4 days ago
Rosslyn plant safe for now as Nissan commits to Africa growth
Nissan South Africa has broken its silence on reports that its Rosslyn plant outside Pretoria could close as part of the Re:Nissan restructuring plan.
Seven factories in line for closure
The Citizen reports that in May, Reuters revealed at least seven of the brand's 17 global production sites face closure before the end of the decade. Those most likely are Oppama and Shonan in Japan, the Renault co-run Chennai and Santa Isabel plants in India and Argentina, and at least one of its three plants in Mexico.
This follows the brand announcing a net loss of R82.2b earlier this year, coupled with a planned 15% cut in its global workforce from the original 9 000 announced last year, to at least 20 000 by 2027.
The failed merger with Honda and the subsequent resignation of CEO Makoto Uchida have also been cited as reasons for the brand's worsening position.
Rosslyn's dilemma
One of the plants rumoured for closure, the 59-year-old Rosslyn facility – which currently only produces the Navara for South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa – has been under scrutiny following the withdrawal of the NP200 in 2023.
As a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Nissan cut its workforce by 400, despite its chairperson for the Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania regions, Guillaume Cartier, stating last year it is exploring production of a second model to fully utilise the plant's capacity.
At the same time, Nissan's managing director for South Africa and independent African markets, Maciej Klenkiewicz, confirmed a study is under way into the feasibility of producing another model alongside the Navara.
Sign of staying?
Speaking at the launch of the Navara Stealth in Magaliesburg last week, Nissan president for Africa Jordi Vila suggested that, despite persistent rumours, the brand has no plans to exit South Africa or shut down Rosslyn.
This comes after confirmation that the Oppama plant will cease operations by 2028, while the Chennai and Santa Isabel facilities may become fully owned by Renault, with current Nissan products continuing, albeit assembled by its alliance partner.
'We need to be proud of our heritage and where we come from. And when I look at Nissan's history in South Africa and the models, we should not lose that and [instead] build on it for the future. It is a market where we want to be from the past to the future,' Vila said.
'We are committed to growth in Africa and South Africa. Our plan is to grow – we grew with Navara and Magnite, and we want to grow the concept of built in Africa for Africa.
'We should be proud of producing this quality of vehicle (in Africa), and we don't want to give up on that,' Vila concluded.
