In the first half of 2026, China exported 325,000 used cars, or US$7.6 billion, a year-on-year increase of +61%/+54%. When everyone is staring at Russia's top spot of 61,000 vehicles, few people notice that Africa has quietly become the number one intercontinental market for used cars in China.

I. African qualifying: The top three all entered the top ten in the world

Let's first look at the complete map of the world's top ten in the first half of the year: Russia ranked first with 61,000 vehicles,Nigeria ranked second with 43,000 vehicles, and Kyrgyzstan ranked third with 30,000 vehicles, followed by Kazakhstan, Vietnam, United Arab Emirates, Ghana, Cambodia, Uzbekistan, and Kenya. The top ten together consume 78% of total exports.

How strong is Africa? In the top 10 list, Africa has a full three seats:

More critical is the structure: the top ten countries are distributed in the four major sectors of Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. Policy fluctuations in any market cannot hurt the market. Africa has changed from an optional option to a must-have option.

2. The main battlefield in West Africa: the size of Nigeria + the speed of Ghana

Nigeria is the most unique market on the entire map.

The population exceeds 200 million, and the annual demand for imported used cars is about 1 million. Used cars account for more than 90% of car imports, and the consumption ratio of new cars to used cars is about 1:4. Without a scrapping system, vehicles naturally flow to the market-this is the confidence of China's first target market for used cars.

Look at the product structure: More than 80% of West Africa's logistics relies on roads, and the demand for second-hand heavy trucks is extremely strong. In 2025, China exported 4352 second-hand heavy trucks to Nigeria, a year-on-year increase of +187.8%, and exceeded 3600 units in the first four months of this year. Under the same operating conditions, the price of a domestically produced heavy truck is only one-third of that of a used European car. The accessories can keep up, the after-sales system is being built, and the acceptance is visibly improved. Pickups are also phenomenal-second-hand Great Wall Cannon and Jiangling Tiger, which once became popular models on local streets.

Ghana is synonymous with speed.

The size is only one-third that of Nigeria, but the growth rate of +290% ranks the top ten markets. Why? Core one: Ghana implements zero tariffs on used new energy vehicles. A large number of second-hand economic pure electricity is being exported to the country, directly promoting the electrification of local online ride-hailing-a domestically produced pure electricity with a battery life of 400 kilometers and a smart cockpit cannot buy any Japanese car with a reversing image at the same price.

Don't forget the dark lines in West Africa: Cotonou, Benin, Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, two low-tariff transit ports. Goods entering the port first and then re-exporting to Nigeria and the interior of West Africa is the optimal cost solution and a mature game played by West African traders.

3. East and North Africa: one fulcrum, two layers

There is only one fulcrum in East Africa: Kenya.

Mombasa Port is a distribution center in East Africa, and more than 70% of used cars are re-exported to Uganda and Tanzania. However, there is a hard threshold for entry: right rudder  + vehicle age no more than 8 years.

When North Africa looks at Egypt and Algeria, the logic is completely different.

Egypt's consumption stratification is obvious: the mid-to-low-end models are available in the range of 50,000 - 80,000, and the high-end market prefers quasi-new smart trams that are within 3 years old-NIO and BYD high-end models are highly sought after in the local area. In Algeria, the same model is used in batches: dealers tend to import the same model in batches, and second-hand Geely Emgrand and Chery Ariza 5 are hot models and are suitable for volume-type car dealers.

Ethiopia is another special variable: used cars account for about 85% of its car imports and are promoting the transformation of new energy, with used commercial electric vehicles being a breakthrough in differentiation.

4. Financial model: How to make Africa's money

If you calculate the accounts clearly, the appeal of Africa will be on the table:

New energy vs fuel

The average FOB price of new energy used cars is about 30% higher than that of fuel vehicles, and the gross profit can reach 1.5-2 times that of fuel vehicles. Africa's new energy penetration rate is extremely low, but policy-friendly countries such as Ghana and Ethiopia are opening up gaps.

Volume vs profit

Micro pure electricity (Hongguang MINIEV, BYD Dolphin) is the main force in Central Asia and Southeast Asia. In Africa, it is mid-to-low-end fuel vehicles that carry volume and high-end new energy that carry profits-Egypt's NIO and BYD high-end are typical high-margin categories.

The other side of cost

Most countries in Africa have almost zero charging infrastructure, and the export ceiling of new energy used vehicles depends on the speed of charging networks. Enjoy policy dividends in the short term, strive for supporting facilities in the medium term, and strive for after-sales services in the long term.

written in the end

At African tables, the Japanese have dominated the tables for decades, not because of how good the cars are, but because of a car-dismantling parts supply and maintenance ecosystem that has been in operation for decades. If China cars want to enter this card table, the weapon is not price war, but younger car age, more transparent testing, and fledgling after-sales.

Source: Xiong Yu, digital automobile export

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