MG Motor is officially returning to South Africa some 8 years after it last left the local market. Here’s what we know about the Chinese-backed firm’s imminent relaunch…
Back in July, Cars.co.za reported that MG Motor was poised to return to South Africa before the end of 2024. Now we have official confirmation that the Chinese-backed British firm will indeed re-open its doors locally in the final quarter of the year, just in time to celebrate the brand’s centenary.
MG Motor South Africa says the “exact dates [of its official relaunch] have still to be confirmed” (as it is still “in the process of finalising” its plan) but adds that “it will be to[wards] the end of the year”.
Though the brand’s local website is not yet up and running, it created an “MG Motor South Africa” profile on Facebook as recently as 3 September 2024. In addition, the Hatfield Motor Group – a well-known multi-franchise dealer network – recently posted details on its website about 2 soon-to-open MG dealerships.
While this page on the Hatfield Motor Group’s site has curiously since been removed, we tracked down a cached version, which included the image below as well as the following text: “Prepare to rediscover the iconic MG car brand as it returns to South Africa with two new dealerships opening up in Rivonia and Midrand on 1 October 2024”.
For the record, the listed address of MG Motor South Africa’s headquarters is 93 Grayston Drive in Sandton. For now, however, it’s unclear whether the division will relaunch as a wholly owned subsidiary of SAIC Motor or whether a private company has been appointed to distribute the marque locally.
As a reminder, the MG brand – which was founded 100 years ago as “Morris Garages” in the United Kingdom – is owned by Chinese group SAIC Motor, a state-owned manufacturer also responsible for the LDV marque. Officially under the stewardship of Shanghai-based SAIC Motor since around 2007, MG began its previous re-entry to South Africa late in 2011, though again exited the local market in 2016.
As we reported earlier, Ian Nicholls, a former General Motors executive who spent several years as the American firm’s director for Sub-Saharan Africa (based in the Eastern Cape), was this year appointed as a “senior advisor” to MG Motor South Africa, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Separately, we discovered that SAIC Motor had advertised various employment positions under the MG brand in South Africa, including posts for a national marketing manager and a service manager (both based in Sandton). In addition, Lex Kriel, the former General Manager for Sales and Operations at Hyundai Automotive SA, was appointed Sales and Network Director at MG Motor SA, according to his LinkedIn profile.
For now, the big mystery is around exactly which products MG will offer locally. One option is to source certain vehicles – such as the Astor, Hector and Gloster – from MG Motor India’s manufacturing division in Gujarat, while another is to bring in models from China (the company could, of course, also import from both countries).
Either way, considering the wide variety of global products at its disposal – from budget-friendly combustion-engined models to new-energy vehicles (including fully electric cars) – it will be fascinating to see where MG positions itself in the local market…
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MG poised for return to South Africa in 2024
