CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA -- Chinese OEM Hisense has invested $35 million in a new, massive industrial park here where it will produce hundreds of thousands of TVs, refrigerators and other white goods each year.

The new, 100,000 sq. m. industrial park near Cape Town will include an electronics technology research and development training facility. Hisense will employ 300 workers at the site to start, adding another 300 by fall, and rising to 1,200 total when fully ramped, according to the company.

The site will build some 400,000 TVs and 400,000 refrigerators each year for sub-Saharan Africa, according to reports.

Hisense joins Samsung as major electronics OEM committing substantial resources to Africa. Earlier this year, Samsung announced plans to set up production in Ethiopia and Kenya.

Read Mike Buetow's take on the rise of Africa as an electronics manufacturing center here.