By Nqobile Dludla

MULDERSDRIFT, South Africa, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Chinese automaker BYD will hit its initial target of having about 35 dealerships in South Africa by the first quarter of 2026 and aims to expand that network to 60 to 70 by the end of next year along with growing demand for its electric vehicles.

South Africa's market for EVs and hybrids is starting to gain traction as more affordable models launch and charging infrastructure expands, and BYD competes against Volvo, Chery and Great Wall Motor to capture early adopters.

The government has signalled plans to incentivize EV adoption, and analysts expect Chinese brands to leverage competitive pricing and growing consumer interest to expand their footprint.

Steve Chang, Managing Director of BYD Auto South Africa, said growing demand will allow the automaker to reach the target of 35 dealerships sooner than the end of 2026 it envisaged in June.

"Fortunately, we have moved the timeline to Q1 (first quarter) next year," Chang told Reuters during the launch event of the BYD Sealion 5 plug-in hybrid SUV.

Chang said BYD's entry-level EV Dolphin Surf hatchback was its top seller followed by its Shark pickup trucks.

"I think by next year we're probably comfortably setting up between 60 to 70 (dealership stores)," he said.

To support its expansion, BYD announced plans in October to invest in as many as 300 fast-charging stations in South Africa by the end of 2026.

On Thursday, BYD officially launched its Sealion 5 plug-in hybrid, with a starting price of 499,900 rand ($29,445), which the automaker expects to compete with the likes of Toyota's Corolla Cross hybrid models, Chang said.  

($1 = 16.9772 rand)