Chery Auto has officially inaugurated its Rosslyn Plant in South Africa, marking a major milestone in the company’s global expansion strategy and its transition from an importer to a local vehicle manufacturer in one of Africa’s most important automotive markets. The inauguration ceremony was attended by senior government officials from both South Africa and China, underscoring the strategic significance of the investment and the growing collaboration between the two countries in the automotive sector.
Originally established in 1963, the Rosslyn Plant has been revitalized under Chery Auto’s stewardship, paving the way for localized vehicle production while reinforcing the company’s long-term commitment to the South African market.
Among the dignitaries present at the event were South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane Nasiphi Moya, Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Wu Peng, as well as Chery Auto Chairman Yin Tongyue, Executive Vice President Zhang Guibing, Vice President Zhang Shengshan, and nearly 350 invited guests.
The inauguration represents another key milestone in Chery Auto’s international growth journey as the automaker continues to strengthen its manufacturing footprint beyond China. By establishing local production in South Africa, the company aims to enhance operational efficiency, support regional economic development, and better serve customers across the African continent.
Speaking at the inauguration, Yin Tongyue, Chairman of Chery Auto, reiterated the company’s localization philosophy, stating, “According to the concept of ‘In somewhere, For somewhere, Be somewhere’, no matter where it invests, Chery Auto will strive to integrate into the local economy, local community, and the future of every country it enters.”
The Rosslyn Plant is expected to play a pivotal role in Chery Auto’s African growth strategy, supporting increased production capacity, job creation, technology transfer, and deeper collaboration with local suppliers while reinforcing the company’s commitment to sustainable, long-term development in the region.
The Rosslyn Plant was acquired by Chery Auto from a foreign company. Chery Auto promised to retain all 692 employees in the factory and will drive nearly 3,000 jobs upstream and downstream of the industrial chain. The factory will be fully upgraded and renovated, and is scheduled to be officially put into production in the middle of next year. After full production, the annual production capacity will reach 50,000 vehicles per shift. At present, Chery Auto has launched an extensive localization plan, striving to achieve the initial goal of a 40% localization rate by 2028.
Chery Auto’s positioning of the Rosslyn Plant is to build it into a comprehensive automotive hub integrating R&D, manufacturing, supply chain, skills training and global radiation. At the same time, Chery Auto plans to build South Africa into Chery’s regional operation center in southern Africa, starting with the opening of the Rosslyn Plant.
With the opening of the Rosslyn Plant, Chery Auto has also for the first time fully laid out the entire industrial chain ecology in Africa-from raw materials to terminal products, and then to renewable energy cycles. The diversified industrial layout covers passenger cars, commercial vehicles, smart agricultural machinery, renewable energy photovoltaics, mineral resources, robots and circular economy.
At the same time, Chery Auto announced that it will rely on the “Cherish the Nature” global cooperation framework with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to launch a cooperation project in key nature reserves in South Africa to systematically promote biodiversity protection, ecosystem restoration and community livelihood improvement.
As one of the most important partners of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Chery Auto has pledged to donate $12 million to support global education projects since 2023, especially supporting UNICEF’s science and innovation education projects in South Africa. Chery Auto supported programming and robotics courses are being rolled out across South Africa to help prepare South African students for future careers.
Chery Group has established a comprehensive brand portfolio in South Africa, ranking second in the industry in sales from January to May this year, trailing only Toyota. LEPAS, a all-new mid-to-premium brand rooted in an elegant lifestyle, has officially entered the South African market, marking its debut in Africa. Leveraging Chery Group’s well-established dealer network and service system in the region, LEPAS is rapidly integrating into the local market, bringing South African consumers a new choice for elegant mobility with its three core values: Leopard Aesthetics, Elegant Technology, and Exquisite Space.
The brand’s latest model, the LEPAS L6, is set to launch in South Africa in the near future, offering even broader choices for local customers. As a key component of Chery Group’s brand strategy in South Africa, LEPAS will continue to support the Group’s deep-rooted growth and high-quality development in the market with a clear brand positioning and a steady product cadence.
