A landmark handover in Rosslyn has given one of South Africa’s best-known vehicle plants a fresh industrial future. Chery has formally taken over the Pretoria facility previously owned by Nissan, preserving hundreds of skilled jobs while preparing for local production and a much larger South African manufacturing footprint.
The transition matters because the Rosslyn plant has been part of the country’s automotive story since 1963. According to The Citizen’s report on the handover, Chery will retain 692 workers from the existing workforce. The company also plans to create another 3,000 jobs through a major upgrade of the facility and is targeting 40% local content, a goal that could open additional opportunities for component makers and service providers.
From importer to local manufacturer
The move changes Chery’s role in South Africa from vehicle importer to local producer. The first vehicles from the renewed assembly line are expected in 2027, while the wider plan is to use South Africa as an African base for manufacturing, exports, research and development, and operations.
That ambition gives the investment significance beyond one factory. Local production links engineers, artisans, logistics companies and parts suppliers to a long value chain. A stronger local-content programme can also help smaller businesses build the quality systems, technical capacity and dependable order books needed to grow.
At the official celebration, Chery chairman Yin Tongyue described the company as a long-term partner in South Africa’s industrial development. Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi welcomed the continuity created by the transfer, particularly the retention of experienced employees and the continued productive use of a major industrial asset.
Investment connected to skills and inclusion
Deputy President Paul Mashatile said the milestone followed government engagement with Chery during a working visit to China in November 2023. In his address at the Rosslyn celebration, he linked the investment to skills development, local supply chains and the opportunity for young South Africans to enter technical careers.
Mashatile also highlighted the Automotive Industry Transformation Fund, which has supported more than 80 Black-owned businesses in the automotive value chain since 2021. That existing base gives local enterprises a pathway to participate as the Rosslyn plant expands and Chery works toward its localisation target.
South Africa already has a deep automotive manufacturing tradition and access to markets across the continent. Keeping the Rosslyn plant active protects that industrial capability, while the promised upgrades, jobs and supplier development offer a practical route to broaden its impact.
The handover is therefore more than a change of name above a factory gate. It is a vote of confidence in South African manufacturing and a platform on which workers, suppliers and the wider Tshwane economy can build.
This article was produced with AI assistance and editorially reviewed by Mzansi News Online.
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