Chinese Carmaker BAIC to Ramp Up Local Assembly in South Africa

According to a Reuters report, Beijing Automotive Group (BAIC) is preparing to assemble its latest B30 off-road SUV at its Gqeberha plant in South Africa’s Eastern Cape from January. The move signals a strong commitment to local manufacturing and comes amid growing global challenges for Chinese automakers.

Facing intense price competition in China and stricter trade barriers in Europe and the United States, Chinese car brands are increasingly looking to Africa for growth opportunities. South Africa has emerged as a key hub, hosting around 18 Chinese marques, including BAIC, BYD and Chery.

Currently, BAIC’s Eastern Cape facility produces the B40 Plus and Beijing X55 Plus SUVs. The new B30, available in petrol and hybrid versions, will be built using a completely knocked-down (CKD) process, which involves assembling vehicles from numerous smaller components. This approach contrasts with the semi-knocked-down (SKD) method used for existing models, which relies on large, pre-assembled imported parts.

Industry players such as Toyota and Ford, who already operate in South Africa, have long urged newcomers to increase local content. Their goal aligns with the government’s ambition to manufacture 1.4 million vehicles annually by 2035, strengthening the domestic automotive sector.

BAIC South Africa’s CEO, Yang Yixin, reaffirmed the company’s long-term vision at the B30 launch event: “We will continue to introduce new models while steadily expanding local production and value creation.”