INSITE into SA's sci-tech future
8 November 2004
The International Science, Innovation and Technology Exhibition (INSITE), held in Midrand, Johannesburg last week, showcased some of the innovations, products, technologies, services and solutions that could help drive South Africa into the future.
The three-day event aimed to create an international marketplace for science and technology in the context of long-term sustainability.
Over 40 companies from different countries exhibited new technological wares, while scientists, academics and researchers shared ideas at a Biotechnology conference on the sidelines of the exhibition.
While delegates were debating issues, school and universtiy students explored the latest technologies and innovations.
The Empilweni Pension Payout Services exhibited a technologically advanced armoured vehicle called Mshay'azafe.
The company has been contracted for four years by the Mpumalanga government to pay social grants to more than 265 000
people in the province.
As one of the pioneers in the field of mobile payment solutions, Empilweni has focused on developing new technology to support the distribution of R141-million in both rural and urban areas without serious hindrances such as robberies.
Since introducing seven "superior cash-in-transit vehicles", the company has never been robbed. The locally developed vehicles are equipped with eight video cameras that record every movement around them for up to 36 hours, even if the car is switched off.
"Our solution enables us to go beyond traditional parameters and enables us to achieve our strategic goals in the ever-changing information technology environment", says Empilweni IT manager Gys Potgieter.
The company is also in the process of introducing smart cards to provide services to beneficiaries swiftly - very swiftly: transactions take only 30 seconds.
Meanwhile, through its various poverty eradication projects, the Department of
Science and Technology funded a number of small businesses and helped them to participate in the exhibition.
One of environmentally friendly projects supported by the department, the Imbaula cooker, displayed a unique way of cooking and heating using jell fuel, an innovation suitable for both indoors and outdoors.
The affordable Imbaula does not operate on gas, paraffin or electricity. Most importantly, it does not emit smoke, gives off no smell, and is safe to use.
Imbaula marketing manager Dudu Makunyane said production of the cookers involved the recycling of 750g coffee tins.
Another small firm, Shift Interactive Communications, had its stand regularly crowded by learners and would-be entrepreneurs.
The company aims to introduce its short message systems (SMS) kiosks around the country, enabling people who cannot afford cellphones to send and receive SMS messages.
The machine operates through a touch screen and voice prompts in English and
isiZulu which direct the user on how to send and receive messages.
"The kiosks are designed for fairly literate people, all they need is to punch in the number and send the message", says company director Nothemba Noruwana.
"We believe this could be an ideal machine to bring government services to the people, as people do not necessarily have to be literate to operate the machines."
Noruwana said her company woud be approaching the government with an eye to installing the machines in multi-purpose community centres around the country.
South Africa is attempting to advance science and technology in response to its socio-economic challenges. Innovative ideas such as these hold out hope for the future.
Themed around sustainable development, the exhibition formed part of the country's 10 years of democracy celebrations.
"South Africa has come a long way since 1994", said Science and Technology Minister Mosibudi Mangena. "When we became a democracy,
a large section of the population had little access to science and technology.
"The new government soon realised that if the problem was not addressed, it would limit the ability of disadvantaged groups to participate in the country's transformation."
Source: BuaNews
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