Nissan has officially handed over the keys to its Rosslyn production plant in Pretoria to Chinese automotive giant Chery, marking the end of more than 60 years of manufacturing in South Africa.
In January, the Japanese carmaker announced that it had agreed to hand over its bakkie factory and adjacent stamping facility to Chery, with the purchase approved by the Competition Commission.
“Nissan and Chery SA have reached agreement on the acquisition of Nissan’s manufacturing assets in Rosslyn, South Africa,” Nissan said at the time.
“Subject to the fulfilment of certain conditions, including regulatory approvals, Chery SA will purchase the land, buildings and associated assets of the Nissan facilities in mid-2026.”
The purchase went through, and Chery moved into the facility in July, before laying out its plans for the facility going forward.
While Nissan has confirmed its commitment to staying in South Africa and selling its models locally, its manufacturing days are over.
According to Combined Motor Holdings’ (CMH’s) annual reports, structural changes from the manufacturer began to severely disrupt its sales volumes, including the discontinuation of popular bakkies.
Nissan stopped production of the NP300 Hardbody years ago and, in 2024, stopped producing the well-priced half-ton NP200, models that once comprised nearly half of the brand’s sales.
According to the Automotive Business Council (Naamsa), March 2025 was the last time the Japanese carmaker outsold Chery in our market.
Nissan managed 2,303 sales compared to the Chinese badge’s 1,902. Following that final victory, Chery has dominated Nissan’s local numbers and last month outsold it by 2,105 units – 604 for Nissan to Chery’s 2,709.
The Navara builder has also seen its exports follow the same route, shipping 1,335 models a year ago, compared to last month’s 132, a 90% decline in 12 months. Before long, its total exports will reach zero.
The Chinese giant replacing Nissan in South Africa
During the official opening of Chery’s manufacturing facility, the Chinese giant confirmed that the first units are expected to roll off its assembly line by mid-2027.
It added that it plans to produce 50,000 units per annum once the site is running at full capacity.
Chery also retained all of Nissan’s 692 former employees, and expects to create 3,000 new direct jobs at the site and thousands more indirectly.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi welcomed this decision as well as the brand’s long-term vision and commitment to manufacturing, innovation, localisation, skills development and sustainability in South Africa.
“We appreciate the succession of nearly 700 employees who carry with them decades of experience. This is a firm commitment that you are here to stay,” he said.
Chery confirmed that its long-term vision is to develop its local plant into a comprehensive automotive space that will house R&D, supply chain operations, and skills development.
It hopes to evolve the plant into an automotive and industrial ecosystem that will serve as its manufacturing hub for the continent.
All of this is in service of the brand’s goal of surpassing 100,000 annual sales in South Africa.
Since then, the Chinese carmaker has confirmed that it is looking at manufacturing cars across its family of brands, including Jetour and Jaecoo.
Among the models slated for local production are the widely popular adventure SUVs, the Jetour T1 and T2, as well as the Jaecoo J5, the Chery Tiggo Cross and the Lepas L4.
The only Chery brand without a model to be built in South Africa is Omoda, although a brand representative did confirm that the C5 or the upcoming C4 could be on the cards for future production.
Following confirmation that the carmaker will be bringing its bakkies to our shores, many are hopeful that they will also be manufactured here – something Chery’s management has hinted at before.
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