Vereeniging-based Malesela Taihan Electric Cable (M-TEC), one of South Africa’s leading manufacturers of electrical and telecommunications cables, originally established in 1911, has played a part in the country’s cable industry for over 100 years.
JS Kim, Vice President of Taihan; Anna Mokgokong, Executive Chairperson of Community Investment Holdings; DH Kim, President of Hoban Group; Joe Madungandaba, Chairman of M-TEC.
The company recently officially opened its new Continuous Catenary Vulcanisation (CCV) factory in Vereeniging. This represents a significant investment that strengthens local manufacturing capacity, deepens empowerment partnerships, and reinforces confidence in South Africa’s industrial future.
The launch was attended by senior government, business, and diplomatic representatives, including Professor Anna Mokgokong, Executive Chairperson of Community Investment Holdings (CIH), Mr Joe Madungandaba, Chairman of M-TEC, and HE Ambassador Dong-Han Yang of the Republic of Korea.
A partnership powering South Africa’s growth
In 2000, a joint venture between South Africa’s CIH (formerly Community Holdings) and Korea’s Taihan Electric Wire Company, enabled the combination of local empowerment and global technical expertise in M-TEC, to manufacture high-quality cables for power utilities, municipalities, telecommunications networks, and industrial projects across southern Africa.
The new CCV factory represents the next step in that partnership. It will produce high-voltage cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) power cables for energy infrastructure projects and adds advanced automation, higher output capacity, and modernised manufacturing capabilities to the company’s Vereeniging operations.
Chairman of M-TEC Joe Madungandaba said: “The CCV factory demonstrates our confidence in the South African manufacturing sector and the power of partnership between local ownership and international expertise.”
Prof Mokgokong added: “As well as investing in cable manufacturing, this investment is about building skills, creating opportunities, and contributing to our country’s industrialisation and energy security.”
Next-generation technology for high-voltage performance
The new CCV line introduces new technology and new levels of efficiency compared to the company’s original 1974 line. It features fully integrated Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) and Human-Machine Interface (HMI) systems that allow real-time control of temperature, pressure, and line speed, with predictive maintenance and remote diagnostics to minimise downtime.
Modern extruder designs, precision curing systems, and advanced polymer handling enable M-TEC to achieve production speed up to 300% faster than before, as well as superior insulation quality, alongside reduced waste and energy consumption.
The addition of the modern CCV line allows M-TEC to operate one high-capacity and one lower-capacity line – matching the scale of international competitors – and to expand into 66 kV high-voltage cable production from 2026.
Mr Young Soo Shin, CEO of M-TEC, said: “This expansion positions M-TEC to meet South Africa’s growing demand for high-performance, locally produced cable solutions and will ensure that our operations remain sustainable, data-driven and future-focused.”
Sustainable operations
M-TEC is a Black-owned and Black-managed enterprise, recognised for its strong empowerment credentials in South Africa’s cable industry. The company actively supports enterprise and supplier development, with a focus on Black- and youth-owned businesses, while investing in artisanship, graduate programmes, and technical skills development.
The CCV factory will further this commitment, creating more than 100 new technical and manufacturing jobs, and offering training and certification opportunities for artisans in Vereeniging and surrounding communities. It also introduces energy-efficient systems and closed-loop recycling processes to reduce environmental impact and resource use.
Supporting national infrastructure
For more than two decades, M-TEC has supplied the infrastructure that powers homes, industries, and economies – from high-voltage power cables to fibre optics. It supplies power cables to Eskom and municipalities, provides telecommunications cables for broadband and fibre-optic networks, delivers solutions for rail, mining, construction, and renewable-energy projects, creates jobs, and supports local enterprise in Vereeniging and beyond.
By expanding its production footprint, M-TEC will help localise key components for national infrastructure, the energy transition, and digital-connectivity – reducing reliance on imports and strengthening South Africa’s manufacturing base.
Malesela Taihan Electric Cable – M-TEC – manufactures a comprehensive range of cables and conductors, including:
- Power cables – high, medium, and low voltage for distribution networks, utilities, and industry
- Telecommunications cables – fibre-optic and copper solutions enabling digital connectivity
- Specialised cables – for mining, rail, construction, and renewable-energy sectors
- Aluminium conductor products – including ACSR for overhead transmission lines.
All products are manufactured at M-TEC’s ISO- and SABS-certified facility in Vereeniging and tested against IEC and SANS benchmarks.
For more information visit: https://www.m-tec.co.za/
