PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa, Oct. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On 29 October, the BAIC FOTON Africa Partner Conference, themed ‘Drive to Great’, was held in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. As a key part of the conference, BAIC FOTON organised a visit to its South African factory for nearly 700 distributors, key accounts and industry partners from 42 African countries, where they took part in test drives of the full range of models. This provided a comprehensive demonstration of the company’s global localisation strategy, local manufacturing capabilities and product quality.
Local Manufacturing Strengthens the Foundation for Global Layout
Located in the Coega Development Zone in Port Elizabeth, the BAIC South Africa Plant is an important manufacturing base for BAIC Group in Africa. During the event, guests toured the plant to learn about BAIC’s latest achievements in passenger-commercial vehicle synergy and localized manufacturing in South Africa. In the plant area, BAIC passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles produced at the South African base were displayed together, reflecting the supporting role of localized production in regional product supply and industrial synergy.
At present, the BAIC South Africa Plant has achieved integrated welding, painting and assembly processes. FOTON trucks started SKD production in January 2025; in March, the first AUMAN heavy-duty tractor was trial-assembled and rolled off the line; by the end of August, FOTON truck SKD entered mass production; by the end of September, FOTON pickups began small-batch CKD trial production.
Full Product Matrix Responds to Diverse Scenario Needs
At the racetrack static display area, heavy trucks, light trucks, pickups and vans were showcased. Guests learned about vehicle design, technical features and application solutions, and explored BAIC FOTON’s differentiated product layout for trunk logistics capacity and efficiency, complex engineering transport conditions, and flexible urban-rural distribution operations.
Track Driving Validates Product Performance and Quality
Power performance and handling stability are core concerns for global commercial vehicle customers. In the closed drift area of the racetrack, two TUNLAND G7 pickups performed stunts including forward and reverse 360-degree spins, two-vehicle opposite and reverse-opposite 180-degree turns, intuitively demonstrating power output and handling and conveying the speed and passion of two-car drifting.
The test-drive session set up experience zones for pickups, heavy trucks, light trucks and vans. Guests participated in groups to experience the power, handling and ride performance of different models, further understanding BAIC FOTON’s product adaptability for Africa’s diverse operating scenarios.
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