South African technology company Tellumat has officially opened its new television manufacturing facility, which will produce a range of products for global brands, Sony and Hisense, as well as local retailer, Lewis, in the Western Cape.

The 15 000 m² facility has created 115 jobs in the industrial town of Atlantis.

The facility manufactures LED television display sets for Sony and Hisense, as well as for Lewis, under the Tedelex brand. It also manufactures computer monitors for Mecer.

Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies, who launched the new facility, said it was encouraging that Tellumat had recognised the importance of partnerships and the future for television technology in South Africa.

“We have to be active in this technology for our future. We can assist with export promotion and finding new markets for our products. The African continent is an important market for goods manufactured in South Africa.” 

The Minister said he had last visited Atlantis in 2010, when the then-Tedelex plant was about to close its doors and put 150 workers out of work. He said it was very encouraging to see the turnaround by Tellumat.

Tellumat, which is a black-empowered company, acquired the assets of the Tedelex television factory in 2010 and continued to operate from the old factory building. It has produced about 370 000 television sets since then. The company relocated to its new facility in October last year.

Tellumat is also hoping to get into the lucrative set-top-box market.

Davies said that, with digital migration, set-top boxes would be in demand.

“The manufacturing of these products will be important. As government, we have to put in place measures to assist and to partner with industry, such as the requirement that the set-top boxes must have a local production element of at least 30%.”

Meanwhile, Western Cape Premier Helen Zille said she welcomed companies that were on the cutting edge of technology.

“Government does not create jobs. Instead, it creates the context in which businesses can have faith in the future, which encourages them to invest. Big global brands will then have confidence in South African companies, as we have seen here,” she said.

Zille called on government to ‘step up to the plate’ to help businesses take advantage of strong and growing export markets in Africa.

Science and Technology Minister Derek Hanekom also welcomed the new facility and said Tellumat had contributed towards South Africa’s successful bid to co-host the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope in Africa.

Tellumat has developed an ultralow-noise amplifier for the reception of weak signals from space.

“We look forward to further contributions by Tellumat to the economic development of our country, especially as a sustainable employer of scientists, engineers and technologists,” Hanekom said in a message conveyed at the launch.