The Chery Group division comprising the fast-growing OMODA and JAECOO marques – Brand O&J – soared to a new high on South Africa’s sales charts in September 2024, ranking inside the top 15 on the overall manufacturer standings for the very first time.

Based on figures reported to industry representative body naamsa, this latest placing of 15th position overall saw Brand O&J jump ahead of yet more long-established automakers from Europe and Japan, despite the fact that it’s still a relatively new entity in the country’s highly competitive new-vehicle market.

In addition, Brand O&J found itself on the very cusp of breaking into the top 10 of South Africa’s passenger-vehicle segment, having rocketed to an astonishing 11th place in this category in September.

While a substantial 28% of all registrations in South Africa’s passenger-vehicle segment last month came courtesy of sales to the rental industry, Brand O&J was one of the few automakers towards the top of the charts not dependent on this channel, with every single unit instead sold via its extensive dealership network.

“The success of our dealerships and the fact that we’ve not had to rely on other sales channels – be they the rental space, sales to government or industry corporate sales – proves just how strongly our OMODA and JAECOO products resonate with private buyers,” said Hans Greyling, General Manager for OMODA and JAECOO South Africa.

Last month, the stylish OMODA C5 accounted for approximately 65% of Brand O&J’s local registrations, while the increasingly popular JAECOO J7 represented the remaining 35% of the overall total. The sustained success of these two products bodes exceptionally well for Brand O&J considering it has several new models in the pipeline for the local market.

For instance, the highly anticipated OMODA C9 will soon be launching in South Africa, positioning itself as the marque’s flagship SUV and marking the beginning of Brand O&J’s exciting next chapter on their road to success.

Functioning as an independent division within the Chery Group, OMODA AND JAECOO standalone dealer network continues to grow at a rapid pace, currently numbering more than 40 dedicated locations situated in key areas around the country.