It appears as though South African consumers are realising that life does indeed get better with Hisense. According to data from a leading international market research organisation, Hisense has now ranked number one for the number of television units sold in South Africa for the fifth consecutive month running. During July 2016, the company managed to capture 23% of the local market, with its closest competitors only securing 16% and 15% of market share respectively.

In the Chinese domestic market, Hisense consistently maintains a first place ranking in the television space, having done so for the past 13 years. However, with Hisense South Africa achieving dominance in unit share between March and July 2016, it is the first time the brand has managed to clinch the top spot in an overseas market.

According to the television product line manager at Hisense South Africa, Tommy Jiang, the company’s success can be attributed to a number of reasons. Among these is a sharp increase in demand for televisions in the 49-inch and higher range, with consumers recognising the benefits of larger, more detailed panels. “Hisense is an innovation driven company, which on the television side translates to the pursuit of superior picture quality through leading television innovation. This includes our ULED technology, which offers not only a wider colour gamut but also dynamic backlight control, both of which are essential for better picture quality,” Jiang notes.

Another determining factor is Hisense’s strategic decision to open a factory in Atlantis in the Western Cape. This investment is paying dividends, with local production being able to shelter consumers from the worst of the rise in the rand/dollar exchange rate.

Although the path to the top spot hasn’t been easy, Jiang believes that the company’s hard work in South Africa is now translating into improved sales. “As a brand that has been in the country for more than 20 years, an increasing number of local customers are putting their trust in Hisense due to our televisions’ excellent quality available at decent prices, and our four-year guarantee. With recent sales data from an international authoritative organisation confirming Hisense’s number one position in the television market for the past five months, South African consumers are realising that you need not pay a fortune for a feature rich television,” he concludes.

The Hisense television range in South Africa offers sizes from 32-inches to 85-inches, and includes Curved, 3D, Smart, LED, ULED and Ultra High Definition (UHD) models. The T910 ULED television, for example, provides stunning picture quality thanks to its curved panel, the use of ULED technology and a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels, which is four times that of regular Full HD models.