Subject to the fulfilment of certain conditions, including regulatory approvals, Chery SA will buy the land, buildings and associated assets of the Nissan facilities, including of its nearby stamping plant, in mid-2026.
The agreement will see most associated Nissan employees offered employment by Chery SA on substantially similar terms and conditions as today.
FEATURE IMAGE: Nissan SA manufactured and sold more than 275 000 units of the Nissan 1400 bakkie by the time that production was halted in 2008. In the photo, a special Heritage Edition version is shown at the celebrations.
Nissan sales have been flagging for some time, and in 2025 sold only 18 522 passenger vehicles and bakkies – dropping to eleventh place in the sales rankings. Ten manufacturers sold more units than Nissan in 2025, including Hyundai, Isuzu (that only sells bakkies), and the Chinese brands GWM Haval and Chery (excluding sales of the JAECOO and OMODA brands that ranked fourteenth in sales).
Chery sold 31 008 units in 2025, ranking 8th. Its sister brands of OMODA and JAECOO ranked 14th with 14 598 units sold. The three bands had combined sales of 45 606 units. For some perspective, Hyundai sold 45 088 units and Ford 43 271.
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It is not yet clear which models from the Chery group will be manufactured in the old Nissan plant, although there is speculation that it will be the new Chery Himla bakkie that is expected here in the last quarter of the year, as the Navara had been manufactured there.
The closing of this plant marks the end of an era. Nissan – then known as Datsun – was part of the Japanese onslaught on the South African car market in the 1960s. The factory, Motor Assemblies, was taken over by Toyota at the end of 1964, manufacturing models from various brands. Under the name Rosslyn Motor Assemblers, the plant was opened for mainly production of Datsun models. In 1973 the name changed to Datsun Nissan South Africa Ltd. In 1983 the name changed to Nissan SA.
Through the years, the plant also manufactured various models for the Alfa Romeo, Rambler, Renault, Peugeot, Citroën, and Fiat brands.
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“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,” said Jordi Vila, president of Nissan Africa. “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 can secure employment for most 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.”
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.
