China's Chery Automobile (HKG:9973) formally opened its Rosslyn manufacturing plant in South Africa after acquiring the facility from Nissan Motor (TYO:7201) earlier this year, according to a press release on Saturday.

The carmaker said it will retain all 692 employees at the plant and expects the facility to support nearly 3,000 jobs across the supply chain.

The factory will undergo a full upgrade before production begins in the middle of 2027, with annual capacity expected to reach 50,000 vehicles per shift.

Chery aims to achieve an initial localization rate of 40% by 2028 and plans to develop the Rosslyn facility into a regional hub for research and development, manufacturing, supply chain operations and skills training, serving southern Africa.