South African manufacturing company
Defy Appliances is a South African manufacturing company and is the largest manufacturer and distributor of major domestic appliances in Southern Africa.[1] The company manufactures and develops a range of large appliances from gas stoves, refrigerators, washing machines and tumble dryers to continuous clean ovens and convection ovens.
History
It currently operates three factories:
- Jacobs (Durban) — manufactures freestanding stoves, built-in ovens and hobs, tumble dryers.
- Ezakheni (Ladysmith) — manufactures electric chest freezers and electric refrigerators.
- eMonti (East London) — manufactures electric refrigerators.
Defy Appliances was founded in the 1905[2] in Wentworth, KwaZulu-Natal by John Skinner and Sir Benjamin Greenacre. The company manufactured its first product, electric stoves, in 1932.[1] The Durban Falkirk Iron Company (DFI, now DEFY) moved the foundry from Jacobs to Newcastle, around 1987.[3] In July 2011, the company was acquired by Turkish based Arçelik for US$324-million as part of its plan to expand into emerging markets in Africa.[4][5]
References