Amazing innovations from South African entrepreneurs
Category Commercial and Industrial News
South African entrepreneurs and small businesses have a long history of being movers and shakers, creating innovations in various fields that improve people's lives all over the world. The last few years have been no exception, and new ground is being broken regularly in fields such as clothing and textiles, medicine, alternative power sources and products that make remarkable differences in families' everyday lives. Individuals, small businesses and entrepreneurs in South Africa are paving the way to a smarter and brighter future.
'Stretching' the possibilities in the textiles and clothing industries
In an era in which many South African retailers are favouring locally manufactured apparel over cheap imports, there are exciting projects underway by local entrepreneurs and small businesses in the textiles and clothing industries. For example, Gilo Lifestyle Clothing, a Cape Town-based clothing brand, creates the fabric for their men's boardshorts by transforming plastic dumped on beaches around the world. The plastic-to-fabric transformation involves the plastic being processed into small pellets, which are then stretched out and made into yarn, proving that fashion, innovation and sustainability can go hand in hand.
A continuing culture of medical and healthcare innovation
South Africa is no newcomer to the field of medical marvels, and the story of Christiaan Barnard and the first-ever human-to-human heart transplant is well known. The culture of medical innovation seems set to continue into the future, and last year, thanks to developments in 3D printing, the University of Pretoria's Professor Mashudu Tshifularo wrote his name in the annals of history. By printing the bones that make up the middle ear, Tshifularo carried out the first-ever 3D-printed middle-ear transplant.
In another shining example of South African entrepreneurs paving the way to a better future, Ludwick Marishane was still in high school when he came up with the idea for DryBath. This is a gel which can be used to clean the whole body without any need of water. Within six months, this young scientist had devised the formula for the gel.
Bringing power to disadvantaged communities - literally
Reliable access to power is a major obstacle to development in South Africa's rural areas. Thanks to a group of local entrepreneurs who set up shop in 2016, an innovative solution has been found in the SolarTurtle. A SolarTurtle is a solar-powered energy hub that entrepreneurs can use to provide energy to community members. These "turtles" gather their energy from solar panels, making them both economical and environmentally friendly. For security reasons, the SolarTurtle's panels can quickly be folded away into the hard shell of the container.
Reducing the cost of cooking a meal
For many impoverished families in South Africa, paying for electricity to cook a meal poses a challenge. Enter another fantastic local innovation: the Wonderbag. The idea came to founder Sarah Collins back in 2008 and the product has grown from strength to strength, being named one of Time Magazine's Top 50 genius products in 2018. Simply put, the Wonderbag is a heavily insulated container that can slow cook food for up to 12 hours without using electricity. After bringing a pot to the boil - either using a stove or a fire - the bag will retain the heat and continue to cook the meal.
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Author: 3Cube Property Solutions
