Private company

Defy Appliances

Logo: Defy Appliances, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons4

South African manufacturing company

Defy Appliances is a South African manufacturing company and is the largest manufacturer and distributor of major domestic appliances in Southern Africa. 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.2 It is part of Arçelik.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 20, 2026.

Overview

1920Founded1
  • HeadquartersDurban1
  • Websitewww.defy.co.za
  • Legal formPrivate Company3
  • LEI984500A9A548DCCED0843
  • StatusActive3
  • LEI statusIssued and current3
  • Registered address135 TEAKWOOD ROAD, 4026 Jacobs, South Africa3
  • Registered withCompanies and Intellectual Property Commission, 2007/006715/073

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Defy Appliances is a South African manufacturing company and is the largest manufacturer and distributor of major domestic appliances in Southern Africa. 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.2

Corporate structure

Defy Appliances is part of a group headed by Koç Holding. 204 entities, 23 countries on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

  • Koç Holding İstanbul, Turkey
    • Arçelik İstanbul, Turkey
      • Beko 100% · Breda, Netherlands
      • Defy Appliances Jacobs, South Africa
      • Beko Germany Subsidiary · Eschborn, Germany
      • Elektra Bregenz Subsidiary · Vienna, Austria
      • Grundig Subsidiary · Nuremberg
        • Lumophon Subsidiary · Nuremberg, Germany
      • Singer Bangladesh Ltd. Subsidiary
      • BEKO A AND NZ PTY LTD Subsidiary · 100% · Ormeau, Australia
      • Grundig Multimedia A.G. Subsidiary · 100% · Stansstad, Switzerland
      • ARCELIK HITACHI HOME APPLIANCES SALES (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD. Subsidiary · 60% · Singapore, Singapore
      • บริษัท อาร์เซลิก ฮิตาชิ โฮม แอพพลายแอนซ์ เซลส์ (ประเทศไทย) จ Subsidiary · 60% · ต.บางแก้ว, Thailand
      • Altus Subsidiary · Turkey
      • Arcelik Hitachi Home Appliances B.V. Subsidiary · Amsterdam, Netherlands
      • Arcelik Hitachi Home Appliances Sales Hong Kong Limited Subsidiary · Bangkok, Thailand
      • ARCELIK HITACHI HOME APPLIANCES SALES MALAYSIA SDN. BHD. Subsidiary · Amsterdam, Netherlands
      • Arçelik LG Subsidiary · Turkey
      • ARÇELİK PAZARLAMA ANONİM ŞİRKETİ Subsidiary · İstanbul, Turkey
      • BEKO SPAIN ELECTRONICS S.L. Subsidiary · Barcelona, Spain
      • WAT MOTOR SANAYİ VE TİCARET ANONİM ŞİRKETİ Subsidiary · Tekirdag, Turkey
      • บริษัท อาร์เซลิก ฮิตาชิ โฮม แอพพลายแอนซ์ (ประเทศไทย) จำกัด Subsidiary · จ.ปราจีนบุร, Thailand
      • บริษัท อาร์เซลิก ฮิตาชิ โฮม แอพพลายแอนซ์ ไอบีซี จำกัด Subsidiary · บางรัก, Thailand
      • 阿奇立克日立台灣家電股份有限公司 Subsidiary · 臺北市, Taiwan
      • 阿奇立克日立家用电器（上海）有限公司 Subsidiary · 上海市, China
    • Otokar İstanbul, Turkey
    • Tüpraş İstanbul, Turkey
      • Körfez Ulaştırma Subsidiary
      • ENTEK ELEKTRİK ÜRETİMİ ANONİM ŞİRKETİ Subsidiary · Kocaeli̇, Turkey
        • ELTEK ELEKTRİK ENERJİSİ İTHALAT İHRACAT VE TOPTAN TİCARET ANONİM ŞİRKETİ Subsidiary · Kocaeli̇, Turkey
        • ESİNTİ ENERJİ ÜRETİM TİCARET VE SANAYİ ANONİM ŞİRKETİ Subsidiary · Kocaeli̇, Turkey
      • TUPRAS TRADING LTD Subsidiary · London, United Kingdom
    • Yapı ve Kredi Bankası İstanbul, Turkey
      • Yapi Kredi Culture Art Publishing Inc. Subsidiary · Beyoğlu, Turkey
      • Yapi Kredi Bank Nederland N.V. Subsidiary · 100% · Amsterdam, Netherlands
      • Yapi Kredi Holding B.V. Subsidiary · 100% · Amsterdam, Netherlands
      • YAPI KREDİ FAKTORİNG ANONİM ŞİRKETİ Subsidiary · İstanbul, Turkey
      • YAPI KREDİ FİNANSAL KİRALAMA ANONİM ORTAKLIĞI Subsidiary · İstanbul, Turkey
      • YAPI KREDİ YATIRIM MENKUL DEĞERLER ANONİM ŞİRKETİ Subsidiary · İstanbul, Turkey
        • YAPI KREDİ PORTFÖY YÖNETİMİ ANONİM ŞİRKETİ Subsidiary · İstanbul, Turkey
          • 123 more
      • YKK Research Library Subsidiary · Beyoğlu, Turkey
    • Aygaz Subsidiary · İstanbul
    • Ford Otosan Stake · 41% · İstanbul
    • AYGAZ ANONİM ŞİRKETİ Subsidiary · İstanbul, Turkey
      • ANADOLUHİSARI TANKERCİLİK ANONİM ŞİRKETİ Subsidiary · Istanbul, Turkey
      • AYGAZ DOĞAL GAZ TOPTAN SATIŞ ANONİM ŞİRKETİ Subsidiary · Istanbul, Turkey
      • KANDİLLİ TANKERCİLİK ANONİM ŞİRKETİ Subsidiary · Istanbul, Turkey
      • KUZGUNCUK TANKERCİLİK ANONİM ŞİRKETİ Subsidiary · Istanbul, Turkey
    • BEKO PLC Subsidiary · Watford, United Kingdom
    • DÜZEY TÜKETİM MALLARI SANAYİ PAZARLAMA VE TİCARET ANONİM ŞİRKETİ Subsidiary · İstanbul, Turkey
    • KOÇ FİNANSMAN ANONİM ŞİRKETİ Subsidiary · İstanbul, Turkey
    • KOÇ SİSTEM BİLGİ VE İLETİŞİM HİZMETLERİ ANONİM ŞİRKETİ Subsidiary · İstanbul, Turkey
    • KOÇTAŞ YAPI MARKETLERİ TİCARET ANONİM ŞİRKETİ Subsidiary · İstanbul, Turkey
    • MARMARİS ALTINYUNUS TURİSTİK TESİSLER ANONİM ŞİRKETİ Subsidiary · Antalya, Turkey
    • OLYMPIC - EMPORIKES KAI TOURISTIKES EPICHEIRESEIS MONOPROSOPE ANONYME ETAIREIA Subsidiary · Chalandri, Greece
    • OTOKOC HUNGARY AUTÓKÖLCSÖNZŐ ÉS SZOLGÁLTATÓ KORLÁTOLT FELELŐSSÉGŰ TÁRSASÁG Subsidiary · Budapest, Hungary
    • OTOKOÇ OTOMOTİV TİCARET VE SANAYİ ANONİM ŞİRKETİ Subsidiary · İstanbul, Turkey
    • PT ARCELIK HITACHI HOME APPLIANCES SALES INDONESIA Subsidiary · Jakarta Pusat, Indonesia
    • TÜRK TRAKTÖR VE ZİRAAT MAKİNELERİ ANONİM ŞİRKETİ Subsidiary · Ankara, Turkey

Built from parent and subsidiary links from GLEIF, the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (CC0); subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0). Each entity in the chart links to its source.

The story

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 in Wentworth, KwaZulu-Natal by John Skinner and Sir Benjamin Greenacre. The company manufactured its first product, electric stoves, in 1932. The Durban Falkirk Iron Company (DFI, now DEFY) moved the foundry from Jacobs to Newcastle around 1987. 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.

From Wikipedia’s article on Defy Appliances, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5

Products and brands

  • home appliance

Listed on Wikidata.1

Subsidiaries and ownership

Parent company

From Wikidata.1

Timeline

  1. 1920Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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