The Motor Industry Staff Association (Misa) is celebrating Jetour’s announcement that it will be producing some of its models in South Africa from 2027.
Earlier this year, Misa raised concerns with the department of trade, industry and competition that government and industry stakeholders needed to ensure that foreign investment translated into sustainable jobs and skills development.
Martlé Keyter, Misa’s chief executive of operations, said the decision was a victory for the union as it had consistently pushed for Chinese automakers to manufacture locally. Finally, the vision was becoming a reality.
“Jetour’s decision means jobs, skills and opportunities for our members and their families. We look forward to deeper collaboration with Chinese automakers,” Keyter added.
Jetour president Ke Chuandeng made the announcement at Auto China 2026 in Beijing.
Chuandeng’s announcement indicates that the increasingly popular T-Series, launched in South Africa in October last year, will begin local production at the plant from next year.
The T1 and T2 combined have sold more than 4 500 units in South Africa since their launch in October 2025.
This will be made possible after Chery South Africa announced earlier this year that it had acquired Nissan’s Plant in Rosslyn, Pretoria.
While Jetour and Chery are positioned as separate brands locally, they are closely related globally, with Jetour being one of the brands under the Chery Group umbrella.
By mid-2027, Chery aims to produce 50 000 units annually and create more than 3 000 jobs across manufacturing and supply chain sectors.
Auto China 2026 also focused firmly on electrification, hybridisation and intelligent mobility systems.
With the launch of the plug-in hybrid electric range of the Jetour T-Series last month, Misa also believes that the investment is an opportunity for skills transfer and collaboration.
“Chinese automakers bring advanced expertise in electrification, hybridisation and intelligent mobility systems,” Misa said in a statement.
“South African workers stand to gain immensely from exposure to these technologies, ensuring that the auto industry remains competitive in a rapidly changing global market.”
At Auto China 2026, the president of Jetour International, Ke Chuandeng, announced that from 2027, Jetour would be producing some of its models locally in South Africa
