Defy Appliances

Defy Appliances is a South African manufacturing company and is the largest manufacturer and distributor of major domestic appliances in Southern Africa.^[1] The company manufactures and develops a range of large appliances from gas stoves, refrigerators, washing machines and tumble dryers to continuous clean ovens and convection ovens.

Defy Appliances

Industry	Manufacturing and service
Founded	1905
Headquarters	Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Key people	Ross Heron (CEO Retired) Current CEO: Mustafa Soylu
Products	Home and major appliances
Operating income	R2.5 billion (2010)
Number of employees	2,600
Parent	Arçelik Group
Website	www.defy.co.za

History

It currently operates two factories:

• Jacobs (Durban) — manufactures freestanding stoves, built-in ovens, hobs, and tumble dryers.
• Ezakheni (Ladysmith) — manufactures electric chest freezers and electric refrigerators.

Defy Appliances was founded in 1905^[2] in Wentworth, KwaZulu-Natal by John Skinner and Sir Benjamin Greenacre. The company manufactured its first product, electric stoves, in 1932.^[1] The Durban Falkirk Iron Company (DFI, now DEFY) moved the foundry from Jacobs to Newcastle around 1987.^[3] In July 2011, the company was acquired by Turkish based Arçelik for US$324-million as part of its plan to expand into emerging markets in Africa.^[4][5]