ACTOM has formally relaunched transformer production at its Pretoria facility the first major operational milestone following its acquisition of SGB-SMIT Power Matla SSPM, which positions the group as Africas largest transformer manufacturer. The plant, which had been unoccupied for more than a year, has now brought approximately 250 employees back into service after returning to work on November 3. Manufacturing is set to kick off in January.
A factory tour held on December 3 showcased ACTOMs renewed commitment to rebuilding local transformer manufacturing capability an objective central to the acquisition. Through that transaction, ACTOM assumed ownership of SSPMs Pretoria and Cape Town plants with the intention of restoring production capacity and expanding high-voltage transformer output for South Africas transmission grid expansion.
ACTOM Group CEO Mervyn Naidoo highlighted the Pretoria plants technical capability, stating: This factory is equipped to manufacture core class 2 power transformers of up to 315 MVA and 275 kV. The decision to revive the plant was driven by the scale of anticipated grid development, he added. The country faces approximately 15 000 km of transmission line build and needs more than 100 substations over the next 15 years, he said. Naidoo emphasised that increasing domestic production capacity is essential to meeting this demand without excessive reliance on imported units.
