NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Chinese automakers are increasingly shifting from exporting vehicles to building them in Africa, betting that rapid urbanization, a growing middle class and supportive government policies will make the continent one of the industry’s last major growth markets.
It’s part of a strategy for coping with slowing demand at home and rising trade barriers in Europe and North America. Analysts say the shift could reshape Africa’s automotive industry by creating jobs, developing local supply chains and accelerating adoption of electric vehicles, although weak infrastructure and policy uncertainty remain significant obstacles.
In July, Chery, China’s largest auto exporter, acquired Nissan’s former Rosslyn plant near Pretoria, South Africa, where it plans to make plug-in hybrids, battery-electric vehicles and models under its Jetour brand.
The move reflects a broader strategy by Chinese automakers to manufacture closer to African consumers rather than rely solely on imports, though the trend is just getting started.
Beijing Automotive Group (BAIC) has an automotive manufacturing and assembly facility in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), South Africa, and China's Great Wall Motor has some localized assembly and component distribution capacity.
“Africa has become known as the next frontier for the automotive market,” said Hiten Parmar, executive director of The Electric Mission, a South African nonprofit promoting sustainable mobility.
Analysts say South Africa, Morocco, Kenya, Ethiopia and Ghana are among the countries best positioned to attract Chinese EV investment because of their industrial capacity, supportive policies or growing electricity infrastructure. Morocco also benefits from proximity to European export markets, while Zimbabwe’s large lithium reserves could support battery supply chains.
Local manufacturing could eventually lower vehicle prices by avoiding import duties while stimulating investment in charging infrastructure, component manufacturing and battery production. Africa’s first large-scale battery gigafactory is already planned in Morocco.
Rapid urbanization, rising incomes and the relative affordability of Chinese brands are enabling Chinese automakers to capture markets historically dominated by European, Japanese and American giants.
“Whilst African consumers have been thriving on used cars, the affordability of Asian brands is providing a wider accessibility reach for new vehicles,” Parmar said.
Nick Hedley, an energy transition research analyst at Zero Carbon Analytics, said Africa’s fast-growing population and expanding middle class create a natural market for affordable electric vehicles while helping governments reduce dependence on imported fuel.
“Africa is also a net importer of refined fuels, which drains foreign reserves and weighs on local currencies and budgets,” Hedley said. “Switching to local electric cars for transportation is in African countries’ national interest.”
“As electric vehicles become more cost-competitive, their uptake will accelerate across Africa, and Chinese automakers will benefit,” Hedley said.
The shift is also being driven by changing economics inside China.
Tombo Banda, managing director of CrossBoundary Energy, said Chinese factories are producing more vehicles than the domestic market can absorb while exports face mounting barriers.
“Onshoring production on the continent is a sound long-term investment,” Banda said, noting that local manufacturing helps companies navigate tariffs while positioning themselves closer to fast-growing markets.
A Green Minerals Strategy adopted by the African Union aims to increase domestic processing of critical minerals. That would make more usable raw materials available locally.
Ethiopia has banned imports of fossil fuel-powered vehicles and is encouraging local production by mandating lower import duties on EVs assembled domestically.
South Africa has taken a different approach, using production incentives like customs duty rebates, production-linked credits, direct cash investments, and tax breaks to encourage investment in electric- and hydrogen fueled-vehicle manufacturing.
“This is becoming a notable change in approach from Asian brands, from pure imports, to considerations of assembly and manufacturing,” Parmar said.
Africa is increasingly positioned to become more than just a destination for imported vehicles.
“If Chinese manufacturers want access to these markets, they need to add value locally rather than simply sell into them,” Banda said. “That is what will move Africa from a sales market to a genuine manufacturing base.”
South Africa already has manufacturing capacity, skilled workers and established export markets, Banda said. Purchasing facilities such as the Rosslyn plant can enable automakers to retool existing factories rather than build new ones from scratch.
“Companies can pivot, or enter partnerships, far faster than anyone starting from scratch,” he said.
But he cautioned that converting factories designed for internal combustion engines is complex and requires long-term certainty on taxes, tariffs and industrial policy.
Stable policies are essential, since sudden changes in taxes or regulations can undermine investor confidence. Reliable infrastructure is also vital.
“Without clean, reliable, affordable electricity, forget about operating EVs. Without sufficient, well-located charging, forget about functional EVs,” Banda said.
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FILE - Workers assemble the Zeekr 001 EV models at the Chinese automaker Zeekr assembly plant in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang Province, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A democratic socialist is trying to rise above the party establishment's chosen candidate who revived his campaign after another leading contender dropped out in Wisconsin's chaotic primary race for governor on Tuesday.
The winner will advance to take on Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in November in an open race that could test the limits of progressives' appeal in a critical battleground state.
Democrats are hoping to capitalize on low approval ratings for President Donald Trump in a state he won in 2016 and 2024 to retain control of the governor’s office and flip both chambers of the Legislature to earn full control of Wisconsin state government for the first time since 2010.
In other races, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s 26-year-old son-in-law Michael Alfonso is trying to win a five-way primary in Duffy’s old seat in the U.S. House. And Democrat Rebecca Cooke is looking to emerge from the primary to force a rematch with Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden in the state’s most hotly contested and narrowly divided congressional district.
Single mother and former line cook Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist, has tapped into Democratic anger with the party’s mainstream and Trump's “Make America Great Again” movement.
The 37-year-old known for sprinkling her comments with profanity and leaning into her edgy and sometimes humorous social media profile excited the liberal wing of the party. Hong called for free childcare and healthcare and a moratorium on data center construction. But she also wrestled with her past support for defunding the police, saying at the race’s only debate that she would not support cutting law enforcement funding.
She also drew criticism for past social media posts where she called for canceling Thanksgiving because “we should stop celebrating colonialism" and disparaged Valentine’s Day as “another day capitalism tells you how to show love.”
Hong has since downplayed the posts as her attempt at making jokes.
Hong supporter Dan Jakubek, 44, of Marshall, dismissed concerns over Hong's past statements and said her message of affordability is resonating across generations.
“I've never seen so many young, out of high school, college students revved up for change,” he said.
Establishment Democrats worried that a Hong win would make it easier for Tiffany to win in November, as her platform would be a tougher sell among moderate and independent voters who are critical in the swing state known for razor-thin election margins.
Gov. Tony Evers endorsed Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, saying he has the best chance of beating Tiffany in November.
Crowley told supporters at a Sunday night rally that they must come together after the primary to beat Tiffany.
“Our ultimate goal is to make sure we don’t have a MAGA extremist occupying the governor’s office,” Crowley said.
Hong said she would welcome Evers' support after the primary.
“We have to come together to beat Tom Tiffany," she said Monday.
Hong voter Kelly McClurg, 40, of Sun Prairie, rejected concerns that Hong can't beat Tiffany.
“She can win if people let her,” she said, referring to Democrats who raise electability concerns.
Crowley voter Susan Uraneck, of Madison, said she wished that Evers had gotten involved sooner.
“I hope for the best,” she said. “As I say, it is what it is.”
Hong is the first Asian American elected to the state Assembly in 2020. She is looking to become Wisconsin's first female governor and first Asian American governor. Crowley would be the state's first Black governor.
Evers’ decision not to seek a third term created an open race for governor that initially had seven Democrats file to run.
Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez appeared to be making a move to consolidate mainstream Democratic support in July, but she dropped out in the middle of the month amid a campaign finance scandal. That led Crowley, who had dropped out a week earlier and endorsed Rodriguez, to get back in the race, this time with Evers' backing.
Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who was seen as an early front-runner after nearly beating Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson in 2022, bowed out less than two weeks before the election amid questions about inappropriate behavior.
Alfonso is looking to become the youngest member of Congress by winning Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, a seat previously held for nine years by his father-in-law before Duffy stepped down in 2019.
He secured Trump’s endorsement, who called him a “MAGA warrior,” to separate him from the field that also includes Kevin Hermening, a Trump supporter and longtime Republican operative in the congressional district.
Trump spoke on a telephone rally for Alfonso on Monday night, calling him “a fantastic young guy who’s going to be a star in Washington.” It was the second event Trump hosted for Alfonso in the primary.
Alfonso’s candidacy drew blowback from some longtime Republican leaders in the district who said he was too young and inexperienced for the job, especially compared to Hermening.
Cooke, a former Democratic fundraiser and small business owner, faces a challenge from former Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District. Berge ran an underdog, insurgent campaign against Cooke, who was more well-known and better financed.
Cooke narrowly lost to Van Orden in 2024 and also ran in 2022 but lost in the Democratic primary that year.
Van Orden is one of Trump’s biggest supporters but will face a tough reelection bid in a narrowly divided district in a year where Trump’s approval ratings are low in Wisconsin.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong speaks during a primary election night watch party Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong makes a heart gesture to supporters after speaking during a primary election night watch party Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong speaks during a primary election night watch party Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Supporters hold signs during a primary election night watch party for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong speaks during a primary election night watch party Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Voters arrive at Charles Allis Art Museum to cast their ballots on primary Election Day, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
Michael Alfonso, a candidate for U.S. House in Wisconsin's 7th congressional district, speaks during a campaign event, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in New Richmond, Wis. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)
Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany, left, shakes hands with Bryan Steil, the U.S. Representative for Wisconsin's 1st congressional district during a campaign event, Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in Kenosha, WI. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Wisconsin Democratic candidate for Governor Francesca Hong speaks to supporters, Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, in Sun Prairie, Wis. (AP Photo/Scott Bauer)
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, center, campaigns with Democratic candidate for Governor David Crowley, right, Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Scott Bauer)
