The Chery Rosslyn vehicle manufacturing plant in Tshwane was officially opened on Friday, marking the Chinese brand’s transition from vehicle importer to local manufacturer in South Africa.The first vehicles are expected to roll off the assembly line by mid-2027, with a planned production volume of 15,000 units during the ramp-up period that year. Thereafter, the carmaker aims to reach an annual production volume of 50,000 units.In January, Nissan confirmed that Chery would acquire the 59-year-old factory which until May produced the Nissan Navara one-tonne bakkie for the local market and export. The Navara will in future be imported.Chery did not reveal the exact value of the investment but confirmed it was in the “hundreds of millions of dollars”. The firm will retain all 692 existing employees while creating nearly 3,000 direct and indirect jobs across manufacturing and the supply chain.The company will initially rely on imported components but has launched an extensive localisation programme.At the event, attended by Deputy President Paul Mashatile and other dignitaries, Chery said its long-term ambition was to exceed 100,000 annual vehicle sales in South Africa. The plant establishes the country as the brand’s African manufacturing, export, research and development headquarters. Chery’s acquisition of the factory makes it the third Chinese brand to manufacture vehicles in South Africa after BAIC opened a plant in Gqeberha in 2018 and Foton began building the Tunland G7 bakkie at the same plant in 2025.“At Chery, we live by one philosophy: ‘In Somewhere, For Somewhere, Be Somewhere.’ It means wherever we invest, we commit. We become part of the local economy, part of the community, part of the country’s future. Today proves that commitment. 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,” said Yin Tongyue, chair and founder of Chery Automobile, at the launch ceremony.The Chery Tiggo Cross will be one of the vehicles to be produced at the Rosslyn plant. (CHERY) The first South Africa-produced vehicles at the plant from the Chery Group will be the Jetour T-Series, the Jaecoo J5 and the Chery Tiggo Cross. At a later stage the KP31 one-tonne bakkie may be assembled there too if volumes justify it, said Charlie Zhang, VP of Chery Auto and executive VP of Chery International. The KP31 will be launched here as an import in the first quarter of 2027.The Jaecoo J5 will be produced in internal-combustion engine and new-energy vehicle (NEV) form.Jetour’s T-Series was launched here in October as an import and achieved instant popularity with buyers, selling more than 8,500 units to date. The T2 was also crowned SA’s 2026 Car of the Year by the Guild of Mobility Journalists.The Chery Tiggo Cross and its predecessor, the Tiggo 4 Pro, is the most popular Chinese vehicle in South Africa and the second best-selling passenger car.Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Wuhu, China, Chery had limited success in South Africa when it was first launched here in 2007 with the affordable but unrefined QQ3. It withdrew from the market in 2018 but returned three years later with a new line-up of better-quality but still well-priced vehicles, led by the Tiggo 4 Pro.Since its return, Chery South Africa has achieved significant growth and ranks as the second-largest passenger vehicle brand by sales this year.The group’s South African portfolio also includes the Omoda, Jaecoo, Jetour, iCur and Lepas brands spanning the passenger, SUV and new‑energy vehicle segments. Omoda has sold over 20,000 units since its local debut in 2023, currently offering the C5, C7 and C9 series alongside plug‑in hybrid SHS variants. Jaecoo entered the market in 2024, with the J7, J5 and J7 SHS plug‑in hybrid leading its line‑up.Jetour, also launched in 2024, made history when its T2 model became the first Chinese vehicle to win the South African Car of the Year award. iCAUR arrived this year with the all‑electric V23, which secured more than 300 orders in its first month.Lepas, also launched in 2026, is the group’s premium SUV brand, offering a choice of petrol, hybrid and all‑electric powertrains.“Chery’s entry into South Africa is not a short-term decision but a long-term commitment to the future. Moving from an importer to a manufacturer deepens our roots in this country,” Zhang said.