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Car trackers for an MG: built-in tracking and theft risk for the ZS and HS

No MG sold in South Africa has built-in tracking. MG’s “My MG” owner page covers service and maintenance, warranty, roadside assistance, the user manual and approved panel beaters, with no tracking service, and the ZS, ZS Pro and HS pages mention none.1,2,3,4 The MG iSMART ZA app lets you “remotely check the status of your car”, but it describes no way to find a stolen one.5

Checked on 28 October 2026 against MG Motor South Africa’s My MG, roadside and model pages, the MG3 specification sheet, and the MG iSMART ZA app listing.

MGs in South Africa, at a glance
ModelFactory trackingKeyless entry and startImmobiliserAlarm
MG3None6Push-button start on all four trims; keyless entry on the two Luxury trims6All four trims6Perimeter alarm, all four trims6
ZSNone2Not listed; two remote keys2Both trims2Not listed2
ZS ProNone3Both trims3Both trims3Perimeter alarm, both trims3
HSNone4Smart key on all four trims4All four trims4Doors, tailgate and bonnet, all four trims4

Does MG have built-in tracking?

Not on the cars MG sells here. Its South African owner page, My MG, has sections for service and maintenance, warranty, roadside assistance, the user manual and MG-approved panel beaters, and no app or connected service.1 The ZS Pro’s page speaks of “a refined and connected driving experience”, but what it lists under that is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.3

There is an MG app in South Africa, MG iSMART ZA, which its App Store listing describes as “an intelligent connectivity system that integrates communication between driver, car, and the internet”. It “enables you to remotely check the status of your car”, and “app functions depend on the MG model used”.5 Neither the listing nor MG South Africa’s pages say which models sold here work with it, and none of them describes live tracking or a recovery service, so don’t count it as a tracker.

The launch reviews mention none of it. Cars.co.za’s review of the ZS and HS in January 2025, and of the ZS Pro in October 2025, mention no app, connected services or tracker.7,8 MG’s round-the-clock service is roadside assistance, which “supports you and your vehicle for the period of your MG Motor’s warranty”, 24 hours a day; it helps with a breakdown, not a theft.9

Are MGs targeted in South Africa?

No MG is on the lists we checked: Fidelity’s for 2025 and 2026, King Price’s top 10 for 2026 and AutoTrader’s 2026 ranking.10,11,12,13 We also found no report of how MGs are stolen here. An MG still has no way of reporting where it is if it is taken, so the case for a tracker rests on recovery and on what your insurer asks for, not on a list.

MG3

The MG3 starts from R269 900.14 Its specification sheet has four trims, the Comfort 1.5 manual and CVT and the Luxury 1.5 CVT and hybrid. All four list vehicle anti-theft, immobilisation, a perimeter alarm system and push-button start; the keyless entry system is on the two Luxury trims only. The hybrid lists “GPS”, but under convenience features: it is navigation, not tracking, and no trim has an app, telematics or tracking line.6

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MG ZS and ZS Pro

MG sells the ZS and the ZS Pro as separate models. The ZS comes as the 1.5 automatic Comfort and Luxury, both with an engine immobiliser, remote and speed-sensitive central locking and two remote keys. Its specification table lists neither keyless entry nor an alarm.2

The ZS Pro, a 1.5 turbo with a CVT in Comfort and Luxury trim, goes further: a keyless entry system, push-button start and two folding remote keys, with anti-theft, immobilisation and a perimeter alarm system as standard on both.3

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MG HS

The HS has four versions: the 1.5 turbo with a dual-clutch gearbox and the 2.0 turbo automatic, each in Comfort and Luxury trim. All four have a smart key, a keyless entry system, one-button start and a remote control key. Under “Safety & Antitheft” they list immobilisation, a four-door and tailgate alarm system and a hood alarm system, and nothing that tracks the car.4

Get tracker quotes for an HS

Keyless or remote: the risk to each MG

The ZS Pro, HS and the Luxury MG3s are keyless; the ZS and the Comfort MG3s use remote keys. Both kinds of key work by signal, and Safire Insurance warns about each. Remote jamming, it says, uses “devices that interfere with the signal from a vehicle’s remote key”, and “criminals may also exploit keyless entry systems”.15 On the ZS, check that the car has actually locked before you walk away. On the ZS Pro, HS and a Luxury MG3, keep the key where its signal can’t be read; our guide to keyless car theft explains how.

What to fit to an MG

A tracker with a recovery service, since MG offers no way to find a car that has been taken. It may also help with the premium: Dialdirect’s FAQ says a tracker lowers the risk of theft, “which means we can offer more affordable car insurance”.16

Our deals start from R99pm for a wireless recovery unit, or R149pm for a full insurance-approved tracker. Free installation, 36-month contract.

Choose your ZS, ZS Pro or HS in the form to see the deals for it.

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Questions people ask

Does the MG ZS have a tracker?

Not from the factory. MG South Africa lists an engine immobiliser and remote central locking on the ZS, but no tracking, so a tracker has to be fitted.

Is there an MG app in South Africa?

Yes, MG iSMART ZA. You register your MG in it to check the car’s status remotely, and what it can do depends on the model. MG South Africa doesn’t say which models it supports, and it isn’t described as tracking.

Does the MG HS have an alarm?

Yes. All four HS versions list a four-door and tailgate alarm system and a hood alarm system, along with immobilisation.

Sources

  1. MG Motor South Africa, “My MG”, updated 12 October 2026. mgmotor.co.za
  2. MG Motor South Africa, “MG ZS”, updated 12 October 2026. mgmotor.co.za
  3. MG Motor South Africa, “MG ZS Pro”, updated 12 October 2026. mgmotor.co.za
  4. MG Motor South Africa, “MG HS”, updated 12 October 2026. mgmotor.co.za
  5. Apple App Store, “MG iSMART ZA (developer: SAIC MOTOR Overseas Intelligent Mobility Technology Co., Ltd.)”, version date not shown (read 28 October 2026). apps.apple.com
  6. MG Motor South Africa, “The New MG3 specification sheet”, correct as of December 2025. mgmotor.co.za
  7. Cars.co.za, “MG ZS and HS (2025) launch review”, 31 January 2025. cars.co.za
  8. Cars.co.za, “MG ZS Pro (2025) launch review”, 20 October 2025. cars.co.za
  9. MG Motor South Africa, “Roadside assistance”, no date shown (read 27 October 2026). mgmotor.co.za
  10. BusinessTech, quoting Fidelity Services Group, “9 cars hijackers are targeting in South Africa in 2025, with 4 new additions”, 3 February 2025. businesstech.co.za
  11. BusinessTech, quoting Fidelity ADT, “8 cars hijackers are targeting in South Africa, with one new addition”, 9 February 2026. businesstech.co.za
  12. King Price Insurance, “Most hijacked cars in South Africa (2026 crime statistics)”, 4 March 2026, last reviewed 28 April 2026. blog.kingprice.co.za
  13. Auto Trader SA, “SA’s most-hijacked car brands: the 2026 risk report”, 15 April 2026. autotrader.co.za
  14. MG Motor South Africa, “MG3”, no date shown (read 28 October 2026). mgmotor.co.za
  15. Safire Insurance, “Vehicle theft alert”, 21 October 2026. safireinsurance.com
  16. Dialdirect, “FAQ”, no date shown. dialdirect.co.za