Chinese home appliances benefit South Africans, spur local economy

By Zhang Penghui, Guan Kejiang from People’s Daily

 

With the establishment of an industrial park in Cape Town, South Africa, Chinese home appliance brand Hisense has delivered a remarkable performance on local market and greatly benefited the local community.

 

The Hisense Industrial Park, located in the Atlantis region 50 kilometers north of downtown Cape Town, was jointly invested and built by Hisense Group and China-Africa Development Fund in 2013.

 

Thanks to the complete production line that Hisense has developed there, the industrial park produced a total of 261,000 refrigerators and 389,000 televisions in 2017.

 

The high production comes from the well-managed workshops of the Hisense factory where local employees work in an intense but orderly manner.

 

Every link of the production is running smoothly, including part processing, assembling, final assembly, performance test and packaging. Refrigerators and televisions are boxed up here and directly transported to the malls and stores across South Africa.

 

In order to better serve the local market, the Chinese brand has made specific adjustment to its designs. For example, Hisense refrigerators are equipped with water dispensers on the door to cater for South African consumers, most of whom prefer cool water. Such thoughtful design is well received in the country.

 

It is only one of the many localized designs that not only established closer ties between the manufacturer and the users, but also attributed to the birth of multiple hot sellers.

 

In 2017, four of South Africa’s top 10 best-selling refrigerators came from Hisense, and so did three of the top 10 best-selling televisions, Deng Hongsheng, deputy general manager of the factory introduced, adding that the key to reliable products lies in strict quality control.

 

Deng added that all workshops in the factory are well-marked with operation procedures, standards and tips, so that the workers can be made into manufacturing masters and thus produce high-quality appliances.

 

Local employees are engaged in every step of the production, from initial design to assembly and sales. A total of 700, or 90 percent of the factory’s employees are hired from local communities, and they have created harmonious working atmosphere. The photos of them laughing hung on the wall of a workshop are a best example.

 

Shade Weeth, who started working at Hisense when the factory was set up, has been promoted to the administrative director of the factory.

 

She told People’s Daily that working at Hisense is a pretty decent job in local community, and what satisfies her is not only the payment, but also the friendly working atmosphere.

 

“My Chinese colleagues have set good example for us by their hard-working, devotion and efficiency,” she said, adding that they are both friends and families to her.

 

Hisense products are always placed at conspicuous places at House & Homes, a local chain store of appliances and furniture. According to a shop assistant, Hisense enjoys a high reputation in South African market, and its products are very much recommended.

 

“Hisense is one of the most favored brands of local consumers. Its televisions and fridges are in high sales thanks to their reliable quality and affordable prices,” sales assistant Martha said.

 

Such successful investment and contribution from Chinese enterprises have won positive evaluation from South Africa.

 

Former Mayor of Cape Town Patricia de Lille commented in an article published on Cape Times that Hisense’s factory in South Africa not only creates numerous jobs and promotes local economy, but also showcases Cape Town’s investment potential to the world through exportation to more than a dozen African countries and regions.

 

Hisense has now become a leading brand on South Africa’s home appliance market, and the market shares of its televisions and fridges are among the best for years.

 

The Hisense Industrial Park has brought tangible benefits to South Africans, which is a vivid depiction of the common development and the mutually beneficial cooperation between China and South Africa, Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Lin Songtian noted.

Pics:

An employee is working at a workshop at the Hisense Industrial Park in South Africa. (Photo by Guan Kejiang from People’s Daily)

Employees are working at an assembling line at the Hisense Industrial Park in South Africa. (Photo by Guan Kejiang from People’s Daily)