The Chinese company is Africa’s largest optical fibre cable manufacturer.
Yangtze Optics Africa Cable (YOA) has more than doubled its North Coast investment with a new R160-million fibre optic cable factory at Dube TradePort.
The Chinese company, Africa’s largest optical fibre cable manufacturer, was first established at Dube Tradeport in 2016 as a partnership between Yangtze Optical Fibre, Cable Joint Stock Limited Company and JSE-listed Mustek Limited.
This latest expansion follows an initial R150-million investment and introduces intelligent optical fibre manufacturing technologies at the 14 000m² facility to increase production.
YOA CEO Pieter Viljoen highlighted the investment’s significance at the factory’s launch on Tuesday, stating that direct investment in the country now exceeds R310-million.
“The factory will help us use optical fibre as a vehicle to drive an inclusive digital economy for all South Africans across the country,” said Viljoen.
The factory will boost localisation in fibre optic manufacturing, reducing reliance on imports.
“This is the first locally produced polyethylene product used in the manufacturing of optical fibre cable in South Africa, in more than 20 years. This is an example of impactful localisation of optical fibre supply chain,” said Viljoen.
YOA’s production capacity has tripled, from one million to three million kilometres of fibre optic cables.
Employment is expected to grow from an initial 124 workers to 260 at full capacity, with further opportunities created through YOA’s youth leadership programme. This initiative includes internships for graduates in finance, manufacturing, and IT, along with a 12-month learnership programme for matriculants.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic Development, Tourism, and Environmental Affairs, Reverend Musa Zondi, praised the programme, emphasising its role in skills development and job creation.
“It’s not an exaggeration to state that it is exceptionally important to create even one or two local jobs, but this is beyond our wildest dreams,” said Zondi.