Hisense aiming for top 3 brand status in SA
Chinese appliance-maker, Hisense is aiming at being a top-three brand in the South African consumer electronics space.
Hisense SA is a manufacturer of televisions, fridges, airconditioners, and small appliances. The group also has ambitions to make a play for the smartphone and tablet market in SA.
At the end of July, it announced a R250-million investment in a Western Cape factory that will manufacture refrigerators and television sets.
The group said its investment was expected to create 600 direct jobs and an estimated 2,000 indirect opportunities, and produce 400,000 refrigerators and televisions each per annum.
Hisense purchased an existing, 10-hectare production facility at the Atlantis Industrial Park, outside Cape Town, from Tedelex.
The factory is being prepared for production, which is expected to commence in early 2013. It will be a full production facility, hence, not only used for assembly, and units will be manufactured for sub-Saharan markets.
Marketing director at Hisense, Tony Shi told BusinessTech that the group’s TV market share in SA is 12% and its LED TV market share is 23%. “Our target for this year is TV share to 15%, and LED TV share to 30%.
“We anticipate to be in the top-three brands of consumer electronics,” Shi said. “We are one of the top brands, following closely after Samsung and LG in Africa.”
Hisense already has a manufacturing plant in Pretoria, at Ga Rankuwa, with a production capacity of 200,000 units annually. “Last year, we sold 120,000 TV units, and (the) target for 2012 is 150,000 units. Our TVs were imported to other countries around South Africa,” Shi said.
Related article
Loading ...