GWM HISTORY

GWM (Great Wall Motor) is a global intelligent technology company with operations spanning the entire automotive value chain, including design, research and development, manufacturing, sales, and service of vehicles and automotive components.

Committed to sustainable mobility, GWM actively advances green travel solutions and has made strategic investments in hydrogen energy and solar power. The company continues to strengthen its capabilities in intelligent connectivity, autonomous driving, and automotive chip development, driving the long-term evolution of smart and sustainable mobility worldwide.

GWM'S JOURNEY OF INNOVATION, GROWTH AND GLOBAL IMPACT

Great Wall Motors (GWM) officially entered the African market in March 2007, launching its first shipment of single-cab and double-cab bakkies in South Africa. Since then, the Chinese automaker has expanded its regional presence across the continent, operating through wholly-owned subsidiaries and unified brand networks.

Eighteen years later, that commitment has grown into a global story of progress, intelligent mobility and trusted performance. And this is only the beginning.

2025 | March

March 2025 marked the launch of the TANK 300 Diesel, combining rugged performance and SUV luxury for African drivers.

More about our history

1993 | March

GWM produced its first car.

1993 | October

Annual output of GWM exceeded 10,000 units, and five pickups with four chassis and different specifications were launched. GWM became the manufacturer with the largest variety of pickups in China.

2002 | May

GWM launched Safe SUV, the first economic SUV in China. The vehicle ranked among the top 3 in the Chinese SUV market, creating the "Safe Phenomenon".

2006 | July

GWM won the title of "China's Top 500 Machinery Manufacturers".

2011 | November

HAVAL H6, the "national legendary car" was officially launched globally.

2014 | November

GWM emphasized its SUV strategy with the launch of the HAVAL H9, H1, and H2 models, completing the HAVAL SUV product lineup. The brand showcased 8 HAVAL models at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition in April. By October, the HAVAL H2 achieved sales exceeding 10,000 units in a single month, ranking among the top five best-selling SUVs.

2015 - 2019

HAVAL launched in Australia, South Africa, Eurasia, Ecuador, Chile, Saudi Arabia and other markets.

2020

In 2020, GWM boosted the increase in sales volume against the market, selling 1,111,598 vehicles for the year, completing 109% of the goal, and once again becoming the national SUV and pickup sales champion.