// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhy Jonsson Workwear? It suits the job.
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Clothing, Personal protective equipment |
| Founded | 1968 (as a general trading business) 2000 (as Jonsson Workwear) |
| Founder | Ben Jonsson |
| Headquarters | , South Africa |
Area served | Southern Africa |
| Key people | Nick Jonsson (chairman and chief executive) |
| Products | Workwear, footwear, personal protective equipment |
Number of employees | c. 5,000 (2026) |
| Website | www |
Jonsson Workwear is a South African manufacturer and retailer of workwear, safety footwear and personal protective equipment. Based in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, it manufactures clothing in Lesotho and Mauritius and sells its products through retail stores in South Africa and distributors elsewhere in Southern Africa.[1] The business employed about 5,000 people in 2026.[1]
Jonsson Workwear is the title sponsor of the Jonsson Workwear Open golf tournament. In 2026, Cricket South Africa named it an official sponsor and apparel partner of the South African national teams.[2][3]
History
[edit]The business was founded by Ben Jonsson in 1968 as a general trading operation in KwaZulu-Natal. It initially sold a range of goods, including household products and overalls for boilermakers. By the late 1970s, it had expanded into supplying women's clothing to large retail chains.
Ben Jonsson's son, Nick, joined the business in the mid-1980s and took over its management in the early 1990s. In 2000, he shifted its focus towards workwear manufacturing and renamed the business Jonsson Workwear.[1][a]
Manufacturing began in Lesotho in 2002, initially employing about 70 people.[5] In 2013, Jonsson opened a R100-million distribution centre near OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park. The 12,000 m2 facility increased the company's annual distribution capacity from seven million to 20 million garments.[6]
The Jonsson Foundation, the company's corporate social investment arm, was established in 2018. It is the lead partner of Rally to Read, a rural literacy programme.[7]
During the 2020s, Jonsson began building a garment factory in Nhlangano in the Shiselweni Region of Eswatini. The 20,000 m2 facility was reported to be structurally complete in November 2025, with the potential to employ up to 2,000 people when operating at full capacity.[8] In July 2026, Eswatini's minister of commerce, industry and trade, Manqoba Khumalo, told parliament that construction was complete and that machinery installation was due to begin the following month.[9]
Operations
[edit]Jonsson Workwear is privately owned and headquartered on Umgeni Road in Durban. Its products include workwear, safety footwear and personal protective equipment, including gloves and eye protection.[10]
As of March 2026, Jonsson operated about 30 retail stores in South Africa. It had manufacturing operations in Lesotho and Mauritius, with a further factory under construction in Eswatini, as well as a prototype development facility in Durban.[1] Its products were distributed in Namibia, Eswatini, Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania.[1]
Lesotho
[edit]Jonsson's Lesotho subsidiary, Jonsson Manufacturing, operates a factory in Maputsoe. It employed 4,024 people in 2020.[5]
In April 2019, the factory dismissed about 700 workers following a strike that the employer and the Lesotho Ministry of Labour considered unlawful. The Directorate of Dispute Prevention and Resolution later ruled that the dismissals were unlawful, but awarded the workers three months' wages instead of reinstatement. The National Clothing and Textile Workers Union called for the workers to be reinstated.[11]
Sponsorships
[edit]Jonsson Workwear became the title sponsor of a professional golf tournament in South Africa in 2022. The inaugural Jonsson Workwear Open was co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour and the European Challenge Tour, with a purse of US$250,000. Jonsson initially committed to a three-year sponsorship.[2]
The tournament was co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour in 2023 and 2024.[12] It returned in 2026 as the Jonsson Workwear Durban Open, co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour and Challenge Tour.[13]
In August 2026, Cricket South Africa announced a multi-year agreement naming Jonsson Workwear an official sponsor and apparel partner of the men's and women's national teams.[3][14] The company also supplies apparel to the South African Toyota Gazoo Racing Dakar Rally team and the SA20 cricket league.[1]
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 De Lange, Riana (30 March 2026). "Geklee vir sukses: Dis wat van Jonsson 'n suksesstorie maak" [Dressed for success: this is what makes Jonsson a success story]. Maroela Media (in Afrikaans). Retrieved 22 September 2026.
- 1 2 Khan, Iqbal (23 February 2022). "Inaugural Jonsson Workwear Open golf tournament to boost tourism in KZN". Daily News. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
- 1 2 "Jonsson Workwear joins CSA family as official sponsor to the Proteas". Cricket South Africa. August 2026. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
- ↑ "Foundations". Jonsson Workwear. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
- 1 2 Sebusi, Mathatisi (1 May 2020). "Jonsson Manufacturing cushions workers". Public Eye. Lesotho. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
- ↑ Oliveira, David (18 October 2013). "New facility to distribute 20-million garments". Engineering News. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
- ↑ Furlonger, David (7 April 2022). "Walking away is not an option". Financial Mail. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
- ↑ Mhlanga, Khulekile (25 November 2025). "Jonsson Workwear factory in Nhlangano nears opening". Independent News. Eswatini. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
- ↑ Mkhonta, Nhlanganiso (30 July 2026). "Jonsson Workwear factory ready, machinery installation next month". Times of Eswatini. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
- ↑ "About Us". Jonsson Workwear. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
- ↑ "Lesotho: Union demands reinstatement for unlawfully dismissed employees, not compensation". Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. 31 March 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
Summarising a report by Nkheli Liphoto.
- ↑ Vlismas, Michael (7 March 2023). "Jonsson Workwear to title partner DP World Tour event". SuperSport. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
- ↑ "Jonsson Workwear Durban Open: Tournament Guide". European Tour. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
- ↑ "Cricket South Africa names Jonsson Workwear official sponsor and apparel partner". Sportscape. 26 August 2026. Retrieved 22 September 2026.