New era for Chinese cars in South Africa

Chery, China’s top car exporter, agreed to buy Nissan’s vehicle-manufacturing plant in South Africa soon after it grew to become the second-biggest vehicle retailer locally.

The Chinese carmaker will buy the land, buildings and associated assets of Nissan facilities in Rosslyn, Pretoria, including the nearby stamping plant that’s used to make body parts such as doors, it said in a statement.

The transaction will take place in mid-2026, subject to conditions.

The move is the latest — and most significant — marker of Chinese auto manufacturers’ growing presence in South Africa, the largest economy on the continent.

That comes at the cost of more established players from Japan, the US and Europe, which have lost market share to cheaper imports from China and India.

Due to an agreement with Chery, Nissan would not to disclose the value of the transaction, it said. 

Chery overtook Suzuki as the second-biggest passenger-car seller in South Africa in December, just four years after re-entering the market.