Our history in South Africa

From the first deliveries to a global technology powerhouse
Milestones of business development
1860
Siemens, Halske & Co., London, supplies telegraph equipment for the line from Capetown to Simonstown
1873
John Abraham & Co., Capetown, becomes the agent of Siemens Brothers in South Africa
1880
G.A. Boettger, Capetown becomes the sole agent for Siemens Brothers
1888
A Siemens & Halske (S&H) telephone is installed for the president of the South African Republic, Paul Krüger, in Pretoria
1892
S&H receives an order for the first public power station in Capetown
1895
Siemens & Halske South African Agency Johannesburg is founded
1895
A major order is received from Rand Central Electric Works Ltd., Johannesburg, for a power plant to supply the gold mines
1898
The company is renamed Siemens Ltd. Johannesburg
1910
The company moves into its own office building in Johannesburg
1920
Siemens-Schuckertwerke (SSW) appoints C. Kleudgen, Johannesburg as its agent
1923
Siemens (S.A.) Ltd., Johannesburg, is founded with numerous sub-agencies
1931
A Berlin Committee of Siemens (S.A.) Ltd. is set up
1952
A new company, Protos Engineering (Pty.) Ltd., Johannesburg, is founded; two years later the old name Siemens S.A. (Pty.) Ltd. is reintroduced
1957
Siemens and the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphy sign a ten-year-delivery contract
1961
A telecommunication factory is established in Koedoespoort, Pretoria
1965
The company moves into the new Siemens building in Johannesburg
1973
Capetown is supplied with the first computer-controlled traffic system
1982
An order is received to equip Kendal, the largest coal-fired power plant in the world
1993
An order for large rectifier stations is received from the aluminum factory ALUSAF
1999
The first Government telemedicine contract is awarded to Siemens
2000
Siemens receives a large order for the installation of a railway interlocking signalling system on the Kimberley-De Aar line
2001
Siemens is awarded a turnkey contract for the Cell C mobile network infrastructure
2002
Siemens signs an IT outsourcing contract with the Department of Labou
2003
An order is received for first bi-plane flat panel cardiac catheterisation laboratories in Africa for the Red Cross Childrens Hospital
2004
The company is awarded a contract by ESKOM to modernize the instrumentation and control system for the Majuba power plant in Amersfoort. Cooperation with the plant operator is maintained via remote services
2006
Siemens heads the Impilo consortium, which the Ministry of Health of KwaZulu Province commissioned to equip, administer and operate the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital in Durban
2007
Siemens is awarded a contract for the building of the first new power plants in democratic South Africa for ESKOM: Ankerlig in Cape Town and Gourikwa in Mossel Bay
2009
Siemens wins orders for about €1 billion in the run-up to the 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa
2012
Siemens receives its first wind farm commission in the Eastern Cape, the 138-MW onshore wind project Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm, which includes the erection of 60 wind turbines and their maintenance for a period of ten years
2013
Siemens is awarded an onshore wind power order for the Sere wind power plant on the west coast of South Africa, a flagship project for the customer ESKOM
2014
Inauguration of the Mandela School of Science & Technology in Mvezo, Eastern Cape, which Siemens has built together with the Mvezo Development Trust and Department of Education