PRETORIA, Gauteng — The official launch of Chery’s South Africa manufacturing plant marks a transformative era for the nation’s automotive landscape. Transitioning from a purely import-based operation to a localized production powerhouse, the Chinese automaker has officially assumed control of the historic Rosslyn facility in Pretoria. This multi-billion-rand acquisition, finalized after three years of complex negotiations, not only rescues a site with a 60-year legacy under Nissan but also injects new life into the country’s industrial sector with sweeping economic promises.
Job Creation at the Historic Nissan Rosslyn Facility
The acquisition guarantees the continued employment of the roughly 700 to 900 workers who were previously on Nissan’s payroll, ending a three-year period of deep uncertainty for the workforce. However, the expansion goes far beyond merely retaining the current staff.
Charlie Zhang, Vice President of Chery Auto, announced that the company’s immediate target is to generate nearly 3,000 direct job opportunities. Zhang emphasized that this figure does not include the multitude of indirect jobs that will ripple through the manufacturing, supply chain, and service sectors in the coming years.
Outlining the brand’s long-term vision, Zhang stated that the Rosslyn site is slated to evolve into a comprehensive automotive hub. This expansion will integrate research, training, and supply chain operations, with a strategic goal of surpassing 100,000 annual vehicle sales within the domestic market. As part of this localized rollout, the JU J5 is expected to be among the very first models rolled off the new production lines.
For the workforce, the takeover is a profound relief. Masimo Mahane, an employee representative, captured the emotional weight of the transition. He noted that Rosslyn is far more than a physical factory; it is a foundational space where generations of workers have built careers, honed their skills, and forged lifelong friendships that have driven the success of the local automotive sector. While acknowledging the natural uncertainty that accompanies such massive corporate shifts, Mahane framed the transition as a vital opportunity for renewal and growth.
Government Targets and the Automotive Master Plan
The plant’s inauguration was headlined by Deputy President Paul Mashatile, who characterized the massive foreign direct investment as a vital glimmer of hope for a nation grappling with unemployment.
Mashatile closely aligned the Chery investment with the government’s ambitious Automotive Master Plan. The national blueprint sets aggressive benchmarks for the sector, aiming to elevate domestic production to over 1.4 million units—capturing roughly 1% of total global output. Additionally, the plan seeks to boost local content utilization to 60%, double overall industry employment, facilitate a transition to new energy vehicles by 2035, and integrate new enterprises into the existing value chain.
Addressing industry stakeholders, the Deputy President acknowledged the frustrations of existing original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) who have threatened to exit the market. He assured them that the government is actively working to improve critical infrastructure, streamline service delivery, and combat crime to ensure that both legacy and new automakers remain committed to the country.
Labor Unions Demand Genuine Industrialization Over Assembly
While the influx of capital is broadly celebrated, it has ignited a critical national debate regarding the depth of foreign automotive investments. Phakamile Hlubi-Majola, spokesperson for the Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA)—a union representing 79,000 workers in the retail motor sector—welcomed the broader entry of Chinese brands. He pointed to a massive recent surge in local dealerships and vehicle sales as proof that the retail motor industry is thriving due to this new market presence.
However, Hlubi-Majola posed a critical question for the country’s economic future: Will South Africans actually manufacture the future of mobility, or merely assemble it?
To prevent the nation from devolving into a simple assembly line, MISA is urging the government to impose strict localization conditions on foreign investors. Hlubi-Majola pointed to the Turkish market as a prime example, noting that Chinese EV giant BYD committed over $1 billion USD to a plant there alongside binding localization agreements.
MISA’s core demands include the mandatory local production of vehicle components, robust skills development programs, genuine local manufacturing, and strict adherence to South African labor laws and practices.
The urgency for these protective measures is underscored by warnings from NARCAM, the national automotive component manufacturers association. Component employers have raised the alarm that an unregulated flood of cheap Chinese parts is already devastating the local supply chain, forcing some domestic component factories to shut their doors completely. Hlubi-Majola stressed that the true engine for job creation lies in component manufacturing, urging the government to mitigate the risks of product dumping and ensure that the new manufacturing era delivers deep, sustainable benefits to the local industrial ecosystem.