EAST LONDON, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA -- Yekani Manufacturing today opened a new "smart manufacturing" facility in the East London Industrial Development Zone.

The contract assembler invested $78 million in the new plant, which will ultimately employ up to 1,000 workers.

The 28,000m (301,000 sq. ft.) facility is equipped with 11 surface mount technology (SMT) machines capable of of placing 1.3 million cph. "Our technologically advanced facility is geared to manufacturing innovative technology products for clients in the automotive, defence, aerospace industries, as well as consumers," said Siphiwe Cele, CEO, Yekani Group, in a statement.

Yekani was founded in 1998 and is one of South Africa's largest EMS companies.

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