OMODA & JAECOO Boosts Chery Auto's Rosslyn Plant Officially Opens in South Africa

PRETORIA, South Africa, July 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Witnessed by high-level officials from both China and South Africa, Chery Auto officially inaugurated the Rosslyn Plant.As Chery’s core global brands, OMODA & JAECOO has fully empowered the delivery of this industrial upgrade and regional market rollout. Originally built in 1963, this long-established automobile manufacturing plant has been revitalized under Chery Auto's stewardship, marking full lineup of brands including OMODA & JAECOO, 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.

Ceremony scene

Chery Auto Chairman Yin Tongyue Introduces the Exhibits to South African Deputy President

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."

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.It lays a solid foundation of production capacity and supply chain for OMODA & JAECOO to deepen its presence in South Africa.

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.

Chery Auto Chairman Yin Tongyue Delivers a Speech

Where and why, fully integrate into local industry and society

With the opening of the Rosslyn Plant, Together with Chery, OMODA & JAECOO has completed the comprehensive layout of a full industrial chain ecosystem across Africa. 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.

The Rosslyn Plant project will become a new model of mutual benefit and win-win international cooperation for Chery Auto, and also both OMODA & JAECOO 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.It elevates and enhances OMODA & JAECOO’s global brand image as premium intelligent automotive marques.

Beyond deep industrial cultivation, OMODA & JAECOO also follows Chery to fulfill global social responsibilities. 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.

Guests Interact with the Robotic Dog Argos

"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. OMODA & JAECOO delivers core growth momentum, emerging as a pivotal force driving South Africa’s SUV and new energy vehicle markets.

Currently, Chery Group has established a complete brand matrix in South Africa: CHERY, OMODA & JAECOO, JETOUR, iCAUR, and LEPAS, offering multi-powertrain products, including ICE, hybrid, and battery electric. Tiggo 7 CSH won the 2026 South African Car of the Year "Motor Enthusiast People's Choice Award", reflecting local users' high recognition of the CHERY brand; as Chery’s flagship global brands, OMODA & JAECOO has posted outstanding market performance and earned widespread acclaim. OMODA’s cumulative deliveries have exceeded 20,000 units since its launch in 2023. JAECOO entered South Africa in 2024, focusing on plug-in hybrid models; JETOUR launched in 2024, with its T2 model becoming the first Chinese brand to win the overall South African Car of the Year title in 2026, alongside a "light off-road" segment award; the battery electric V23 of iCAUR is launched this year, securing over 300 orders in its first month; an elegant mid-to-high-end new energy brand, LEPAS, has also been launched this year. Chery Auto has established a complete layout across mainstream markets and sub-segments in South Africa.

Leveraging Chery’s mature localised operation system and the newly upgraded Rosslyn intelligent manufacturing base, OMODA & JAECOO will continue to deepen its footprint in South Africa. Centered on local manufacturing, local R&D and localised services, the two brands will uphold the globalisation philosophy of “In somewhere, For somewhere, Be somewhere”. Through in-depth development across the full value chain, they will achieve mutual growth and prosperity for both the brands and local regional markets.

About OMODA & JAECOO

As a youthful, personalized global brand, OMODA & JAECOO lives by the vision of “Co-creating a Beautiful Life with Young People.” OMODA is dedicated to embracing pioneering global consumers, striving to build “the World's Leading Crossover Brand.” It delivers fashion-forward vehicles with cutting-edge design and futuristic technology to Gen Z, redefining trendy travel culture with a crossover attitude. JAECOO adheres to the philosophy of “From Classic, Beyond Classic,” and is committed to becoming a “Global Elegant Off-Road Brand.” With exceptional four-wheel drive performance, forward-thinking intelligent technologies, and outstanding safety features, it leads a new era of elegant off-road driving.

Born Green, OMODA & JAECOO leverages the world-leading SHS super hybrid technology (covering both PHEV and HEV) to offer the best hybrid solution for global users, driven by the core advantages of “Super High Power, Super Low Energy Consumption, and Super Long Combined Range.” At the same time, the brand is accelerating its BEV technology deployment, responding to diverse mobility needs with stronger and more comprehensive technological capabilities.

In terms of intelligence, the brand focuses on intelligent driving and intelligent cockpit. Powered by SIVP (Super Intelligent Valet Parking) and AI cockpit technologies as key enablers, it builds a full-scenario smart mobility experience and continues to lead the future of mobility. In addition, in collaboration with AiMOGA, the brand has developed robots that extend smart technology into diverse interactive scenarios, broadening the landscape of smart living.

Driven by deep insights into user needs, the brand hit one million in sales in just three years, setting the fastest growth record in the global automotive industry. To date, it has expanded into 70 markets worldwide, covering Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. Europe stands out as a particularly strong market – the brand has already entered 20 European countries and become one of the fastest-growing car brands.

Media Contact

Company: OMODA & JAECOO

Contact Person: Sherry Cheng
WEB: https://www.omodajaecoo.com/
email: chengshiwen2@mychery.com

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