{"url":"https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-31/leapmotor-south-africa-egypt-expansion","markdown_url":"https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-31/leapmotor-south-africa-egypt-expansion.md","title":"Leapmotor Plans South Africa Growth With Stellantis Dealers","headline":"Leapmotor Targets South Africa and Egypt Growth Using Stellantis Dealer Network","description":"Leapmotor will grow its South African business in 2027 through Stellantis's 34 dealerships, with Egypt next, as international markets reach 22% of results.","section":"Expansion","published_at":"2026-10-31T04:40:50+00:00","modified_at":"2026-10-31T04:40:50+00:00","author":"News Desk","key_takeaways":["Leapmotor International CEO Danilo Annese said the company will grow its South African business in 2027 using Stellantis's dealer network.","Stellantis operates 34 dealerships in South Africa and plans to expand to about 48 outlets over the next two years.","International markets represented 22% of Leapmotor's results year-to-date, and Egypt is next on the expansion list."],"companies":[{"name":"Leapmotor","is_primary":true,"profile_url":"https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00006il/leapmotor","website":"http://www.leapmotor.com"},{"name":"Stellantis","is_primary":false,"profile_url":"https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00002n7/stellantis","website":"https://www.stellantis.com"}],"source":{"publisher":"BusinessLIVE","title":"Leapmotor eyes African growth as it targets SA customers","url":"https://www.businessday.co.za/business-times/2026-10-31-leapmotor-eyes-african-growth-as-it-targets-sa-customers/"},"other_sources":[],"tags":["Expansion","Leapmotor","Stellantis"],"body_markdown":"Leapmotor plans to expand its South African business in 2027 and move into Egypt next, using Stellantis's dealer network rather than building its own, Leapmotor International CEO Danilo Annese said. [BusinessLIVE](https://www.businessday.co.za/business-times/2026-10-31-leapmotor-eyes-african-growth-as-it-targets-sa-customers/) reported the expansion plans on October 31, 2026.\n\n## Leapmotor's South Africa and Egypt Plans\n\n[Leapmotor](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00006il/leapmotor) is a Chinese electric vehicle maker founded in 2015 that sells battery-electric and range-extended models in more than 40 countries through a joint venture with [Stellantis](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00002n7/stellantis). Annese said South Africa offers significant potential, but the brand needs to establish its value proposition with local buyers instead of copying its European approach.\n\n\"It's a complex market. We want to enter in a proper way,\" Annese said in an interview at the Paris Motor Show. \"I think we are relatively young, and we need to find the key to convince the South African customers on the brand values, as we have done in other countries.\"\n\nStellantis operates 34 dealerships nationwide and plans to expand that network to about 48 outlets over the next two years. Leapmotor entered the South African market in October last year. Its product strategy will stay focused on battery-electric vehicles and range-extender electric vehicles rather than conventional petrol models, and Annese said range-extender technology could appeal to buyers where charging infrastructure is still developing.\n\nStellantis, which partly owns Leapmotor, began production of Leapmotor vehicles at its Zaragoza plant in Spain on October 30, 2026, starting with the B10 SUV, according to WardsAuto. The move draws on Stellantis's 51% stake in the joint venture and aims to qualify for EU \"Made in Europe\" regulations.\n\n## Leapmotor's International Sales Share\n\nAccording to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data), Stellantis invested about 1.5 billion euros in October 2023 to acquire roughly a 20% stake and set up Leapmotor International, held 51% by Stellantis and 49% by Leapmotor. The same records show Leapmotor delivered 81,569 units in May 2026, an 81% year-over-year increase and a new monthly record, and reached 1.5 million cumulative deliveries by June 18, 2026.\n\n## Earlier Steps Toward Global Expansion\n\nLeapmotor began local assembly of its C10 SUV at the Gurun plant in Kedah, Malaysia, in June 2026, according to akta.pro company records. In the same month it opened a battery assembly workshop in Mallen, Spain, near an EV and battery plant. On October 26, 2026, Leapmotor International B.V. received Europrivacy certification from DNV, becoming one of the first automotive companies to do so, WebWire reported.\n\n## What Comes Next for Leapmotor\n\nAnnese said international markets represented 22% of Leapmotor's results year-to-date and that the share was expected to be higher by the end of the year. He said it was too early to break down how much of the company's 1-million vehicle sales target would come from emerging markets such as South Africa.\n","publisher":{"name":"News for Agent","url":"https://newsforagent.com"}}