State-owned defence company Denel is a commercially driven company and strategic partner for innovative defence, security and related-technology solutions. Denel provides turnkey defence equipment solutions for its clients through the design, development and integration of technology, including supporting artillery, munitions, missiles, aerostructures, aircraft maintenance, unmanned aerial vehicle systems, maritime payloads and optical payloads.
Though it was established in 1992, the company’s defence capabilities date back more than 70 years, when some of the company’s first manufacturing plants were established. Between the Denel divisions, there is a collective experience of over 200 years.
Denel groups together several defence, aerospace and maritime divisions and associated companies. The company’s core operating divisions are clustered according to geographical location and similarity of business and include:
- Irene Campus, comprising Denel Corporate Office, including Denel Industrial Properties; Denel Dynamics, including Spaceteq; and Denel Integrated Systems & Maritime;
- Lyttelton Campus, comprising Denel Land Systems, incorporating Mechem;
- Kempton Park Campus, comprising Denel Aerostructures and Denel Aviation, including Denel Technical Academy;
- Western Cape Campus, comprising Denel Overberg Test Range; and
- Pretoria West Campus, comprising Denel Pretoria Metal Pressings.
Companies associated with Denel include Airbus DS Optronics (30% Denel), Rheinmetall Denel Munition (49% Denel), Turbomeca Africa (49% Denel) and Tawazun Dynamics (49% Denel).
Denel’s current order book value is R33-billion, with a yearly turnover of R4.5-billion in 2014. The company has several health and safety standards, including OHSAS 18001, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.
The company’s staff complement, including employees at associated companies, is currently 6 555.