Challengers and conquerors in SA
Operators are integrating more emerging brand trucks into their fleets, changing the traditional hierarchy of the local truck market.
Road cargo and distribution centre logistics continue to drive commercial truck sales. Despite the promise of renewed interest in reviving the potential of South Africa’ s rail network, but the fact remains that class 8 tractors still haul most of South Africa’ s freight by road.
Fleet managers and operators need to deal with very demanding conditions, with decaying road quality on route arteries beyond tollroad networks, tyres and suspension components taxed, and indifferent diesel quality that increases the likelihood of downtime due to powertrain issues.
Traditionally, European truck brands have dominated the heavy long-haul trucking market in South Africa, while Japanese brands have been strong in the medium truck market. But the passenger automotive and commercial vehicle segment in South Africa is being transformed and challenged by Chinese imports. And commercial trucking and logistics fleets are no different.
Daimler and Volvo are still clustered very closely in overall sales, with a powerful presence in the heavy-duty tractor and off-highway markets. But the best-selling truck brand in South Africa during the first month of 2026 was no longer European or Japanese. It was Chinese: FAW. Last year FAW delivered 6549 units, across Southern Africa, registering its best sales since these Chinese trucks became available in the region.
and infrastructure applications. These are the trucks that literally helped build the Chinese mass industrialisation and infrastructure miracle.
Although the demand for EV passenger cars appears to have stalled, investment in solar power amongst industrial companies and mines has created the potential for heavy EV trucks to operate in zones where there is now an abundance of non-grid power, distributed in areas where heavy trucks are needed.
Energy and logistics analysts expected that small delivery EVs would be where commercial fleet decarbonisation would occur in South Africa. But Sany’ s EV trucks, with their impressive specifications and swappable batteries, are already proving the case for heavy-duty EV truck applications in South Africa.
With load-shedding over and so many off-grid power projects coming online, operators are much more open to the potential of trailing EV trucks, since power supply stability is no longer an issue. Especially for those companies deeply invested in their own solar generation and off-grid power production.
Beyond FAW’ s success, Sany is the other Chinese commercial vehicle brand that’ s made an impression on the local fleet market. Decarbonisation and the cost savings from operating an EV fleet are still very much in an experimental and piloting phase, with some short-haul logistics companies using light-duty EV trucks to test routes, assess charging viability, and gather the necessary data for real-world South African modelling.
Sany is the world’ s third-largest heavy vehicle manufacturer and has proven experience in demanding off-highway construction
WORDS IN ACTION 30 JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2026