Chinese automaker Chery Holding is set to establish an electric vehicle assembly plant in Rwanda after the Cabinet approved a Strategic Investment Agreement between the government and Chery Holding Rwanda Ltd.
The agreement was approved during a Cabinet meeting on September 18, advancing discussions between Rwanda and the Chinese automotive group that began in 2025.
The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and Chery Holding signed a Memorandum of Understanding in April 2025 covering cooperation in electric mobility, green energy, agriculture and mining.
The proposed investment was also discussed in April 2026 when President Paul Kagame met Chery Holding Vice President and Board Secretary Xu Hui at Village Urugwiro.
Chery’s vehicle portfolio includes hybrid and fully electric models, including its Tiggo SUV and Arrizo sedan ranges. The planned assembly operation would add to Rwanda’s efforts to expand electric mobility and develop local automotive manufacturing.
However, the Cabinet announcement did not disclose the value of the investment, location of the plant, planned production capacity or construction timeline.
RDB investment materials separately list an indicative $39.25 million investment and 2,000 direct jobs for an electric-car assembly project, but those figures have not been confirmed as referring specifically to Chery’s planned facility.
The project comes as Rwanda seeks to increase investment in electric mobility, reduce reliance on conventional fuel-powered vehicles and strengthen domestic industrial capacity.
For Chery, establishing an assembly operation in Rwanda would provide a foothold in one of Africa’s emerging electric-mobility markets, while potentially creating opportunities to serve Rwanda and the wider regional market.
