confirms a broad-based transformation of the market rather than the success of a single brand.
Jetour led the Chinese cohort with 53 units sold in May, its strongest monthly performance to date, followed by Haval with 31 units, JAC with 26, GWM with 15 and Chery with 14.
“The breadth of the Chinese presence across at least eight nameplates and four vehicle segments confirms that this is a category-wide structural shift, not a single-brand phenomenon,” Jansen said.
Despite the rise of Chinese manufacturers, Japanese brands continue to dominate Namibia’s vehicle market, collectively accounting for 63% of total sales in May. Toyota led the segment with 638 vehicles sold, representing more than half of all vehicle sales recorded nationally during the month.
Overall, Namibia’s vehicle market remains on a strong footing. Cumulative sales reached 6,326 units during the first five months of 2026, more than 22% higher than the 5,181 units recorded over the same period in 2025 and the strongest year-to-date performance since 2018.
Although May sales eased to 1,171 units from April’s 1,320, they were still 14.8% higher than a year earlier.
Jansen said the moderation reflected a normal correction following March’s exceptionally strong sales rather than weakening demand.
“The underlying direction of travel is firmly positive,” he said, adding that continued fleet renewal, resource-sector investment and the anticipated Final Investment Decision (FID) on the Venus offshore oil project are expected to provide further support for vehicle demand through the remainder of the year.
