What started with a single FAW 15.180FL in 2014 has now grown into 25,000 trucks built at Coega — and FAW Trucks Southern Africa isn’t slowing down.
The 25,000th locally manufactured FAW truck has rolled off the production line at the company’s plant in the Coega Special Economic Zone in Gqeberha, marking a major milestone for the Chinese truck manufacturer and South Africa’s commercial vehicle manufacturing industry.
It took FAW Trucks 12 years to reach the landmark, but the pace has changed dramatically.
FAW produced its 20,000th locally assembled truck in July 2025. Just over a year later, another 5,000 trucks have been added to the tally.
That acceleration says plenty about the growing presence of FAW trucks in South African fleets.
For operators, buying a truck isn’t simply about the sticker price. Fuel consumption, reliability, parts availability, dealer support, uptime and overall cost per kilometre can make or break a fleet.
FAW says its continued development of trucks specifically suited to Southern African operating conditions has helped build confidence among fleet operators.
The company’s heavy-duty JH6 range has been particularly important, with the JH6 500FT and 550FT establishing themselves in the long-haul market.
And FAW isn’t resting on that success.
In March 2026, the company launched the J7 28.550FT, its latest flagship truck for the Southern African market.
The J7 packs a 12.52-litre engine producing 407 kW, a ZF 12-speed automated manual transmission and up to 1,200 litres of fuel capacity. It also comes with warranty cover of up to 36 months or 600,000 km.
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From 5,000 to 8,000 trucks a year
The growth of the Coega operation has been backed by serious investment.
The plant was established in 2014 following a R600 million investment by China FAW Group Corporation and the China-Africa Development Fund.
Then, in November 2024, FAW committed another R200 million towards expanding the facility.
The expansion includes additional production capacity, increased storage, digitisation of production and upgraded training facilities.
The goal is to increase annual capacity from around 5,000 trucks towards 8,000 units by 2028.
The 30,000 m² facility also plays a role in developing local manufacturing skills, with around 2,500 people reportedly trained through the plant.
FAW Trucks Southern Africa COO Xin Huang described the 25,000 milestone as more than just a production number.
“Twenty-five thousand vehicles is a number our customers built with us,” said Huang.
And that is perhaps the most significant part of the milestone.
Every truck represents a fleet operator that put it to work, a driver who climbed into the cab, technicians who kept it running and a dealer network that supported it on the road.
The Coega plant also supplies trucks beyond South Africa, including markets across the SADC region and Indian Ocean islands.
Twenty-five thousand trucks later, FAW’s South African story is clearly no longer about proving that it can build trucks here.
The next question is how quickly it can get to 30,000 and eventually 50,000.
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