Chery-backed Lepas to enter SA market in March

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The brand, which forms part of the Chery Group, will leverage its parent company’s existing after-sales and logistics infrastructure as it prepares for its local rollout, rather than building standalone support systems from scratch.

Lepas confirmed that its South African operations will draw on Chery’s national parts, service and repair network, which currently supports more than 100,000 vehicles in the country. This includes access to a central parts warehouse of more than 6,000sqm holding inventory valued at over R180m, and a national logistics system capable of supplying major centres within 48 hours.

After-sales support drawn from existing Chery network

According to the company, Lepas vehicles will be supported by the same parts distribution and roadside assistance systems currently used by Chery-branded vehicles, including a 24-hour roadside assistance programme and access to more than 330 certified paint and body repair centres nationwide.

Jay Jay Botes, general manager of Lepas South Africa, said the decision to rely on established infrastructure was intended to reduce launch risk and ensure service continuity from the outset.

“We are leveraging Chery’s proven systems and expertise, while tailoring the experience to meet the expectations of premium SUV owners in South Africa,” Botes said.

Technical training for Lepas will be conducted at existing facilities in Boksburg and Sandton, with technicians trained alongside Chery personnel to meet the brand’s service requirements.

Dealership rollout underway

Dealerships for the Lepas brand are currently under construction and are expected to be operational in line with the March market entry. These sites will include dedicated service centres designed to support routine maintenance and repairs as volumes scale.

Lepas’s arrival adds to the growing number of new entrants targeting South Africa’s SUV market, particularly in the premium and upper-mainstream segments, where Chinese brands are increasingly competing with established European and Japanese players on specification, pricing and warranty support.