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Samsung to open Durban TV factory

Cape Town - Global electronics giant Samsung announced on Tuesday that it would open a South African plant to produce televisions.

Samsung said that factory would be situated near Durban with an investment of $20m.

"This project is the result of close collaboration between Samsung and the South African authorities, at National and Provincial level", said Matthew Thackrah, deputy managing director of Samsung Electronics South Africa.

Durban is an ideal location as it is well-placed as a transport hub, especially as companies look to use SA as a springboard into African expansion.

The Samsung announcement follows the Hisense factory in Atlantis which produces TVs and fridges.

Strikes

The Chinese factory currently employs around 500 local workers in addition to Chinese experts who teach employees how to manufacture.

However, labour unrest in SA could potentially discourage companies from investing in the country, particularly because of the potential for violence during national strikes.

Over 200 000 Numsa members went on strike for better pay and working conditions this year, following on from the five month Amcu strike, which ended in June.

On Tuesday, the NUM expressed its anger at Eskom for obtaining an interdict to prevent strike action over pay.

Samsung has given little indication over the details of the TVs that will be produced at the plant, but the company announced in its 2013 annual report that growth in premium TVs to developed markets had increased by 90%.

Hisense meanwhile told Fin24 that it may expand current production in Atlantis to include smartphones by 2016.

Watch this video of Hisense TV production in the South African factory:




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