About Yale Africa

The brand name Yale, today a worldwide leader in security, was established in 1847 when its historical father, Linus Yale jr., invented the famous pin tumbler mechanism, which is still extensively used today in the Security business and regarded as a reference pattern in major tenders.

Since then, Yale companies have not stopped their industrial and commercial growth towards global markets.

In 1884, the lock manufacturing firm of Josiah Parkes was founded in the United Kingdom.

In 1948 the company set up an assembly operation in Fordsburg and in 1955, established in Robertsham, what was at the time one of the largest lock manufacturing companies in the Southern Hemisphere.

1998 saw Josiah Parkes becoming part of the Williams Group of Companies. Williams was a focused manufacturing and marketing group concentrating globally on three market sectors; Fire Protection, Physical Security and Security Services.

The Williams take-over was accompanied by the Yale brand name. In June 1999 the Compay became Yale-UNION Security South Africa, capatalising on the strengths of the newly aquired Yale and existing UNION brands.

In August 2000, ASSA ABLOY aquired Yale-UNION Security South Africa. A year later ASSA ABLOY consolodated this Robertsham factory into an existing factory in Roodepoort.

ASSA ABLOY (SA) now manufactures and promotes Yale locally as well as exporting into Africa.

ASSA ABLOY branches also operate out of Kenya and Tanzania.