CISH is the Principal Contract Signatory for your production line project. Your contract is with CISH South Africa — one accountable delivery partner replacing the need for a separate freight forwarder, customs broker, and installation contractor. From the first specification to stable output on the floor, we carry the supplier risk so you do not have to.
For investors and operators who need a full production line planned, sourced, installed, and commissioned without stitching together five different contractors.
For manufacturers replacing aging equipment or adding a new line where throughput, utilities, and changeovers all need to work together from day one.
For teams that want the cost and equipment options of China sourcing but need a delivery partner in South Africa that stays accountable through FAT, shipping, site install, and SAT.
For operations that cannot afford startup drift, late interface surprises, or months of supplier finger-pointing after the line lands.
| Stage | What's in scope | Responsible party |
|---|---|---|
| Process design | Capacity model, mass balance, layout, P&IDs, utility loads | CISH |
| Mechanical engineering | Equipment selection, structural steel, conveyors, piping | CISH |
| Automation & electrical | PLC, HMI, MCC, instrumentation, control philosophy | CISH |
| Procurement | Supplier audits, contracts, FAT in China | CISH |
| Logistics | Freight, insurance, customs clearance support | CISH |
| Civil interface | Concrete plinths, anchor bolts, drainage drawings | CISH designs / Client builds |
| Installation | Mechanical, electrical, instrumentation install on site | CISH |
| Commissioning | Cold commissioning, hot commissioning, SAT | CISH |
| Training | Operator + maintenance training, manuals in English | CISH |
| Warranty | 12 months from SAT, on-site response | CISH |
What is NOT in scope: Civil works (we design, your contractor builds) · Building/shed construction · Connection to grid power beyond the MCC · Raw materials and packaging · Operating licences and environmental permits (we provide drawings to support your application).
Some clients start with a full turnkey delivery. Others begin with China Procurement & Sourcing, or add a longer support phase through Commissioning & Maintenance. If you are still deciding how much ownership to keep in-house, we can help you choose the right commercial model.
How to read this timeline: the stages below show a typical medium-complexity turnkey line. Exact duration depends on line category, civil readiness, utilities, factory acceptance outcomes, and how much of the system is being sourced offshore versus built or integrated locally.
Free 30-minute call. We understand product, volume, footprint, budget.
Capacity model, two layout options, ROM budget, lead time, risk register. Fixed fee, deductible from project.
Equipment list, drawings, automation architecture, FAT protocol. Sign-off gate.
Manufacturing in China under CISH PM. FAT signed off — attend in person or by video.
Your civil contractor builds plinths to our drawings. CISH supervises remotely.
CISH engineers on site. Cold then hot commissioning. SAT. Operator and maintenance training.
Remote monitoring, on-site visits at ramp inflection points.
Most line failures are not because one machine was bad. They happen in the seams: upstream/downstream mismatch, utilities undersized, control logic not aligned, or the supplier blaming the installer and the installer blaming the operator. Turnkey exists to remove those seams from your problem list.
Suppliers optimise their own package, not the full line, so bottlenecks appear only after install.
Site preparation, utilities, and controls are treated as separate workstreams until delays and rework hit the schedule.
Acceptance criteria are vague, which means the line “runs” but never reaches the output, quality, or stability expected by operations.
USD 150k - 500k
Simple packaging, compact processing, entry-level automation
USD 500k - 2M
Dry mix, beverage, plastics converting, small FMCG expansion
USD 2M - 10M
Full dairy, maize mill, large AAC plant, integrated packaging factory
We will give you a defensible ROM number inside two weeks of the discovery call. Site, building, utilities, and automation brand all move the number — those variables will be in the estimate.
Turnkey projects usually move quickly from concept to scope, so the important questions are less about brochure features and more about accountability, interfaces, schedule risk, and what happens after handover.
Tell us what you want to make, at what volume, and what part of the delivery risk you want off your desk. We will come back with a practical next step, whether that is a feasibility study, a sourcing brief, or a full turnkey plan.