Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa - July 3. Witnessed by high-level officials from both China and South Africa, Chery Auto officially inaugurated the Rosslyn Plant. Originally built in 1963, this long-established automobile manufacturing plant has been revitalized under Chery Auto's stewardship, marking the company's transition from an importer to a local manufacturer in South Africa and a strategic move in its global expansion.

Paul Mashatile (South African Deputy President ), Panyaza Lesufi (Premier of Gauteng Province), Nasiphi Moya (Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane), Wu Peng (Ambassador of China to South Africa), along with Yin Tongyue (Chairman of Chery Auto), Zhang Guibing (Executive Vice President of Chery Auto), Zhang Shengshan (Vice President of Chery Auto), and approximately 350 other guests attended the ceremony, jointly witnessing this significant moment in China-Africa automotive industry cooperation.

Launch ceremony of Chery Auto's Rosslyn Plant in South Africa

Retaining All 692 Employees and Generating Nearly 3,000 Jobs

The opening of the Rosslyn Plant marks another significant milestone in Chery Auto's globalization journey. Yin Tongyue said: "According to the concept of 'In somewhere, For somewhere, Be somewhere', no matter where it invests, Chery Auto will try its best to integrate into the local economy, local community and the future of this country in every market it enters."

Yin Tongyue, Chairman of Chery Automobile Co., Ltd., delivers remarks

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.

Where and why, fully integrate into local industry and society

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.

Chairman Yin Tongyue introduces exhibits to South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile

The Rosslyn Plant project will become a new model of mutual benefit and win-win international cooperation for Chery Auto, and a new benchmark for industrial global expansion from "global  product" to "full value chain and full ecological global expansion", with deep participation in regional industrial construction.

As a key component of Chery Auto's smart ecosystem, AiMOGA Robotics deployed its humanoid robot Mornine to team up with the host for on-site interactions, while its robotic dog Argos also provided intelligent services at the ecosystem exhibition area. Leveraging Chery Auto's global business footprint, AiMOGA robots have been rolled out for practical application in more than 50 countries and over 100 real-world scenarios worldwide.

Guests interact with the robotic dog

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.

"Deep Localization" will yield rewards: Chery Auto among South Africa's fastest-growing automotive brands

Since entering the South African market in 2021, Chery Auto has become one of the fastest-growing automotive brands here. From January to May this year, Chery Group ranked second in the industry for deliveries in South Africa, second only to Toyota.

Currently, Chery Group has established a complete brand matrix in South Africa, offering multi-powertrain products, including ICE, hybrid, and battery electric.

CHERY Brand, the eponymous main brand under Chery Group, has a business presence in more than 120 countries and regions worldwide, with over 4.5 million users globally. Guided by the globalization philosophy of "In Somewhere, For Somewhere, Be Somewhere" and the For Family brand value proposition, CHERY Brand is committed to becoming the automotive brand of choice for family-oriented users worldwide.

In the South African market, CHERY Brand has continued to optimize its product line-up around the mobility needs of local families, building a stable market reputation. In 2025, CHERY Brand expanded its national dealer network in South Africa to 150 stores, covering major cities and regional markets across the country, allowing more consumers to conveniently experience CHERY Brand's products and services. CHERY Brand's sales have remained among the top ten in South Africa, making it one of the most outstanding brands in the local automotive market and maintaining strong growth momentum for consecutive years. In the third quarter of 2026, the all-new battery electric model CHERY Q will officially enter South Africa, while TIGGO V, designed for all-scenario family use, will also be officially launched, further enriching CHERY Brand's product matrix in South Africa.