After 60 years Nissan sells up in South Africa as Chery acquires Rosslyn Plant
The Nissan plant in Rosslyn has been sold to Chinese manufacturer Chery.
Image: Timothy Bernard/African News Agency (ANA)
Nissan and Chinese manufacturer Chery SA have reached an agreement on the acquisition of Nissan’s manufacturing assets in Rosslyn, outside Pretoria, South Africa.
This means that after nearly 60 years of Nissan production in South Africa, the company now becomes a vehicle importer only.
Currently the Nissan plant manufactures the Nissan Navara.
Subject to the fulfilment of certain conditions, including regulatory approvals, Chery SA will purchase the land, buildings and associated assets of the Nissan facilities, including its nearby stamping plant, in mid-2026.
Responding to queries, a Chery SA said the company had no comment as yet, but promised to respond once the deal had been concluded.
Employee stability
According to a statement released by Nissan SA on Friday, the agreement will see the majority of associated Nissan employees offered employment by Chery SA on substantially similar terms and conditions as currently.
Jordi Vila, Nissan Africa President, said: “Nissan has a long and proud history in South Africa and has been working to find the best solution for our people, our customers and our partners. External factors have had a well-known impact on the utilisation of the Rosslyn plant and its future viability within Nissan.
“Through this agreement we’re able to secure employment for the majority of our workforce thereby also preserving opportunities for our supplier network. This move also ensures that the Rosslyn site will continue contributing to the South African automotive sector.”
Alternative sought
When the Nissan NP 200 stopped production at the plant in March 2024 there were plans to build a replacement vehicle but geo-political turmoil in Western Europe put an end to that.
Since then Nissan has been looking at alternatives to produce a vehicle alongside the Navara to keep the plant financially viable.
After months of speculation about the plant's future, the sale has now been confirmed.
End of the line for Navara
According to General Manager Communication Brand and Customer Experience Nissan Africa Rami Mohareb, they are looking at ending production of the Navara towards the end of May.
The Navara will now more than likely be imported from Thailand although he said it was too early to speculate whether this would have an effect on pricing.
He added that depending on the circumstances the deal is likely to be concluded towards the end of quarter two/beginning of quarter three.
Following the acquisition of the plant by Chery SA, Nissan will continue to offer vehicles and services to customers in South Africa, as before, with several new vehicle launches planned for 2026 including the Nissan Tekton and Nissan Patrol.