Beijing – At the 2025 South Africa Investment Conference, Hisense Group was invited to participate as a prominent example of Chinese corporate investment in South Africa.
At the high-level forum, Hisense shared years of development experience within the country under the theme of “Investing in South Africa: Towards a Shared Future and Common Prosperity.”
The conference was co-hosted by the Republic of South Africa Embassy of China, South African Brands and the South African Tourism Authority, bringing together nearly 200 delegates from Chinese companies in key sectors, including finance, energy, infrastructure, agriculture and manufacturing.
As a pioneer in outbound investment, Hisense has attracted great attention for its unshakable commitment to localized development through its “local for local” strategy, and its leading manufacturing investments by state-owned Chinese companies in South Africa.
Since entering the South African market in 1996, Hisense has been firmly integrated into the local economy for nearly 30 years.
In 2013, the company collaborated with the China African Development Fund to establish Hisense South Africa Appliance Industrial Park in Atlantis, Cape Town, providing a successful model of China-South African manufacturing cooperation.
The park has a TV and refrigerator production line, an injection molding plant and raw material warehouse, and has annual production capacity of 1 million TVs and 500,000 refrigerators.
This contributed to the growth of both upstream and downstream industries within the local value chain, creating over 1,000 direct jobs and 5,000 indirect jobs along the supply chain.
“We have always adhered to the principle of 'made in South Africa, for South Africa',” said Vivi Li, general manager of Hisense SA.
“Our aim is to achieve full localization that ultimately contributes to regional economic growth and industrial capacity development, from product planning and manufacturing to brand marketing, supply chain support and customer service.”
Today, Hisense leads the South African market in televisions and refrigerators, and holds a strong market position in smartphones, washing machines and microwave ovens.
At Logistics, Hisense has partnered with Sitc International to establish a joint venture to provide an efficient supply chain to South Africa, providing a shared logistics platform that supports more Chinese companies in its global expansion efforts.
Hisense continues to invest in South Africa's education and philanthropy.
The company has established Cape Town's first TV History Museum (“Tevolution” Museum in Cape Town) and regularly supports hospitals, underprivileged communities and NGOs with donations when needed.
It also regularly hosts cultural and educational programs focused on young people who will contribute to the development of future generations in South Africa.
“We firmly believe that the sustainable growth of Chinese businesses in Africa is essential to truly serve, benefit and integrate the local community,” Li said at the meeting.
“Today, we aim to share our experiences to help more Chinese companies succeed in Africa, but we are working together to promote industrial connections between China and Africa and regional economic integration.”
The conference was held to celebrate the 31st anniversary of South Africa's Freedom Day.
As a pioneer in the joint manufacturing industry in South Africa, Hisense has for nearly 30 years embodied the principles of “high quality investment”, “sustainable development” and “mutual benefits”, strengthening bilateral relations and promoting industrial modernization in South Africa.
