Denel investments boost SA's economy

Denel also serves as a catalyst for advanced manufacturing in the South African economy, contributing to the development of technology skills and to improvement of revenue through the export of products.

"Denel is increasing its contribution to SA's advanced manufacturing sector through job creation, promoting innovation, technical skills development and SMME development with more than R730m in procurement orders," said Sadik, adding that Denel plays a leading role in positioning SA globally as a reliable supplier of quality manufactured advanced goods and services.

In the financial year to March 2011, Denel spent in excess of R800m on research and development. Sadik says that the collective Research and Development (R&D) projects in the Denel Group - and its associated companies - now exceed R1,1bn per annum. Denel is also a key contributor to the manufacturing sector - especially in the areas of advanced manufacturing and high-end technology. The broader Denel Group employs approximately 6500 employees, including in excess of 600 specialist engineers and scientists, sustaining over 30 000 technical jobs in South Africa. It provides work to specialised locally based SMME engineering companies, and offers technical exposure & training opportunities to over 5 500 South African school learners and university students.

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