Good news for South Africa: Hisense, one of the world leaders in flat-panel TVs, household appliances and mobile communication devices, announced the company has invested in property in the Western Cape for its local headquarters.
The new offices, located in Century City, Cape Town, will also host the Chinese multinational's new showroom, showcasing its range of smart televisions, refrigerators, washing machines and mobile technology. This move is in line with Hisense's continued commitment to South Africa and the continent as a whole.
Hisense's new headquarters is part of the company's strategy to strengthen its base in South Africa, and from there, extend its footprint into the African continent. Already, the foundation for this investment into Africa has been laid. In 2013, the multinational company opened its manufacturing plant in Atlantis, 40km north of Cape Town, with the support of local government and the China-Africa Development Fund.
That project had an additional, laudable purpose of creating jobs in an area beset with socioeconomic challenges, most notably a 55% unemployment rate. Beyond the initial 500 jobs that were created, Hisense has committed to expanding this aim, intending to create a further 1 200 jobs.
More recently, Hisense established an export division to cater to the southern African countries. The export division serves more than 10 African countries, including Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana and Lesotho.
According to Hisense Exports Manager, Keith Pereira, the company's expansion into African countries is good news for the South African economy, as it results in increased sales and production, necessitating even greater job creation.
Neatly tying all these plans together is Hisense's new headquarters in Cape Town. With the company's existing factory and its push into Africa, clearly South Africa is the base of Hisense's operations for now and the foreseeable future, and represents a strong investment into the country as a whole.
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