Japanese motor company Nissan still hadn’t decided on the fate of its SA vehicle manufacturing plant in Rosslyn, Tshwane, Ramy Mohareb, head of communications for Nissan Africa, confirmed on Wednesday.
The plant, which produces the Navara bakkie range, has been underused for years, particularly since it stopped producing the popular NP200 small bakkie in 2024. Since May this year, when the Japanese parent company announced plans to close seven production plants over the next two years as part of a global recovery plan, speculation has been rife that Rosslyn will be among the casualties.
On Tuesday, Nissan SA MD Maciej Klenkiewicz said Nissan remained committed to the SA market but did not specify if this would include manufacturing.
He was speaking in Johannesburg at the launch of new Nissan X-Trail and Magnite models. Several other new vehicle ranges are due in the coming months.
He said: “This latest wave of launches supports Nissan’s long-standing commitment to the country, underpinned by more than 60 years of local presence.”
He noted that SA was the headquarters for all Nissan’s African activities. Rosslyn is one of two Nissan manufacturing plants on the continent. The other is in Egypt.
He said he was still waiting for a decision on Rosslyn’s future but meanwhile Nissan SA would continue to manufacture and invest in Navara. He added that the factory would increase production by about 20% this year from 2024 levels.
Mohareb said Nissan Japan had identified some plants due for closure but confirmed to Business Day: “We have heard nothing yet about Rosslyn and have been given no indication when we will.”
Klenkiewicz has said that Rosslyn still hoped to find a successor to the discontinued NP200.
The plant has also attracted interest from some Chinese companies entering the SA market and looking for spare manufacturing capacity in existing factories.
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