What Nissan Selling to Chery Says About South Africa's Auto Future
When Nissan confirmed in January 2026 that it had agreed to sell its Rosslyn manufacturing facility in Pretoria to China's Chery, the headlines focused on the transaction itself. They should have been focused on what it represents: sixty years of Japanese industrial presence in South Africa, quietly folded into the expanding footprint of Chinese automotive ambition. The Rosslyn plant opened in…
Nissan's decision to sell its Rosslyn manufacturing facility in Pretoria to China's Chery has significant implications for South Africa's automotive future. The facility, which opened in 1966, represented a crucial anchor investment that shaped local supply chains and employed thousands of people. However, by 2024, production had dwindled to around 17,000 units annually, with the Navara being the sole model left after the discontinuation of the NP200 bakkie in 2023.
This sale signifies the quiet folding of Japanese industrial presence into China's expanding automotive ambitions, marking the end of a significant era in South Africa's industrial history.
Brief written by urgent.news from IOL's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
