Chery inaugurated the Rosslyn plant in Pretoria as iCAUR enters South Africa, keeping 692 workers and targeting 50,000 vehicles a year, 3,000 supply-chain jobs and 40% localization by 2028.
Chery officially inaugurated the Rosslyn plant in Pretoria on July 5, advancing its South African manufacturing push as iCAUR, a brand under the group, expands in the local market. The company said it will retain all 692 current employees, target nearly 3,000 additional jobs across the supply chain and begin production in the middle of next year, with annual capacity planned at 50,000 vehicles on a single-shift basis when the site is fully operational. The plant, originally built in 1963, is being positioned as a broader automotive hub for research and development, manufacturing, supply chain operations, skills training and exports. Chery said it aims to reach an initial 40% localization rate by 2028, building on earlier plans to turn South Africa into an African base for regional operations. The inauguration also ties into iCAUR’s early commercial rollout in South Africa. The iCAUR V23 launched in the country on May 28 and received more than 300 orders in its first month, according to the company. In June, iCAUR teamed up with Red Bull for a concert event that drew more than 5,000 attendees as it sought to build brand awareness ahead of deeper local operations. The expansion adds to a wider trend of Chinese automakers increasing their overseas production and sales footprints as they seek growth outside an intensely competitive domestic market.