Nissan’s manufacturing plant in Rosslyn could be one of several facing closure if the Japanese vehicle brand proceeds with plans to reduce its workforce by 15%.
The Pretoria plant serves as the production hub for its light commercial vehicles such as the Nissan Navara, NP200, NP300, and will put about 1 200 people out of work if it closes, although this could not be confirmed.
The Rosslyn plant’s expansion to produce the next-generation Nissan Navara involved a R3-billion investment and, apart from direct employment opportunities, created additional jobs across the local supply chain.
Although Nissan’s head office in Yokohama appears reluctant to reveal anything official, it has been widely reported that the manufacturer is in the process of closing several of its plants globally.
It includes reducing the number of global plants from 17 to 10 as part of a recovery plan aimed at cutting costs and improving performance.
Worldwide restructuring of Nissan’s capacity includes slashing about 15% of its global workforce, which amounts to approximately 20 000 jobs.
The job cuts are part of a broader restructuring effort announced by Nissan's new CEO, Ivan Espinosa, who took office earlier in 2025.
The workforce reduction includes a previous cut of 9 000 jobs announced last year. The latest layoffs will mainly affect manufacturing roles, with the remainder impacting sales, administrative positions, research and contract staff.
The closures will include factories in Japan, though it has not been fully disclosed which specific plants will be closed.
The restructuring comes in response to declining vehicle sales in key markets such as China and the United States, as well as the fallout from a failed merger with Honda and Mitsubishi earlier in the year.
Nissan also cited the impact of US tariffs on auto imports as a factor affecting its financial results.
The automaker reported a significant loss of about $4.5 billion for the fiscal year ending in March 2025 and aims to return to profitability by fiscal year 2026.
The cost reduction target for the next fiscal year is about $1.7bn (250bn yen).
Nissan plans to leverage partnerships with Renault and Dongfeng Nissan as part of its strategy to adapt to market changes and improve resilience.
