According to a Cars.co.za report, the Combined Motor Holdings (CMH) Group – Proton’s South African distributor – has reportedly confirmed in an annual report that its distribution agreement with the Malaysian brand will soon “terminate”. CMH Group has been distributing the Saga, X50, X70 and X90 there since September 2022.
“The products have proven to be of good quality, with low warranty-claim rates, but the import pricing is uncompetitive. The [CMH] Group will continue to support [Proton] customers with workshop and parts facilities through its retail outlets until the local Geely operations are ready to take over,” CMH Group CEO Jebb McIntosh wrote in the company’s 2026 integrated annual report (for the year ended February 28, 2026), adding that the “Proton import/distribution operation will terminate when the remaining inventory is sold”.
Asked if there were plans to take over Proton’s distribution in the country, Geely Auto South Africa told Cars.co.za: “We are aware of the market speculation regarding Proton’s future distribution arrangements in South Africa. Discussions are currently ongoing, however no formal decisions or announcements have been concluded at this stage. As such, it would be premature for us to comment further at this time.”
It added that any “confirmed information” would be “communicated through the appropriate formal channels”. Geely returned to South Africa in late-2025 with the E5 (Proton eMas 7) before launching the E2 (Proton eMas 5) in April this year.
According to Cars.co.za, Proton sold 640 units in South Africa in the second half of 2023, 888 in 2024, 459 in 2025, 20 in the first quarter of 2026 and just seven in April, based on data reported to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA). SA was once Proton’s second-biggest export market.
The publication further reports that according to the carmaker’s website, Proton currently has 10 dealerships in South Africa, down from 17 in May 2025 and 20 at launch in 2022.
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lmao
orang afrika pun tak mahu kereta proton. proton ‘eksklusif’ untuk pasaran jaguh kampung saja.
juara kampung abadi
they didnt get our 4 cylinder iGT yet.
Geely could sell cheaper at there too, then it will be better for South African.
Everybody prefer better value, more powerful option.
geely entered south africa and kicked out proton. geely should do the same in malaysia and wipe out proton .
South African EV running cost is about half price compared to petrol. They also access to Internet they waiting for a Proton EV if wish to compete?
Meanwhile most of the exported Proton also sold off.
640 units in the second half of 2023, 888 in 2024, 459 in 2025, and only 27 in the first four months of 2026. The brand, which re-entered the market in 2022, has seen its dealer network shrink amid stiff competition
south africa dont have Miti to protect proton
Sick burn!
miti will you impose penalties on south africa
If Geely enter and succeeded! then we will know who is hallucinating all this while… actually everyone know …. just themselve who dont!
3rd world africa have better cars than Malaysia.
miti had the balls to impose a ruling for BYD, an 80% exportation of their production units to other country, where our own cars aren’t even wanted in other countries. shame on you
lucky no SA brand in Msia, otherwise…
how humiliating is that? malu la potong