The head of Toyota in South Africa has called for new Chinese brands to invest in Mzansi rather than simply “dumping a whole lot of cars in the country”…
- Toyota’s local boss says “competition is good”
- But adds Chinese brands should “invest” in SA
- Expects more brands to enter B-segment soon
The man at the helm of South Africa’s best-selling automaker, Toyota, has called on new Chinese brands to invest in Mzansi rather than simply “dumping a whole lot of cars in the country” and taking a wait-and-see approach.
Andrew Kirby, President and CEO of Toyota South Africa Motors, made the comments during an interview conducted in Cars.co.za’s custom-built podcast booth at Naamsa’s recent South African Auto Week 2025 in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape.
“Competition is good – the disruption is ultimately good for customers. But we need to balance that with an investment into South Africa. Not just ‘let me dump a whole lot of cars in the country, see if they survive or not and then decide to remain or exit’,” he said.
“That’s going to harm a lot of consumers and it’s going to create a lot of turmoil. There needs to be some balance. If you want to compete, that’s fantastic – but invest in the country,” emphasised Kirby, who has been at the head of Toyota SA Motors since 2016.
“We know that it’s costing jobs, but we also know that we need to transition. We need to be careful of not reacting too soon, because the disruption and the competitive products are good. But there is certainly an understanding that there needs to be some link to investing in the country – and not just a trial-and-error approach to our market.
“We’ve become a little bit like that. The barriers to entry in South Africa are very small. Anybody can come and trial it – see how it goes for a year – but that’s enormously disruptive and that does cost the economy and it costs jobs,” said Kirby, who a year earlier described the Chinese threat as being “very real”.
Interestingly, Kirby said Toyota’s global alliance with Suzuki – which sees Suzuki-built models like the Vitz, Starlet and Starlet Cross offered locally in the Toyota range – has “very successful”, with this end of the market thus far not heavily impacted by the influx of Chinese vehicles. But he seemingly expects that to change.
“The A- and B-segment is by far the biggest in South Africa. Where the Chinese have focused [thus far] is C- and D-segment, so that would be equivalent to our Corolla Cross and RAV4,” he explained.
“The B-segment cars are a lot more cost sensitive, and you need to build to real scale to be able to compete. We do think that there are going to be a lot more players that are going to start moving into that B-segment, because it’s the single biggest segment in South Africa,” he concluded.
Toyota South Africa Motors builds the Hilux, Fortuner, Corolla Cross and Hiace Ses’fikile at its Prospecton plant in KwaZulu-Natal, with production of the prolonged-lifecycle Corolla Quest having ended late in 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What has the head of Toyota South Africa called for from new Chinese car brands entering the market?
A: Andrew Kirby, President and CEO of Toyota South Africa Motors, called for new Chinese brands to invest in South Africa rather than simply “dumping a whole lot of cars in the country” and taking a “wait-and-see” approach to the market.
Q: Why does Kirby believe the “dumping” approach is harmful to the South African market?
A: He emphasised that a lack of investment is “enormously disruptive” and will “harm a lot of consumers”, “create a lot of turmoil” and ultimately “cost the economy”.
Q: Which car segments have Chinese brands focused on so far, and which segment is expected to see more competition soon, according to Kirby?
A: He says Chinese brands have thus far focused on the C- and D-segments (equivalent to models like the Toyota Corolla Cross and RAV4). Kirby expects a lot more players to start moving into the B-segment, as it is the single biggest segment in South Africa.
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