GE Security sees South Africa as springboard into Africa's security market
GE Security employs 1,500 employees in South Africa; the company had revenues of about $3.5 billion in 2008; company sees South Africa as a springboard to triple its business across sub-Saharan Africa in the next five years
The head of GE Security, part of U.S.-based giant GE, said on Friday the company wanted to use South Africa as a springboard to triple its business across sub-Saharan Africa in the next five years. GE Security’s president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Bart Otten, said SA’s investment climate was conducive for doing business despite concern about the skills shortage.
He said in an interview the country had become an important hub from which the company was expanding its presence in Africa.
“We have already determined that we want in the next five years to triple our presence in Africa, using SA as the springboard for our growth, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa,” said Otten, who was on a flying visit to launch a new fire detection product to be manufactured in Cape Town.
GE continued to invest in its Cape Town manufacturing facility to expand the product range for both the local market and export into Africa and Europe, he said.
AllAfrica.com’s Sure Kamhunga writes that the new product, launched on Saturday, is the latest in the company’s range of fire detection units and would be sold locally and also exported, mostly to eastern Europe. Otten said the company was expecting to produce about 50,000 units in the first year of operation, with sales of up to $50 million.
GE Security provides communication and information technology for security and life safety solutions, and the company’s product ranges include access control systems, video surveillance, and fire detection equipment.
Otten estimates the company’s African business, which also includes oil, gas, and energy units and about 1,500 employees, achieved revenues of about $3.5 billion in 2008.
He said business locally was booming and the company was benefiting largely from the huge infrastructure spend on stadiums to be used for the 2010 Soccer World Cup. “The new fire detection platform has been launched just in time for the 2010 soccer tournament,” he said.
The Cape Town facility had become an integral part of GE Security’s business strategy and was producing some of the most sophisticated fire detector control units which were finding a ready market locally and abroad.
