I’ll be straight up. I have witnessed multiple product launches and studied various marketing materials which demonstrated to me when businesses try to impose their importance on other people. You show your agreement by nodding your head while you write down notes before you proceed to the following point.
BYD having both the Shark 6 and the Dolphin Surf named finalists for 2026 South African Car of the Year doesn’t feel like a routine PR moment. It feels like something the rest of the industry probably didn’t expect to happen this quickly.
BYD only really arrived here in mid-2023. That’s barely enough time to navigate our potholes, let alone earn credibility.Yet here they are with a bakkie and a small EV being judged alongside brands that have been around for decades.
Shark 6 Plug-in Hybrid
The one that really has my attention is the Shark 6.
We are a bakkie country. Full stop. People have been discussing electric and hybrid bakkies as theoretical concepts for many years but most believed they would never work in practical situations. Too much weight. Too much distance. Too many dirt roads and long stretches between towns.
The strategy BYD employed here was pretty clever. They went with plug-in hybrid vehicles which used electric power systems with conventional engines. You still get range. You still get capability. You just don’t burn diesel every time you crawl through traffic on the way to the office. People can accept this solution because it represents a workable solution.
Then there’s the Dolphine Surf
Calling it the most affordable EV in South Africa is not just a headline. It’s kind of the whole point. We can talk about sustainability and cleaner transport all day, but if the entry price is out of reach, the conversation goes nowhere. An EV only starts to matter when normal people can consider it without doing mental gymnastics around finances.
This is where I still hesitate a bit, though. Infrastructure is always the uncomfortable part of this story. The world-class battery technology fails to deliver its potential if drivers cannot depend on infrastructure to charge their vehicles properly. Load reduction, broken chargers, limited coverage. These things are real, everyday concerns.
Partnerships That Make Sense
That’s why I paid attention when BYD mentioned partnerships with Eskom and Absa. Not because it magically fixes everything, but because it shows they understand the problem is bigger than the car. Selling vehicles without helping build the ecosystem around them just does not work here.
Will BYD win Car of the Year? Honestly, no idea. The judges don’t hand out favours, and they will test these cars properly.
But that’s not important to me.
The bigger takeaway for me is this. The “let’s wait and see” phase for Chinese EVs and hybrids in South Africa is done. These cars have moved past their status as novelties which people used to discuss. They’re being judged seriously, on the same terms as everything else.
And the fact that BYD is already sitting at that table tells you a lot about where things are headed.
