China’s Chery group has officially taken ownership of the former Nissan assembly plant in Rosslyn, Tshwane.

The car maker consists of the Jetour, Lepas, Chery, Jaecoo, iCaur and Lepas brands.

Last year, Chery’s Tiggo 4 Pro became South Africa’s best-selling passenger car.

Chery says the next year will see the group invest in upgrading the more than 60-year-old plant’s facilities and utilities, with initial production expected to start in the middle of next year.

During the ramp-up period in the last six months of 2027, planned production is estimated at 15 000 units.

Production will start with the Tiggo 4, with the Jetour T-series and Jaecoo J5 also on the roster for local assembly.

The facility has a yearly production capacity of 50 000 vehicles.

Chery has committed to retaining 692 of Nissan’s existing employees to ensure operational continuity, while it has also promised to create nearly 3 000 direct and indirect jobs across the manufacturing, supply chain and services functions.

The company says it has launched a localisation programme through initial engagement with local Tier 1 parts suppliers as it works towards achieving a 40% localisation target by 2028.

This could include attracting China-based suppliers to South Africa.

Chery says its long-term vision is to develop the facility into a comprehensive automotive hub encompassing research and development, supply-chain operations, and skills development.

“At Chery, we live by one philosophy: In Somewhere, For Somewhere, Be Somewhere,” said Chery Automobile Company chairperson, president, and founder Yin Tongyue as his company took ownership of the Pretoria facility.

“It means wherever we invest, we commit. We become part of the local economy, part of the community, part of the country’s future.

“We have moved from being an importer to a manufacturer, and from a market participant to a long-term partner in South Africa’s industrial story.”

Chery has the long-term ambition to sell more than 100 000 vehicles a year in South Africa, which, if achieved, and considering the current sales leaderboard, could see it slot in at number two in the local market.

Toyota currently leads the local market, selling a record 148 124 vehicles last year, with Suzuki in second place and Volkswagen in third, both at less than 100 000 units a year.

Chery’s industrial portfolio includes passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, smart agricultural machinery, green photovoltaics, mineral resources, robotics, and the circular economy.

Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Wuhu, the group’s business spans more than 130 countries, and it has ranked number one among Chinese-brand passenger vehicle exporters for 23 consecutive years.