Chery Group will build the new Omoda C4 at its Rosslyn plant in Pretoria, with the first locally built cars targeted for the third quarter of 2027, according to Chery Group South Africa chief executive Tony Liu. He confirmed the plan at naamsa’s SA Auto Week in Durban in early October, as reported by Cars.co.za, and Moneyweb has since carried the announcement for the Omoda and Jaecoo brands.
The Omoda C4 is a compact crossover that sits below the C5 and is slightly longer, at 4,424 mm. It was first unveiled as the C3 in April 2025 and renamed for the South African market.
What Chery has said about the C4
Liu said the car will arrive early next year as a fully imported model, with local assembly from complete knock-down kits following later. Production at Rosslyn will start with the hybrid. “Our first roll-out plan for Omoda in the Rosslyn plant will be the Omoda C4 hybrid,” Liu told Cars.co.za. Battery-electric and petrol versions are due to follow, according to TopAuto’s report.
Moneyweb quoted Shannon Gahagan, head of brand and marketing at Omoda & Jaecoo South Africa, who described local production as a decision about “the kind of business we want Omoda & Jaecoo to become in South Africa.” She said the C4 will give the brand a place in the country’s manufacturing industry. The investment value, volumes and the number of jobs tied to the C4 were not disclosed. Specifications, pricing and local launch dates are expected closer to launch.
TopAuto lists two petrol-based powertrains for the car. The petrol version uses a 1.5-litre turbo engine rated at 115 kW and 230 Nm with a CVT gearbox. The hybrid pairs the same engine with an electric motor for 165 kW and 295 Nm. Specifications for the electric version have not been announced.
The Rosslyn plant behind it
Chery took over the former Nissan factory, which Nissan had used to build vehicles since 1966, at a handover on 3 July 2026, according to Cars.co.za’s report on the handover. Nissan confirmed the sale agreement in January 2026. Chery acquired the land, buildings, associated assets and the nearby stamping plant. Moneyweb’s report did not state a price, and none of the sources we checked disclosed one.
The Competition Commission recommended approval, according to Business Report, subject to conditions on employment and local procurement. Daily Maverick reported that Chery will take on all 692 workers still employed at the plant and aims for up to 3,000 direct and indirect jobs. It also reported a 40% local content target. Deputy President Paul Mashatile and the trade, industry and competition department’s director-general, Simphiwe Hamilton, were among those at the ceremony.
Cars.co.za reports phase one capacity of 50,000 units a year. Mail & Guardian reported that planned output during the ramp-up in the third and fourth quarters of 2027 is 15,000 units, according to its coverage of the plant opening.
The C4 is one of several models linked to Rosslyn. The Tiggo 4, Jaecoo J5, Jetour T-Series and the Grootman double-cab bakkie have all been named, and sources differ on which comes first. Moneyweb described the C4 as Chery’s first model built in South Africa, but Cars.co.za notes that Chery earlier said the Tiggo 4 would be the first Rosslyn model, with production in the second half of 2027. Treat the order as unconfirmed.
Where this fits in the market and policy
Chery’s brands are growing quickly in South Africa. Naamsa’s September figures, as reported by Cars.co.za, show Chery selling 3,004 vehicles, its first month above 3,000 and seventh place among brands. Jetour sold 2,036 and Omoda & Jaecoo 1,503, in ninth and twelfth place, in a market of 61,645 new vehicles, up 12.7% on a year earlier. We looked at the wider shift in our report on Chinese cars climbing the showroom rankings.
Government wants more of the value to stay at home. Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau told the Ministerial Automotive Transformation Day on 13 October that the Automotive Production and Development Programme (APDP2) is under review and should reward manufacturing rather than assembly alone. We covered his remarks in our report on the push for auto localisation, which also gives the industry’s average local content of about 39.7% against a 60% target by 2035. For component makers weighing where this leads, our guide to investing in automotive components covers incentives, trade access and risks.
