Only two months after relaunching in South Africa, Proton has now shipped 1,000 cars to the country thanks to the popularity of the X50 and X70. As of November 2022, Proton has exported 5,028 cars globally for the year.
Proton returned to South Africa after 10 years of absence, now officially distributed by Combined Motor Holdings (CMH). Both the Proton X50 and X70 are fully imported (CBU in Malaysia) by CMH. After both SUVs from the brand, the Proton Saga will land in South Africa in 2023.
Proton Director of International Sales, Steven Xu said, “The quick take up of our vehicles in South Africa is proof of the appeal of both PROTON as a brand, and of our model range to car buyers there. We have a strong working relationship with CMH Group, and they have initiated many on-ground activities to give a taste of our current range to as many South Africans as possible.”
“Proton and CMH are confident of being able to grow sales exponentially in South Africa as the response we have received thus far has been very encouraging. We are committed to provide affordable luxury SUVs for South African car buyers and the Proton X50, Proton X70 have the right combination of features and value to compete with other brands. At the other end of the spectrum, we also feel that the Proton Saga will find its own niche with its combination of style, advanced features, and affordability.”
RELATED: Proton relaunches in South Africa after 10 years – to have 25 dealers in 6 months
Of the 5,028 units exported by Proton so far this year, 2,610 units were exported to Pakistan, retaining the country as the biggest export market for Proton. South Africa is the second largest, while Brunei is the third. In terms of global model exports, the most popular car is the Proton Saga followed by the X70 and the X50.
Steven Xu adds, “Proton’s export volume continues to grow aggressively as we enter more new markets and establish a mixture of CBU and CKD strategies depending on market conditions. Export sales is one of the pillars for our sales growth and as such, we will strive to continue to grow aggressively over the coming years and bolster our position as the leading exporter of vehicles for Malaysia.”
RELATED: The first Saga has rolled off the assembly line at Proton’s Pakistan CKD Plant
