When Lepas South Africa was announced, the expectation in the industry was that building a national dealer network would take the better part of several years. It has taken months. As of May 2026, twenty-seven fully operational Lepas showrooms are running across the country, from Bruma to Table Bay.

Lepas forms part of Chery Group South Africa, which means the brand arrives with infrastructure already in place. Thirty-nine service stations have been appointed nationally, all technicians have completed training before opening their doors, and customers purchasing the L4 range receive a five-year warranty, a five-year service plan, and a ten-year engine warranty for first owners. That last figure covers one million kilometres.

The man overseeing the rollout, General Manager Jay Jay Botes, has spoken openly about being struck by the quality of people who have come forward to partner with the brand. The dealers running these showrooms are not simply shifting stock. They are business owners embedded in their communities, and they understand that a premium brand lives or dies on what happens after the sale, not before it, he states.

The L6 and L8 models are set to launch locally in the second and third quarters of this year. New dealerships in Waterfall and Pietermaritzburg are expected before the month is out.