Changan at the 2026 Festival of Motoring: what it actually means for Richards Bay

Kyalami is a long drive from Zululand, so let us be honest up front. Most of you are not going to the WesBank Festival of Motoring this weekend, and that is fine.

But something is happening on the Changan stand between 28 and 30 August that is worth two minutes of your time, because it lands here afterwards.

A whole new bakkie range

Changan is unveiling two new vehicles at Kyalami, plus an entirely new light commercial vehicle range. That last part is the bit we are watching.

Zululand does not run on hatchbacks. It runs on bakkies. Sugar, timber, the port, the mills, the farms, the contractors. When a manufacturer says it is bringing a full commercial range to South Africa, that means more in Richards Bay than it does in Sandton.

The one in the photo is already on our floor

The Hunter K50 and the Hunter F70 will be running Kyalami's dedicated off-road track over the weekend, alongside self-drive experiences across selected models.

You do not need to drive to Gauteng to sit in one. We have Hunter double cab and CS75 Pro demo units at 1 Cent Circle, ready to drive today.

Why Chinese brands stopped being a gamble

Changan puts Chinese manufacturers at nearly 20% of South Africa's new vehicle sales in the first quarter of 2026. Whatever you make of that number, one in five is not a fad. That is a market.

Our commitment to all South African consumers extends beyond our vehicle range; it includes the ongoing expansion of our dealer network, customer care systems, aftersales support and ownership programmes. These are the fundamentals that matter when customers are looking for confidence beyond the brochure.

That is the right answer, and it is the one that counts up here. A sharp price gets you through the door. Parts on the shelf and a workshop that knows the vehicle is what brings you back in three years.

Worth noting too, the badge reads Since 1862. Changan has been building things for longer than most of the European brands it gets compared to.

What happens next

The show runs 28 to 30 August at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit. We will be watching what gets unveiled and will post what it means for stock here.

In the meantime the Changan range is on the floor at 1 Cent Circle. Come and drive one, and bring the questions you would normally be too polite to ask.