Chery Automobile and Changan Automobile are the latest mainland carmakers to increase their investment in emerging markets to boost sales given the slower domestic market.
Anhui-based Chery, the country's fourth-largest carmaker, might open a plant in South Africa, Johannesburg-based The Times reported, citing Chery vice-president Zhou Biren. The report did not disclose the size of Chery's possible investment, its production scale or sales target.
Chery spokesman Jin Yibo could not be reached for comment.
The carmaker, which started selling vehicles in South Africa in May through McCarthy Group, had sold more than 2,500 cars in the country, the report said.
Chery said this month it would spend up to US$500 million in Argentina over the next four years to build manufacturing plants, although the economic downturn is spreading to emerging markets. It has set up a joint venture with Argentina's Socma Group and plans to sell 50,000 vehicles in that market in 2011 and 100,000 units by 2012.
Meanwhile, Chongqing-based Changan Auto said it would start making cars in Mexico next year.
Changan and its partner, Autopark Mexico, would form an assembly venture to build as many as 50,000 vehicles a year, Bloomberg quoted spokesman Zhang Baojun as saying.
