A black-owned electronics contract manufacturer has launched a smart factory worth R1-billion in the East London Industrial Development Zone (IDZ).
Funding for Yekani Manufacturing was a concerted effort from various stakeholders including the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI), private financial institutions and Yekani.
The technologically-advanced facility, which aims to push technology innovation limits, is expected to create about 1 000 jobs for both the East London community and the province as a whole.
The 28 000m² smart factory resides within a customs-controlled area at the East London Industrial Development Zone (ELIDZ), just five minutes from the East London airport and 10 minutes from the East London port.
“Our technologically-advanced facility is geared to manufacturing innovative technology products for clients in the automotive, defence, aerospace/aviation industries as well as consumers,” says Dr Siphiwe Cele, CEO of Yekani Group. “We want the world to know that Africans are capable of pioneering new technology and at Yekani. We have this belief that our strength lies within our biggest asset – our people.”
The company’s flagship brand is Yekani, which includes education 2-in-1 tablets, laptops and consumer products, such as mobile handsets and laptops.