Hisense had a relaunch event. It doesn't mean they left the country, quite the opposite really. They have expanded their product range to include small home appliances and have added a few high spec refrigerators and 3D televisions.
Hisense has a partnership with Whirlpool and by the end of 2011 Hisense will be manufacturing 80% of Whirlpools fridges. They also have partnerships with AMD, IBM and Hitachi.
The event was not aimed at consumers like me and you but rather at the buyers and managers of the top stores in SA.
Friendly fact: Hisense is currently the ONLY brand in South Africa to carry out their own service. All brands including Sony and Samsung use agents country wide to service and repair their goods.
Dont doubt Hisense for a second, they have led the Chinese market in TV for over 7 consecutive years and air con market for over 14 consecutive years. China is a power house and Hisense being the biggest electronics brand in China is powering up as fast as the Chinese economy. Dont forget that ALL brands including LG, Sony etc are made in China!!