Jetour South Africa’s Johnny Fang discusses plans ahead of local debut

Chinese brand Jetour falls under the umbrella of Chery automobile and launches in South Africa in September. It’s the third subsidiary brand after the youthfully expressive Omoda and the off-road biased Jaecoo.

Jetour, a blend of “Jet” and “Tour”, is a traveller’s choice, according to the company.

In an online interview with CEO Johnny Fang, he talks to us about his background, the brand and the strategy to succeed in SA. 

Fang, who was born and raised in the Chongqing district in Southwestern China, is a veteran of the Chery group, having joined the company in 2007. The local CEO began in the international car sales wing for the group exporting to new markets. He is responsible for setting up the Jetour brand in almost all Latin America and in Africa.

Asked if there are differences in car cultures between his home country and SA, he said car ownership in China was low before 2005 and the privilege of few. The two-car household, as is common here in SA, is virtually unheard of there. Customarily Chinese customers have one car for the family, thus demand for spacious cars with digital savviness, said Fang. 

The design of his Jetour products reflects that of the domestic and international markets, and the company applies modifications to suit regional requirements such as suspension comfort and height, as well as air-conditioner efficiency for the varied climes.

“The total business case for the brand is workable in SA. The lifestyle DNA of Jetour also matches with SA customers’ liking of travelling to faraway places with the family and friends, including going to the wild,” said Fang.

With SA being the most advanced economy on the continent, local buyer needs are close to those of the Chinese, he said, and locals certainly want sophisticated, spacious and comfy cars. It’s one of the main drivers of Chinese brand success here and in other market in the past three years. 

Fang said in his analysis of the local market before launch, he discovered that South African customers take at least a year to study a brand before deciding, and ours being a right-hand drive region acts as a barrier to a bigger influx of brands, thus exposing SA to fewer than possible Chinese brands, frustrating what could be an even more competitive buyer’s market.

Asked about the steps he took in preparation for Jetour’s entry into SA, Fang said he studied the local operations of brands such as Chery and Haval that have been here longer in how they kept their brands attractive and maintained the relationships with buyers. He found it easier to set up than he’d expected as Chinese brands are now more welcomed by customers and dealers.

Fang said he was informed to be careful of SA customers as, though their willingness to try out new brands is known, they don’t forget the mistakes. This is part of what led to his decision to establish the company’s 4,000m² warehouse in Midrand before starting with sales to ensure after-sales service from the get-go, said the CEO.

The brand initially launches with the Jetour X70 Plus crossover and the Jetour Dashing models. He said the company is targeting sales of 800 units monthly within the first year of operation.

More Jetour ranges, including the tough-looking Jetour T2, are planned for later introduction — and perhaps hybrids.

Fang added that he is confident his products will be priced to compete.