Defy Appliances is a South African manufacturing company and is the largest manufacturer and distributor of major domestic appliances in
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number of ...
.
The company manufactures and develops a range of large appliances from
gas stoves
A gas stove is a stove that is fuelled by combustible gas such as syngas, natural gas, propane, butane, liquefied petroleum gas or other flammable gas. Before the advent of gas, cooking stoves relied on solid fuels such as coal or wood. The first ...
,
refrigerators
A refrigerator, colloquially fridge, is a commercial and home appliance consisting of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump (mechanical, electronic or chemical) that transfers heat from its inside to its external environment so th ...
,
washing machines
A washing machine (laundry machine, clothes washer, washer, or simply wash) is a home appliance used to wash laundry. The term is mostly applied to machines that use water as opposed to dry cleaning (which uses alternative cleaning fluids and ...
and
tumble dryer
A clothes dryer, also known as tumble dryer or simply dryer, is a powered household appliance that is used to remove moisture from a load of clothing, bedding and other textiles, usually shortly after they are washed in a washing machine.
Many dry ...
s to continuous clean ovens and
convection oven
A convection oven (also known as a fan-assisted oven or simply a fan oven) is an oven that has fans to circulate air around food to create an evenly heated environment. The increased air circulation causes a fan-assisted oven to cook food fast ...
s.
It currently operates three factories:
* Jacobs (
Durban
Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...
) - manufactures freestanding stoves, built-in ovens and hobs, tumble dryers.
* Ezakheni (
Ladysmith Ladysmith may refer to:
* Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
* Ladysmith, British Columbia, Canada
* Ladysmith, Wisconsin, United States
* Ladysmith, New South Wales, Australia
* Ladysmith, Virginia, United States
* Ladysmith Island, Queenslan ...
) - manufactures electric chest freezers and electric refrigerators.
* eMonti (
East London
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...
) - manufactures electric refrigerators.
Defy Appliances was founded in the 1905 in Wentworth, KwaZulu-Natal by John Skinner and Sir Benjamin Greenacre. The company manufactured its first product,
electric stoves
An electric stove or electric range is a stove with an integrated electrical heating device to cook and bake. Electric stoves became popular as replacements for solid-fuel (wood or coal) stoves which required more labor to operate and maintain. ...
, in 1932.
The Durban Falkirk Iron Company (DFI, now DEFY) moved the foundry from Jacobs to Newcastle around 1987. In July 2011, the company was bought by
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
based
Arçelik
Arçelik A.Ş. is a Turkish multinational household appliances manufacturer which owns Beko and Grundig.
The company engages in the production and marketing of durable goods, components, consumer electronics and after-sale services. Its products ...
for
US$
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
324-million as part of its plan to expand into emerging markets in Africa.
[ Tuesday, 16 March 2021]
References
Companies based in Durban
Electronics companies established in 1905
Home appliance manufacturers of South Africa
South African brands
2011 mergers and acquisitions
1905 establishments in the Colony of Natal
Companies based in KwaZulu-Natal
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