Few brands have made the impact that Nissan has since launching its first car in South Africa 60 years ago. It all started with importing and local assembling of Completely Knocked Down (CKD) vehicles in 1963. From there, Nissan South Africa (NSA) established manufacturing facilities in 1973 at Rosslyn, near Pretoria. They helped shift South Africa’s motor industry into high gear as a result of continued investment, dedication and hard work.

Today, the automotive giant is producing several vehicles locally, including the Nissan NP200 bakkie. There are also talks of Nissan producing the third-generation, Nissan Navara at the Roslyn plant from 2021 following an R3-billion investment. They are currently renovating the facility and making all the necessary improvements to accommodate the Navara’s production.

The 60-Year Success Of Nissan
South Africa is fortunate enough to have 24 vehicles under the Nissan and Datsun brands. In truth, Datsun helped re-established Nissan in the entry-level market with the mammoth success of the Datsun GO, among other entry-level cars. Considering what Nissan has achieved across the entire range, it’s no surprise they are among the top five automotive brands in South Africa.

While Nissan dates back to the early 1930s when they took over Kwaishinsha Automotive Company who produced the first Datsun cars in Japan, the story in South Africa only started in the 1960s. The rest is history as the Japanese carmaker has left a lasting impression on the local market, providing quality, reliable and affordable transportation solutions.

The History Of Nissan In South Africa
Nissan Motor Company limited officially opened its Rosslyn operations in 1966 and became the central hub for Regional Business Unit South. They serve the vital South African market and 45 other countries including Angola, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland. The automaker has generated countless job opportunities while bolstering the economies across the continent, South Africa in particular.

One success story is the Nissan 1400 which has been a phenomenal achiever since making its debut in 1971 until 2008. This bakkie (pick-up model) was exclusively built in South Africa initially as Datsun 1200 and then Datsun 120Y or 1400. Many people have had one or know someone who had a Datsun 1400 at some point in time.

In 1973, the company changed its name to Datsun Nissan South Africa with a focus on producing Nissan products sold under the Datsun brand. Then, in 1983, they became known as Nissan SA and a short ten years later, became the first South African motor company recognised by the international ISO 9001 and subsequent 14001 quality certification.

The year 2000 saw Nissan Motor Company increase its investment in South Africa by purchasing a 37% stake from the Sanlam Group. This investment gave Nissan control, which was subsequently in