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South Africa’s Prestigious Top Awards for the

Management of Technology, Innovation and People in a

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Be a Technology Top 100 Winner.

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South Africa’s Prestigious Top Awards for the

Management of Technology, Innovation and People in a

Systems Environment.

Be a Technology Top 100 Winner.

technology

THE FUTURE IS NOW > INNOVATION TAKES TO THE STREETS

T echnology has been a popular and rapidly-growing featured theme in DESIGN > magazine during the past few years. Readers, designers,

technology innovators, business leaders, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists have encouraged us to expand our coverage of technology and innovation topics.

DESIGN > in technology is the result of a publishing partnership between Design Information, the prestigious Technology Top 100 (TT100) awards programme and The Da Vinci Institute for Technology Management.

The magazine and information platform feature innova-tions in the technology sector, focusing on the qualifiers of TT100 as its core editorial framework, while also looking at international best practices. It covers the same categories as the TT100 awards and features in-depth articles, interviews and case studies focusing on the role of technology and innovation in enterprises and organisational management

I have had the honour of researching the Technology Top 100 Companies during our launch of DESIGN > in technology. One word comes to mind “WOW”. There is a world of entrepreneurial innovators and designers out there who deserve a walk of fame down the N1 Highway. The difference these innovators make to our world is mostly unseen. From open source technology at universities too landmine protection in Africa,

worm technology to defence artillery in Egypt. There

are obvious problems that face industry – starting with

the misconception that the Technology Top 100

Companies is not an award for technical equipment

but rather for the management of technology.

There are other issues that should be addressed

urgently, such as funding for young innovators. There

are a few of these young people with exceptional products

that may well go nowhere. Another issue is the provision

of advisory services. Innovators need advice from

various industries and these services should be pro-

vided. It is also most important to share experiences

so that innovators can learn from one another. Projects

can take many years to come to fruition – people need

to know this. They also need to know what is in place

when it comes to government support, exposure to

markets and network platforms.

I am proud to be able to bring information on some of

these issues to innovators, decision makers and the

public at large through this publication. I am even

more proud to have had the honour to sit with some of

the innovators and hear the story behind their stories.

I see them as entrepreneurial warriors who have taken

up a challenge and in most cases, succeeded. <

Cameron Bramley

> Publisher

PREFACE > �

technology

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The product range includes wet or dry diamond X-ray sorters, magnetic roll separators, low dose X-ray body scanners for personnel security applications, non-nuclear dense medium controllers and diamond simulants for various applications.

DebTech provides full technical support, including training, spares and maintenance.

Metallurgical services include technical plant audits and ore dressing studies as well as general metallurgical trouble shooting.

Visit our website at www.debtech.com for more information on products offered by DebTech.

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technology

DESIGN IN TECHNOLOGY

T here is no doubt that we are now in an era where we simply cannot escape the reality that tech-nology has become the dominant driver in both

our personal and business lives. We have come to realise that the very notion of the management of technology has undergone a major transformation. It is in this domain that we now talk about the so called big ‘T’ and small ‘t’ in technology.

The former refers to the processes and skills base re-quired to design, develop and manufacture artefacts for the consumer. As such, this is a disciplined process driven by technically competent people who follow a process to ensure that the end product is cost effective, safe, maintainable and meets the needs of the consumer.

The new world is all about the small ‘t’ in technology, which is concerned with both the users and the developers of technology. In this small ‘t’ world, the focus is not so much as to how we go about the design and manufacture, but how we can make the technology work for us. In this world we recognise that we are all technologists – every one of us who uses tools to do things better. These tools can range from pencils to sophisticated microprocessors and are certainly not confined to the so called high-tech environment.

This is the world of ‘soft’ technology (the hyper-competitor) where accent is placed on being able capitalise on the market through the use of the ‘hard’ technologies which come out of universities and research laboratories. As such, these organisations will time their production to meet market demands. They study the market and gain a huge insight into market trends and behavioural patterns of consumers. They

believe in managing the value chain and spend as much time with their suppliers as they do with their customers. It’s all about moving away from market-led strategies, to strategies which are grounded in technology.

In launching DESIGN > in technology we are trying to capture the ‘story behind the story’. We are interested in what these organisations do to ensure ongoing growth, we are even more interested in how they cultivate an environment which is conducive to staff retention, and above all how they are able to encourage an atmos-phere in which innovation is placed centre stage of all operations.

The bottom line is all about sustainability – a dimension which moves beyond the so-called triple bottom line. A truly sustainable operation is able to balance their business demands with the need to manage not only the internal workings of the operation but also all those external factors which have direct or indirect impact on their operations.

Over the past 17 years, the Technology Top 100 programme has provided a wealth of information on global winners who in spite of challenges have been able to land their products, processes and systems into viciously com-petitive markets. At the end of the day, these are organisations that have come to grips with the manage-ment of technology, innovation and people. All of this is conducted in an environment where viewing the organisation as a System is key.

Dr Roy Marcus

FOREWORD > �

> Chairman, Technology Top 100

technology

CONTENTS

3 > FOREWORDS

The future is now > Innovation takes to the streetsDESIGN > in technologyDesign, innovation and technology

›››

58 > MANAGEMENT OF TECHNOLOGY

Providing business intelligence for the healthcare industryTechnology Pioneers 2009 > Awarding the best

›

›

136 > CONSTRUCTION 148 > DESIGN FOR DEVELOPMENT

Design ingenuity addresses developing world issues What is good design?

››

South African sports stadiums set to impressMove city, move

››

90 > HEALTH 98 > ENVIRONMENT

South African invention gets to the core of Pilates trainingPeepoo bag > Simple solution to a pressing problem

›

›

Innovative solutions for landmine clearingPrize-winning design: From dump to delight

››

11 > THOUGHT LEADERS

The new breed of technology manager does not require a ‘brawn-based’ mindsetCreating an African footprint in materials technologyRedefining the purpose of design and technologyDesign and the elastic mind

›

›››

Heal the soil > Heal the people > Heal the environmentCryogel polymer technology used to make cosmetic eye productBell receives top honours in TT100

›

›

›

66 > CONNECTIVITY

Social networking online Leading the charge in the open source revolutionProcurement and advertising platform > Changing the way pharmacies do business

›››

Gautrain Map onlineApplying the 4 Ps in the mobile marketing mixAfrican inventions site honoured

›››

110 > TRANSPORTAT10N

Gautrain > African solutions to address unique development challengesZOOM Rih > designed to run like the wind

›

›

126 > ENERGY

Do you know what’s going on under your own roof?Green charcoal to save forestsR1.8-bn sugar fuel plant for KZN

›››

technology

M AGA Z I N E

SPONSORS

DESIGN, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY

The convergence of verbs and nouns

S emantics has been cause for controversy,

confusion and conflict since the dawn of

mankind. In recent years few topics have

raised as much debate in the design field as the

popularisation and interchangeable use of the terms

‘design’, ‘technology’ and innovation’ in corporate and

governmental domains. It gets even more complex when

the concept of ‘management’ of those disciplines is

added to the mix.

Designers often feel that their professional practice

area is marginalised when organisational executives and

government legislators discuss the topic, particularly

because they often not invited to be part of such

discussions. They also – rightfully – become defensive

when ‘others’ ‘appropriate’ their skills and knowledge

and ‘repackage’ it in a different context or discipline.

A fact that designers sometimes forget is that their

discipline is, by its nature, dynamic and ever evolving

– and has always been. The semantics that defines

their activities continuously nurtures the growth,

development and innovation of the discipline – and

others – because it is so fluid. This is the essence on

which DESIGN > in technology aims to focus.

DESIGN > in technology does not abide by traditional

definitions; it does not compartmentalise practice

disciplines; and it embraces the interchangeable use of

verbs and nouns when it addresses the topics of design

and innovation. By doing so, DESIGN > in technology

aims to facilitate healthy debate and highlight the

benefits of bridging the divides between the

disciplines.

DESIGN > in technology takes a bi-partisan stance

and celebrates the developments and achievements

of all related disciplines. Furthermore, it aims to main-

stream cross-disciplinary collaboration between the

design, technology and management areas as a

means to stimulate innovation for the benefit of all.

This first issue of DESIGN > in technology focuses on

how women are leading the way in fostering cross-

disciplinary collaboration. Featured in this launch

edition are local trailblazing science manager, Liesbeth

Botha, environmental advocate, Carmen Nottingham

and entrepreneur, Kerryne Krause Neufeldt. International

contributions come from Kigge Hvid and Paula Antonelli

who are both recognised as staunch advocates of the

interdisciplinary agenda.

The DESIGN > in technology team wishes you an enter-

taining and insightful read. <

Jacques Lange

> Editor

� > EDITOR’S FOREWORD

PUBLISHER & CEO >

Cameron Bramley

cameron@designmagazine.co.za

EDITOR >

Jacques Lange

jacquesL@iafrica.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR >

Jennie Fourie

CONTRIBUTORS >

Janine Erasmus, Barbara Jensen,

Deirdre Marcus, Roy Marcus, Irin News,

Nicky Rehbock, Teryl Schroenn,

Sanandan Sudhir, Gavin van Haght

& Estelle Warmsley

SALES DIRECTOR >

Jeff Malan

CREDITSPRODUCTION ASSISTANT >

Michelle Swart

ADMINISTRATION & ACCOUNTS >

Lana McLachlan

CREATIVE DIRECTOR >

Jacques Lange

LAYOUT & DESIGN >

Bluprint Design

COVER PHOTOGRAPH >

Maximilian Näther

PUBLISHED BY >

Design Information

Tel: +27(0) 82 882 8124

Fax: +27 (0) 86 678 8448

www.designmagazine.co.za

DESIGN > in technology is produced by Design Information. All material is strictly copyright,

with all rights reserved. No material may be reproduced in part or whole without the

express permission of the publisher. No responsibility will be accepted for unsolicited

material. The publisher accepts no liability of whatsoever nature arising out of or in

connection with the contents of this publication. The publisher does not give any warranty

as to the completeness or accuracy of its contents. The views and opinions expressed in

DESIGN > in Technology are not necessarily those of the publisher, its endorsers, sponsors

or contributors.

© 2009 Design Information.

technology

THE NEw bREEd Of TEcHNOlOgy mANAgER

dOES NOT REquIRE A ‘BRAWN-BASED’

mINdSETBy Deirdre Marcus

10 > THOUGHT LEADER

technology

The very notion that the word ‘technology’ conjures

up in the minds of people is a world primarily

dominated by men who are attracted to the so-

called ‘brawn-based’ environment. This traditional

mindset is rapidly being challenged by the reality that

businesses now make money through the judicious

use of knowledge management, and every effort has

been made to remove the ‘brawn’ out of the traditional

manufacturing and heavy engineering industries.

As technology becomes the dominant agent of change

in every facet of our private and business lives, there is

a growing need for a new breed of technology manager.

We are now faced with the harsh reality that the world

as we know it is moving away from one where strategy

dictated technology to the new world where technology

now dictates strategy. In this new world, the profile of

the technology manager is rapidly moving away from

developers who have been somewhat insensitive to

the end user, to one in which the manager, designer,

manufacturer and all those elements associated with

the design, production and marketing of new tech-

nologies need to have a deep appreciation of the impact

which the technology that they are developing and

marketing will have on to the consumer.

These realities have dictated the need for an entirely

different approach to developing a skills base to service

the needs of the so-called technology industry. The

definition of technology has shifted from one being

dominated by the intricacies of the design of structures

and printed circuit boards and the like, to one in

which technology is viewed as ‘a way of doing things

better’. Here, technology may involve anything from

art to high tech laser cutters. In this world we need to

appreciate that technology is not only about laptop

computers and microprocessors, but more about a

philosophical approach which is deeply embedded in

the way in which we carry out our day-to-day existence.

The nature of the skills base required by industry is also

moving away from one in which the total responsibility

for the design and implementation technology resided

with one individual. At The Da Vinci Institute for Tech-

nology Management, we now look at two different

elements of technology, recognising that there is a

small group of highly skilled people whose prime

responsibility is the so-called hard ‘T’ in technology.

Here the engineer, technologist and technician are

the dominant role players. These are the people who

create the technological backbone for whatever is

being developed – these are the people who are

responsible for the manufacture of the machines,

computers, cameras and the like and are also the people

who will ensure the installation, implementation and

subsequent maintenance of what they have developed.

Deirdre Marcus, executive director,

The Da Vinci Institute

for Technology Management

and TT100 (Pty) Ltd.

12 > THOUGHT LEADER

technology

On the other side of the coin is a whole new world of

people whose responsibility it is to manage the so-

called small ‘t’ in technology. In this world the skills

profile is one in which there is a need for people to have

a far greater sensitivity for the environment, for the per-

vasive impact which technology is having on our lives

and above all, for the all important human-technology

interface. This world is dominated by people with a

skills set which is predicated on their ability to see

the environment from an holistic point of view. These

people are concerned with the impact that technology

will have on their employees and their consumers. They

place a lot of emphasis on understanding how to manage

the change process which has been brought about by

these new technologies. They have a solid appreciation

of the business world and more importantly, are able

to see the big picture recognising that technology

alters reality.

This new breed of technology manager does not require

a ‘brawn-based’ mindset. It requires people who have an

open mind, are willing to challenge and be challenged

and who are able to make critical decisions, realising

that the decision-making process in the business

world has moved away from financial considerations

were the dominant factor, to one in which both the

financial and other key factors become the platform

to make sound business decisions.

The very nature of this new environment requires people

who do not necessarily have to understand the intricacies

of the technology itself, but rather need to understand

how the technology can be deployed to the benefit of

the business, improve the lives of individuals, and

ensure that the needs of the end user are taken into

consideration.

There is no doubt that women have attributes which

make them ideally suited to take up leading roles in

the world of the small ‘t’. Women in general have a far

better mindset to cope with the soft issues of the hard

world of technology. They are better placed to engage

in systemic thinking, and in many respects their very

nature is such that they are better able to appreciate

the downside which technology is having on people’s

lives.

The Da Vinci experience in developing this new breed

of technology manager demonstrates that women

can now be seen as equal partners in the world of

technology. In the classroom, they are able to hold

their own in any debate and bring about a very

interesting perspective, and in the workplace these

same women are able to play an active role in the

decision-making process in industries as widespread

as power generation, mining, consumer electronics,

banking and the like. <

cREATINg AN AfRIcAN fOOTpRINT IN

MATERIALS TECHNOLOGYBy Jennie Fourie

r Liesbeth Botha is passionate about materials

and material science. She concedes that this is

a newly acquired passion, but it sits comfortably

with her predilection for fast cars and light aircraft, as

well as her deep-rooted attachment to nature and the

environment.

Since her appointment as the executive director of

Materials Science and Manufacturing at the Council

for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) last year,

Botha has applied herself to learn as much as possible

about materials science and the technology surrounding

the discipline.

Botha foresees that South Africa will become a world

leader in materials research and the development of

fibre-based composites, specially geared towards

unique African challenges of poverty alleviation,

housing and energy conservation.

Botha qualified as an electronics engineer in 1983

and completed her PhD studies at Carnegie Mellon

University in the USA where she developed an optical

computer utilising holograms and lasers. She spent

13 years at the University of Pretoria as a professor in

electronics and computer engineering before joining

Stellenbosch University (SU) as a professor in electrical

and electronic engineering and manager: Innovation.

In 2005 she became the executive director: Innovation

and Commercialisation. In this role her responsibilities

included innovation on the campus (and especially

technological innovation such as the e-Campus

initiative), and innovation to the outside world

through the commercialisation of intellectual capital

of the SU.

She was a director of Unistel Group Holdings (Pty)

Ltd, the holding company for SU’s investment in spin-

out companies; USB-BO (the SU Business School’s

company); Venfin, a venture capital company that

invests in technology companies; and others. Currently

she is chairperson of the South African Intellectual

Property (IP) Fund, which invests in very early stage

companies based on South African IP; and a member

of the Council of the University of Pretoria. She also

14 > THOUGHT LEADER

D

RIGHT: Dr Liesbeth Botha pictured with some of the semi-

solid metal processing equipment at the CSIR’s research

facility. Photo: University of Pretoria.

technology

serves on the research advisory panel of the CSIR’s

Meraka Institute and the scientific advisory committee

of CHPC (South Africa’s Centre for High Performance

Computing).

But back to materials: The CSIR’s Materials Science

and Manufacturing has several foci, one being a light

metals development initiative. Valuable work is being

done on titanium at present, developing titanium-

based processes and focussing on titanium powder

in particular.

South Africa has the world’s second-largest raw

titanium deposits but at this stage this metal is mostly

exported without beneficiation. Because titanium is

a very strong, but light metal, it can be used in aircraft to

make them lighter to save fuel. There is a multimillion-

rand market waiting for beneficiated titanium in

South Africa and the world.

In October last year, Marty Bentrott, Boeing’s senior

sales vice-president for Africa and the Middle East

told Business Report that this aircraft giant would work

towards helping to establish a more sophisticated

titanium industry in South Africa, supplying new

manufacturing processes and technical skills. This is

in line with the company’s policy of creating worldwide

partnerships with customers for its aircraft. In addition

to benefiting the entire aircraft industry, it would also

serve a growing market for titanium to be used in the

manufacturing of sports goods and car parts.

The CSIR is also looking at aluminium processing at

the moment and has joined forces with the Department

A mould of a sample component being prepared in a CSIR laboratory for the casting of titanium. Photo: CSIR.

16 > THOUGHT LEADER

technology

of Trade and Industry’s (dti’s) National Cleaner

Production Centre hosted at the CSIR. “Aluminium

smelters are huge consumers of energy and if we can

find better ways to beneficiate this metal, we will be able

to make an immense impact on power consumption,”

Botha says.

The new trend in the automotive industry to produce

more fuel-efficient vehicles has resulted in increased

use of aluminium and magnesium alloys. Currently

liquid metal high-pressure die-casting (HPDC) fulfils

the bulk of the automotive industry’s needs, but the

ever-increasing demands on quality and weight

reduction have driven the development of new

processing technologies. The inherent problems

associated with liquid metal HPDC have heightened

the interest in semi-solid forming processes. The

CSIR developed and patented a rheo-casting process

and equipment for semi-solid casting, which is in the

commercialisation stage – an automotive component

will be manufactured soon.

Semi-solid metal (SSM) processing is now considered

an established technology to produce high integrity

components for the automotive industry in particular.

Although it is used extensively in this industry, very

little attention has been paid to aerospace applications.

SSM processing has the potential to replace certain

components in commercial aircraft with the main aim

of reducing costs, while maintaining high strength-to-

weight ratios. This will require developing processes

to reliably cast components with consistent properties

to meet aerospace needs. Since SSM-forming is a

relatively new process, materials properties data

Equipment used in nanotechnology research at the CSIR. Photo: CSIR.

bases for components produced using this technique is

very limited. One of the major challenges is generating

a data base of material properties to assist design

engineers to design components, as well to assess

life expectancy and develop maintenance schedules.

Nanotechnology – the way forward

Botha also reports that nanotechnology is high on

the CSIR’s and on the national agenda of research

priorities. A nanometer (nm) is a unit of measurement

equal to a billionth of a meter, tens of thousands of

times smaller than the width of a human hair. The

prefix “nano” comes from the Greek word meaning

“dwarf”.

In nanotechnology small (nano-scale) particles of one

material are mixed into other materials to change

their characteristics. At the moment the CSIR is

working on polymers that can be mixed into other

polymers to make them biodegradable, for example.

“Research done on applications of carbon nanotubes

(CNTs) is particularly exciting,” Botha says. Nanotubes

are allotropes of carbon with a cylindrical nano-

structure. These cylindrical carbon molecules have

novel properties that make them potentially useful in

many applications in nanotechnology, electronics,

optics and other fields of materials science, and they

have a variety of potential uses in architectural fields.

They exhibit extraordinary strength and unique

electrical properties and are efficient conductors of

heat.

The CSIR team working on the nano-encapsulation and delivery of TB drugs. Photo: CSIR.

1� > THOUGHT LEADER

technology

The CSIR’s National Centre for Nano-structured

Materials (NCNSM) is well advanced in researching

the treatment of tuberculosis with a nano-drug delivery

system. TB is a huge health scourge in South Africa,

with the country being among the top ten in the world

when it comes to new TB infections annually. The CSIR

recently received a US$100 000 Grand Challenges

Explorations grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates

Foundation to support an innovative global health

research project into nano-drug delivery for TB patients.

Back to nature

“Looking at ways of alleviating poverty through materials

research is also high on the Materials Science and

Manufacturing’s agenda,” says Botha. South Africa

has a high unemployment rate in rural areas. The

Eastern Cape is particularly hard hit unemployment

soaring to about 60% in the Great Karoo region alone.

The Agave Americana (AA), the only plant of value in the

arid Karoo, is currently used for producing an alcoholic

beverage, with the bulk of the plant not being utilised.

This unexploited resource has become a research

focus for the CSIR. The research demonstrates the

commercial potential of the AA plant for the produc-

tion of fructans, inulin fibres, textiles and paper products.

A long term programme on AA plant beneficiation

was launched by a consortium including national and

provincial governmental departments, local authorities,

funding agencies, industrial partners and research

organisations. Consequently, a comprehensive concept

for establishing AA agro-processing complexes in the

Great Karoo is being developed.

Fibre samples obtained from the Agave Americana plant. Photo: CSIR.

technology

Cashmere from indigenous goats

South Africa has over six million indigenous goats,

many of which have two coats of fibre – a fine down

(cashmere) that is finer than 18,5 micron and coarse

guard hair. These goats are primarily kept for their

meat, milk, skin products and other traditional pur-

poses, as well as for controlling bush encroachment.

A programme was launched three years ago aimed at

establishing the fine down fibre production and

associated value adding potential of these indigenous

goats. Cashmere production is ideally suited to

subsistence farming and it important for South Africa

to use and improve on the fine fibre production

potential of indigenous goats and establishing a

viable cashmere industry in South Africa.

Other research initiatives in natural materials include the

development of hemp fibre for a variety of uses, including

non-woven textiles that can be used in natural fibre-

based composites which have become all the rage in

the automotive and aerospace industries.

Global trends in materials science

Botha says that the CSIR’s research initiatives are

aligned with global trends in materials science and

technology. Composites are big news at research

institutions across the world with nano-particles

playing a major role.

Green materials are also high on global research agendas.

Important work is being done on the biodegradability

Mohair-producing Angora goats on a farm near Oudtshoorn. Photo: Rodger Bosch, MediaClubSouthAfrica.com.

20 > THOUGHT LEADER

technology

of materials, and there is also a strong emphasis on

the use of natural materials. Botha says that there

should be a holistic approach in this regard. “The plan

is not just to generate cool materials, but to create

backward integration in the value chain where agri-

culture can benefit from producing natural materials

for high-tech uses.”

Geo-textiles are also the new buzz word in materials

research. So, for example, are materials used to spread

over soil to curb erosion or used in road construction

to make roads more durable.

Another very exciting trend is the use of materials to

increase the energy efficiency of buildings. “When looking

at green buildings it is, on the one hand, important to

use materials that have good insolating properties

but also to look at materials that are light to make them

cheaper to transport. To this end modular building

design is a global trend at present,” Botha says.

Integrating photovoltaic material in roof panels and

window panes to generate electricity for use in the

buildings is also a major research trend. There are

already test sites for these in Germany and Denmark

and the CSIR hopes to become a major player in this

field soon.

Botha is optimistic that local research will result in

alleviating South Africa’s housing crisis. “If we can get

this right, we will be able to build tens of thousands

of houses that will not only be highly affordable, but

will also go a long way to saving our planet – and all

this on African soil.” <

Examples of geo-textiles.

technology

REDEFINING THE PURPOSE Of dESIgN ANd TEcHNOlOgy

By Jacques Lange

“Design to improve life is denmark’s index to a better world, and we are powered by designers from all over the globe” – Kigge Hvid cEO of INdEX: design to Improve life.

uring the mid-20th century the term ‘design’ became synonymous with Denmark and today it is a cornerstone of the country’s cultural and

economic brandscape. Among the most famous Danish design icons are Arne Jacobsen, Poul Henningsen, Verner Panton and Nanna Ditzel and companies like Royal Copenhagen, Georg Jensen, Bang & Olufsen, to name only a few. Their work is characterised by a superior sense of aesthetics, a consistent pursuit of engineering simplicity and functionalism, masterful use of materials, exceptional craftsmanship and time-lessness.

Coupled with this is a strong sense of inclusiveness. According to Lise Klint, designer and programme director of INDEX: “The design tradition in Denmark was – and still is – highly influenced by the cultural and socio-political context-shift that took place in the period 1920s to 50s when the current welfare-state model was established. The shift focussed on designing ‘good solutions for many’ – a very inclusive form of thinking, which became known to the rest of the world as typical ‘Danish Design’.”

Since the mid 90s designers and architects have come to realise that Danish design needed to reinvent itself to remain a market leader in an increasingly competitive global landscape. Three trends emerged: Firstly,

contemporary designers started challenging the Danish design traditions and stepped out of the shadows of their predecessors by incorporating influences from all over the world and thereby expanding their creative scope and markets.

Secondly, according to Bo Linnemann, designer and co-founder of Kontrapunkt, they repositioned design as a ‘knowledge-heavy service industry’ by increasing business professionalism, embracing multi-disciplinary collaboration, and developing unique strategic skills and technology competencies that could serve other sectors. This resulted in Denmark becoming a global provider in design innovation consulting (design-thinking) as well as in the area of branding.

Thirdly, they questioned the traditional meaning and relevance of Danish design, which was inward-looking, rather than being inclusive outward-looking to contemporary global society with all its complex challenges. They questioned the purpose of their design heritage which relied on the principles of functionality and aesthetics and started focussing on how design could increase quality of life around the world. The result was the establishment

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Kigge Hvid CEO of INDEX: Design to Improve Life.

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of INDEX: Design to Improve Life, intended to be a global initiative based on sustainability principles spearheaded by Denmark.

Kigge Hvid has led the development and growth of INDEX: Design to Improve Life since her appointment as founding CEO in 2002. New concepts – developing them, testing them and implementing them – are the hallmarks of her acclaimed work in leadership roles both in business and organisational settings. In leading the Danish government’s mandate to advance the humanist tenets of Danish design, Hvid is a frequent panellist and theme-setter at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, and is a member of the Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Design, among her other diverse activities.

The recipient of an honorary doctorate in 2006 by the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California,

Hvid brings to her direction of INDEX: a fluency in the

related languages of designers, business leaders and

of social entrepreneurs. This is reflected by her

frequent international appearances as one of the

main proponents of ‘Design to Improve Life’.

Hvid had this to say in an interview with DESIGN > in

Technology:

DiT > What is the mission of INDEX:?

KH > INDEX:’s mission is to ensure more ‘Design to

Improve Life’ of a higher quality in the world. Therefore,

we inspire, collect, advocate, communicate, evaluate,

connect and discuss ‘Design to Improve Life’ globally.

During the founding stages of INDEX:, we travelled,

talked and listened – to designers, media people,

CEOs, heads of design and innovation, to academics

and to artists – all over the world.

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Following the award presentation, the travelling exhibition of the INDEX: Award 2007 finalists was seen by almost a

million people in Copenhagen, Gwangju and Melbourne.

During these conversations, we strove to understand what a world event for design should focus on and offer if it should be relevant to our interlocutors. Everyone – no matter where or how distinctive their settings – pointed to the human potential of design and to the value of design perception, not only in traditional products but also in the design of services, processes and systems. And that made all the difference, because those conversations established our focus on Design to Improve Life, not only because it was globally relevant but also because in a beautiful way, it could perpetuate the humane and democratic tradition of Danish Design.

Thereby, INDEX: is in step with the tenets that made Danish design famous in the previous century – humanism, social understanding and democratic thinking, functionalism, craftsmanship and beauty.

DiT > What are the key activities of INDEX:?

KH > We use four main instruments to execute our work: the largest monetary design award in the world; our presentations of world-touring exhibitions of Design to Improve Life; our Summer Camps for design and business students; and conferences for public and private leaders.

We are perhaps best-known for our biennial presenta-tion of the INDEX: Award, the world’s largest award for design. Our 500 000-euro purse is divided evenly among winners in five categories: Body, Home, Work, Play and Community.

But INDEX: Design to Improve Life is busy all year long. We are involved in development and innovation in educational, business and social settings, and in listening, learning, inspiring and matching our main asset – the global network of designers, users, public and private decision-makers and social investors who work with us.

That network is buoyed by the tidal shift felt by so

many today, amid world-sweeping dialogues about

The LifeStraw™ can filter out or kill bacteria, parasites

and some viruses from almost any water source.

The Softwall dynamically partitions spaces into intimate

and personal surroundings of any shape and size.

Observatorio Iberoamericano designed a strategy that

improves life for 40 million Latin America craftspeople.

FairPlay, Apple’s DRM technology.

RECIPIENTS OF THE 2005 INDEX: AWARD

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The Mobility for Each One prosthetic is an affordable and

highly effective prosthetic for those injured by landmines.

It can be made in any conventional workshop using easily

found materials and costs as little as US$8 a piece.

The high ratio surface of the low-cost 4 l Solar Bottle

improves the performance of solar disinfection and its flat

shape makes it stackable and facilitates storage. It has

one transparent face for UV-A + infrared ray collection and

one aluminium color to increase reflections.

The Tesla Roadster is a 100% electric vehicle with zero

emissions and 0-100 km/h acceleration in four seconds.

The Roadster is the first electric production vehicle to

incorporate a 350+ km range per charge, with a fuel

efficiency equivalent of almost 60 km per liter.

RECIPIENTS OF THE 2007 INDEX: AWARD

The Tongue Sucker is a small plastic chamber with a bright

colored bulb-like air reservoir, which allows untrained

bystanders at the scene of an accident to free the airways

of an unconscious person immediately and effectively.

The XO laptop is rugged, simple, low-power and made to

reach as many school children as possible. The XO is

designed to be used in parts of the world where many

classes are taught outside, and therefore it is sunlight-

readable as well as shock and moisture resistant.

Antivirus is a cap that protects against accidental needle

infections. The cap is mounted on readily available

beverage cans for segregation and isolation of used

needles which are secured inside the permanently

sealed can, preventing re-use of needles.

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climate change, the global water question, the new

emphasis on energy, sustainability, resource protection

and, above all, the supremacy of life’s quality in a world

that can always do better.

DiT > Who funds and supports INDEX:?

KH > The INDEX organisation was founded by the

Danish government as a non-profit organisation under

the patronage of HRH The Crown Prince. It is supported

by the Danish Ministry of Economic and Business Affairs,

JL-Fondet, the Marketing Denmark Fund, the Capital

Region of Denmark, the Confederation of Danish Industry

(DI), the Danish Industry Foundation, Georg Jensen A/S,

Royal Copenhagen A/S, Fritz Hansen A/S, Illums Bolighus,

the European Social Fund and the European Regional

Development Fund.

DiT > What is the significance of the name?

KH > At INDEX: we ask the best and brightest on earth

to design to improve life. And they do.

The colon means ‘what next’. When you see INDEX:

written with what has become its ubiquitous iconic

punctuation, you receive a nudge.

‘Fill in the blank’, it says.

‘Imagine what’s coming’, it says.

‘Tell us what you’re going to do to help us get there’,

it says.

And it says: Design to Improve Life.

DiT > What are the key stumbling blocks between the

technology and design industries?

KH > In general key barriers are often a lack of under-

standing and knowledge. This also goes for the blocks

between the technology and design industries.

However, you see more examples of the two industries

merging and more design companies under-standing

the importance of across-disciplinary approaches.

DiT > How can technology innovators interface and

collaborate better with designers?

KH > An interesting example is the work Paola Antonnelli

did at MOMA with the ‘Design and the elastic mind’

exhibition. Though with a slightly different theme –

design and science – this very well thought-through

programme could very well serve as to inspire a better

collaboration between technology and design. [Read

more about this exhibition on page 30)

DiT > How can designers interface and collaborate

better with technology innovators?

KH > Better collaboration normally stem from need. I

believe that in the years to come designers will be faced

with the challenges of designing huge coherent systemic

designs. This is a challenge that cannot be solved by the

design profession alone, but calls for real inter-disciplinary

approaches, which will be one of the drivers of a better

collaboration.

DiT > You have participated in many global forums on

business and innovation. In a 2007 interview, you

were asked ‘How do you see the role of design in

innovation for the future?’

KH > My response remains the same. I know for a fact

that innovation is mandatory. If companies want to

compete on price with the rest of the world in the current

economic context, they really have a big problem. The

solution is rather innovation. But the biggest challenge

is what to innovate – new cups, new chairs? No. I think

that we have enough of those consumer commodities

that are already very well-designed.

Companies should rather look at the huge challenges

that face the world today and innovate in areas that

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The Magno radio is hand-crafted from wood harvested from Indonesian plantations near the designer’s home.

The Arivi Paraffin Stove is a safe, efficient anda clean-burning answer to shack fires in low-income communities.

The Childbirth Assistance Outside Hospitals kit provides midwives with basic equipment to oversee safe childbirths.

The Medilabel Safety System© is designed to prevent medication errors in hospitals.

A SELECTION OF FINALISTS OF THE 2009 INDEX: AWARD

The Showerminder regulates the time spent in a shower by using familiar traffic signal lights.

MOR-POWER is a reliable and portable energy source designed specifically for developing communities.

The Universal Generator, designed to solve power generation problems in the developing world.

Pig 05049 unpacks 185 products derived from a single animal.

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impact on the quality of life globally. We need clean water,

safe working environments and innovations that address

many more of those really big issues. The critical chal-

lenges and opportunities for companies today are to

decide where to focus their innovation energies.

I have participated in World Economic Forums and other

such events and I have experienced that many CEOs of

the largest companies are really scared by the concept

because they have this demand for innovation imposed

on them but they do not know what or how to innovate.

This is a major problem with the concept of innovation.

Everyone is screaming ‘innovation’ at CEOs but ‘what

to do’, ‘how to do it’ and ‘what the innovation protocols

are’ remain vague ideas. We need to find answers to

those questions to know what it takes to be a good

CEO who can lead innovation.

My advice to these people is to get out, travel a lot, listen,

connect and think!

DiT > What are the top five issues on which designers

and technology innovators should focus to effect global

change in the next five years and why?

KH > There are many more than five major challenges

facing the world today. As a minimum, these issues

include climate and energy problems, as well as the

eight issues defined by 190 heads of states in the UN

Millennium Goals:

End poverty and hunger

Achieve universal primary education

Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys

and girls alike, will be able to complete a full

course of primary schooling.

Promote gender equality and empower women

Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary

education by 2005, and at all levels by 2015.

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Reduce child mortality

Reduce the under-five mortality rate by two-thirds,

between 1990 and 2015.

Improve maternal health

Reduce maternal mortality by three quarters,

between 1990 and 2015. Achieve, by 2015, universal

access to reproductive health.

Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases.

Have halted and begun to reverse the spread of

HIV by 2015.

Achieve, by 2010, universal access to treatment

for HIV/AIDS for all those who need it.

Have halted and begun to reverse the incidence

of malaria and other major diseases by 2015.

Ensure environmental sustainability

Integrate the principles of sustainable development

into country policies and programmes; reverse

loss of environmental resources.

Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a

significant reduction in the rate of loss.

Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without

sustainable access to safe drinking water and

basic sanitation.

By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement

in the lives of at least 100 million slum-dwellers.

DiT > What are your opinions on the role of women

in design and technology, specifically in the African

context?

KH > As is the case all over the world, it is important

to empower the entire human race and not only 50%,

as presented for example in the video ‘The Girl Effect’

(See http://www.girleffect.org/#/video/).

What is specifically important in this context is of course

equal access to education. We see good examples of

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The Pink Project focused attention onto the plight of the Hurricane Katrina survivors from New Orleans.

The ingenious Cabbage Chair is made from paper waste derived from the fashion industry.

The Design Indaba 10x10 Low-Cost Housing Project.

The Chulha limits the dangerous health conditions caused by indoor cooking in the developing world.

A SELECTION OF FINALISTS OF THE 2009 INDEX: AWARD

WATER FOR ALL: Conserve, Value, Enjoy is a water awareness initiative from Singapore.

The Project Masiluleke HIV Self-Test Kit combines low-cost diagnostic technologies with mobile support services.

The Lodox® Statscan® VE1 is an X-ray system specifically aimed at the needs of emergency medical centers.

The Bambulance Project is a bicycle-pulled stretcher made primarily from bamboo.

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this all over the world, and in Africa one example is the Women Barefoot Engineers (See http://www.barefootcollege.org).

The Barefoot College began in 1972 with the convic-tion that solutions to rural problems lie within the community. It benefits the poorest of the poor who have no alternatives and it encourages practical knowledge and skills rather than paper qualifications through a learning by doing process of education.

DiT > What observations and trends have you identified during past five years in the way that INDEX: nominees from Africa approach the concept of Design to Improve Life?

KH > African designers have a unique capacity to address a specific context. This means that instead of addressing their own inner desires and needs of aesthetics, Africa designers tend to put huge effort into understanding the context and environment in which the design is supposed to work and design accordingly.

DiT > What lessons can the world’s designers learn from African designers?

KH > A very important lesson is to be inspired by the African designers’ approach to and understanding of context. Another important lesson is to understand that contemporary design is not always about super high tech, luxury and surface, but about solutions to improve the lives of people.

DiT > What are your personal top three INDEX: Award entries since the establishment of the scheme?

KH > Since the start of INDEX: we have experienced a movement in the world from understanding design as surface and aesthetics to seeing design as an

important tool to solve major problems. Alongside this growing understanding we also see more and better Designs to Improve Life.

So I do not have any favourites. Every day I’m exposed to new and amazing Designs to Improve Life – and as the rest of the INDEX: team, I feel very privileged to gain insights into the many solutions, the many designs and the many problems the designs are solving.

DiT > The winners of the 2009 INDEX: Award will be announced on 28 August. What was the standard of entries and how did Africa perform?

KH > Of the 720 most innovative designs submitted, the INDEX: international jury has selected a shortlist of 72 finalists that meet the INDEX: criteria to improve life. The selected designs concentrate on a broad array of issues which span water shortages, air pollution, communication, health, environmental sustainability, games, affordable housing, food provision, micro-loans, insect protection and eradication, and many more.

Of the 72 finalist entries spanning 18 countries, five were designed in South Africa. These include the Arivi paraffin stove, Design Indaba 10X10 low cost housing project, Lodox Statscan VE1, the Freeplay Fetal Heart Monitor, and the Woolworths Making a Difference Through Design.

Several other finalist projects were designed by African designers or were designed to specifically cater for African conditions and circumstances.

This year we saw some beautiful thinking behind striking design. We asked the best and brightest on earth to Design to Improve Life. And they did. <

All images courtesy of the entrants of INDEX: Design to Improve Life.

> VISIT INDEX: DESIGN TO IMPROVE LIFE AT http://www.indexaward.dk

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DESIGN AND THE ELASTIC MIND > ScIENcE ANd dESIgN TO cONSTRucT

THE dAy AfTER TOmORROw

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According to world Technology Network, “paola Antonelli’s

goal is to insistently promote design’s understanding, until

its positive influence on the world is fully acknowledged.”

According to world Technology Network, “paola Antonelli’s

goal is to insistently promote design’s understanding, until

its positive influence on the world is fully acknowledged.”

Sonumbra is a ‘sonic shade of

light’ and an exploration of the

role of new textiles in responding

to global ecological concerns.

Designed by Rachel Wingfield &

Mathias Gmachl . Image by

Bobby Johnston.

By Jacques Lange

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aola Antonelli is on a mission to introduce and

explain how design impacts on and shapes

the world. With her exhibitions at New York’s

Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) she celebrates

design’s presence in every part of life.

Since she stepped back from practicing architecture

in order to focus on writing about design, teaching and

being an exhibition curator, the Italian native, Antonelli,

has become a force to be reckoned with in the world

of design and innovation. Working at MOMA since

1994, she now heads up the museum’s Architecture

and Design Department and has masterminded

several seminal exhibitions over the past few years

such as Humble Masterpieces, which celebrated

traditionally unheralded innovation and design icons

such as the paperclip; Safe, which highlighted issues

concerning personal and social protection; and

Workspheres, which took a look at contemporary

workplaces.

Design and the elastic mind, her latest endeavour,

which ran from May to October 2008, bridged the worlds

of science, technology and design and showed how

designers synthesise new scientific developments. It

looked at how designers interpret innovation revolutions

and apply these to new scenarios and environments

– ranging from death to birth, the practical to the

banal and bizarre – and challenged contemporary

thinking on many levels.

P

Paola Antonelli, Senior curator of the Architecture and

Design Department at New York’s Museum of Modern

Art (MOMA). Photo by Andrea Ciotti.

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Ever mindful that the majority of visitors to MOMA

are initially attracted to visit the museum because of

its vast collections of work by artists such as Picasso

and Matisse, Antonelli diligently works to ensure that

if they do stumble across a design-related exhibition,

they will be both entertained and enlightened, and

thereby develop and understanding of the critical role

that design and designers play in society. In doing so,

she subversively introduces design into the so-called

‘sacred domain of high art’ as a means to develop a

better understanding of the meaning of design in the

social, cultural, economic and technological domains.

With the Design and the elastic mind exhibition she

‘lured’ fine art museum visitors into confronting the

cutting-edge of design and science and engaged them

into an experience of exploration like never before.

And almost nine months after the exhibition had closed

in October 2008, it still remains a popular conversation

topic on Internet forums and in mainstream media.

Antonelli says that “there is a big misunderstanding

in many places in the world that designers are [merely]

beautifiers. That they make ‘cute chairs’ that cost a

lot of money”. She states that “instead, I look at design

from all over the world, throughout all disciplines and

I try to focus on design that percolates down to the

smallest details of our everyday life”. In Antonelli’s

world, there are no barriers between design, science

and technology. She believes that these disciplines

are critically interdependent and that the work of

scientists, technologists and designers is interactive

in its essence.

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Installation view of the exhibition. Image by Brendan Dawes. Emergent Surface, by Hoberman Associates, dynamically

responds to movement, weather and light.

New City is a is a complex experiment in visualisation designed by Imaginary Forces, Greg Lynn FORM and Matter Art and Science.

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“There are many issues that are crucial and there are

many technological and scientific responses and

issues that are just waiting for designers to come into

play. One way for a designer to go is not just designing

aesthetically beautiful, but also ethical solutions as

a response to the innovations of scientists,” says

Antonelli.

She believes that “really good designers are like

sponges. They are curious and absorb every kind of

information that comes their way, and transform it so

that it can be used by people like us”. And this was

exactly her focus for the Design and the Elastic Mind

exhibition. Antonelli explains: “The world that I

decided to focus on this particular time is the world

of science and the world of technology. Technology

always comes into play when design is involved, but

science does a little less. But designers are great at

taking big revolutions that happen and transforming

them so that we can use them.”

Antonelli believes that some people have the ability

to think with an elastic mind – an ability to stretch

conventional thought processes, explore new

paradigms and find new applications for innovations,

and hence the title of the exhibition. “Some minds

are super elastic. Others are a little slower. Some

have a few stretch marks, while others are not as

elastic.” She believes that “elasticity of mind is some-

thing that we really need, we really cherish, and we

really need to work on. And this exhibition is about

the work of designers that help us to be more elastic

Brad Paley is one of the foremost experts in the communication

of great amounts of data, and his renowned tool TextArc is

used to conduct structuralist analyses of text.

GROW, designed by Samuel Cabot Cochran, is a beautiful

hybrid energy-delivery device inspired by ivy plants.

Digg.com, designed by Statemen Design, is a window into what’s

interesting online at any moment by four ways of visualisation.

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in our thinking, and also of designers that really work

on this elasticity as an opportunity”.

Antonelli quotes Harvard Professor Peter Galison who

said: “What nanotechnology in particular and quantum

physics have brought to designers is this renewed

interest, this real passion for design. So basically, the

idea of being able to build things bottom up, atom by

atom, has made them all into ‘thinkerers’.” This term

was coined by John Seely Brown and refers to a process

of engagement with the world and open, constructive

collaboration with colleagues and other specialists.

“All of a sudden scientists are seeking designers, just

like designers are seeking scientists. It’s a ‘brand-new

love affair’ that we’re trying to cultivate at MOMA”

says Antonelli.

Design and the elastic mind explored new design

applications in the fields of nanophysics; nanotech-

nology; microbiology; in-vitro meat production; new

paradigms in the domain of scale and spatial per-

ception; data, mapping and tagging of the world and

the universe; the vast field of information design

spanning fields such as protein homology, access to

education via new IT technologies; and ‘solitude

innovations’.

The fields were grouped under the main themes:

Thinkering; People and objects; Design for debate;

People and objects; Visualisation; Thought to action;

All together Now!; and Super nature. These were

supported by a host of sub themes such as Nanofacture,

Growth/Aggregation; Tagging; Scenes from a nanotech

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Cartesian Wax, from the Materialecology project by Neri Oxman. Image by Bobby Johnston.

The Punchbag handbag made from laser-sintered textiles designed by Janne Kyttänen.

FEI specialises in nanotechnology equipment, including the scanning electron microscopes that Holthuysen used to take this picture.

Materials carry information within them about how to behave and proliferate. Rules of Six is an open exploration of self-assembly and modularity across scales.

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world; Harvesting the Internet; Mapping; Extreme

visualisation; 3D Printing; Processing; Algorithms and

a host of others. Binding all of these together are the

concepts of ‘interactive’ and ‘responsive’ design

features that expand the relationships between people,

objects and interfaces.

Many of the projects included in the exhibition are

hypothetical or in early prototype stages. However, the

point that Antonelli aims to make is that opportunities

arise when designers and scientists collaborate. With

Design and the elastic mind she aims to challenge

conventions and highlight the importance of what she

terms ‘collective design’ as a means to be ‘mind-

opening’ to new opportunities and possibilities. She

highlights the XO laptop as an ideal example: “The

XO – One Laptop per Child – is based on the idea of

collaboration and a mash and networking. The more the

merrier. The more computers, the stronger the signal,

and children work on the interface so that it’s all based

on doing things together, tasks together. So the idea

of collective design is something that will become even

bigger in the future.”

Even though the physical exhibition has closed, it lives

on in the virtual world. The exhibition’s online catalogue

(accessible at http://www.moma.org/interactives/

exhibitions/2008/elasticmind/) and its experimental

interface reflect the ethos of interaction and responsive

design features. It challenges users to have an ‘elastic

Mushroom Growth Packaging, by Made in Transit, a concept for sustained growth within the supply chain.

The AfterLife Microbial Fuel Cell is charged by gastric acids of a dead loved one and can power a full range of electronic products.

Susana Soares’ series of alternative diagnosis tools that use trained bees to perform health checkups, detect certain cancers and pregnancy based on the breath of a patient.

MyBio, by Elio Caccavale, is a collection of toys that explores the emergence of biological hybrids in biotechnologies, as well as our moral response to these ‘transhuman’ creatures.

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The interface of the Design and the elastic mind website intentionally stretches our way of seeing, as well as our ways of learning how to see the world differently.

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mind’ in the same way as the original exhibition did.

It lures the browser into a vast virtual landscape in

which it is easy to get lost in time and space. It inten-

tionally stretches our way of seeing, as well as our

ways of learning how to see, which endorses the

concept behind the exhibition’s title.

In the opening paragraphs of the Design and the

elastic mind catalogue, Antonelli writes: “History is

punctuated by uproariously wrong predictions made

by savvy individuals blindsided by progress.” She

continues: “Revolutions are not easy on us, especially

when they occur as rapidly and as frequently as they

have in the past 150 years. A few exceptional indi-

viduals are already wired for change, and the masses

have a tendency to either admire them as visionaries

or burn them at the stake as witches and heretics.

However, these individuals do not represent the

majority. In order to step boldly into the future, the

majority needs design.” <

VIEW THE DESIGN AND THE ELASTIC MIND EXHIBITION AT http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2008/elasticmind/

Surround Sound Eyewear designed by Sam Hecht, Kim Colin, Ippei Matsumoto & Gwendolyn Floyd.

XO – One Laptop Per Child. Image by Fuseproject.

Air_ray consists of a helium-filled ballonet and a beating wing drive allows it to ‘swim’ in the ‘sea of air’. Image by Walter Fogel.

Installation v. Image by .

Mercedes-Benz bionic car is inspired by the aerodynamic form of the boxfish. Image by DaimlerChrysler AG.

>

C armen Nottingham’s life and career has taken

many interesting twists and turns before she

ended up becoming a leading environmental

activist and expert of Earthworm Waste Technology.

Born in the then Belgian Congo in 1958, Nottingham

came to South Africa in 1962. She completed school and

a BA (Languages) degree, and worked in the corporate

world for two years. Subsequently, she travelled

extensively, and has lived in Zaire, Rwanda and Burundi

and also in the Caribbean, Bahamas and USA, where

she sailed and worked on yachts. Upon her return to

South Africa, with the ocean so far away, and having

physically witnessed many scenes of environmental

destruction, she decided to help heal the soil – which

she calls “our inland sea” – by studying, practicing and

promoting permaculture and organic gardening.

Since 1992, when she formed Planner Bee Plant Care, her

work has included landscaping, garden maintenance,

consultation and design, focussing on permaculture

and organic principles, as well as the production of

Fertilis Earthworm Castings – the Earthworm Buddies

Domestic and Commercial Worm Farms for food waste

conversion. She also developed the Doggie-Loo and

is currently involved in a research project focising on

proving effective and safe conversion of abattoir

waste, using earthworms. Furthermore, Nottingham

is actively involved in several community projects

where she advocates permaculture principles thereby

HEAL THE SOIL >HEAL THE PEOPLE >

HEAL THE ENVIRONMENT >At first glance it is not obvious what earthworms have to do with design and technology. but when one talks to permaculturist, carmen Nottingham, it all makes sense. “I’ve always had a love of nature and a deep feeling that solutions to global issues will have to come from us – learning how nature works and copying its systems and patterns. I am passionate about using nature’s methods to clean up the environment and that is where my deep interest in ‘earthworm technology’ arose,” she says.

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empowering and developing communities at grass-

roots level.

Nottingham had this to say in an exlusive interview

with DESIGN > in technology:

DiT > Your career has taken a long and winding journey

through many disciplines. How did you end up

becoming a permaculturist?

CN > I wanted to learn the principles of ecology first

hand – care for the earth, and how we can live within the

environment in a more sustainable manner. In nature

there is no waste. Everything is dependent on other

things, and life is cycled and re-cycled and renewed

constantly. Permaculture taught me how to THINK, and

how to carry out sustainable agriculture and use of the

land. I am now able to implement these principles across

the various aspects of my life and businesses.

DiT > Has your life in Africa influenced your thinking

and views of the world and your profession?

CN > I’d like to proudly feel that a lot of positive solutions

can and will stem from South Africa. I mean, what

other country has 11 official languages? I’ve learnt that

diversity is strength – nature thrives on diversity.

Inventions arise and evolution happens when we can

say the problem IS the solution. To mention one example,

Permaculturist Carmen Nottingham.

unemployment means that there is a lot of people who are available to grow their own food, farm with

earthworms, do recycling, as these are not complicated

things – they are basic, important, and sustain life.

Being born in The Congo – deepest Africa – the lifeblood

and the rhythm of nature are in my veins. Having also

experienced life on (and in) the oceans sparked my

passion and when I returned to SA, I discovered a way

to implement this. The plankton in the oceans is

equivalent to the micro-organisms in the soil – the

‘sea of the land’.

42 > THOUGHT LEADER

TOP LEFT: Bulk composters. TOP RIGHT: Complete domestic Earthworm Buddies unit. ABOVE: Bags-full of healthy earthworms ready for shipping.

Fertilis earthworm castings is a fertiliser that is made from feeding dairy cow manure to the Eisenia fetida earthworm.

DiT > You have physically witnessed many scenes of

environmental destruction in Africa and abroad. What

were your most upsetting/concerning experiences?

CN > Over a period of time growing up in SA – but

going home for school holidays to Zaire – the forests

were disappearing, genocide and war were rife, the

mountain gorillas (specifically two families which we

visited often in the jungle) were being slaughtered.

Later on, over a period of almost a decade living in the

Caribbean on yachts and small sailing boats, the impact

of the cruise ships and the tourists was like a war waged

technology

on the islands and the seas. The coral reefs were being destroyed, fish were being poisoned and we – who caught and ate the fish – got copper poisoning.

DiT > What sparked you to establish Planner Bee Plant Care in 1992?

CN > I wanted to implement the principles and thinking of permaculture in a commercial sense. I employed a team of unskilled labourers, trained them and set up a garden service and landscaping business which I ran in tandem with Fertilis, basically to the benefit of the workers. I no longer run the garden service business, I sold it to focus on Fertilis, on growing crops by first healing the soil and now my latest passion is earth-worm waste management. Heal the soil – heal the people – heal the environment.

DiT > What is the background of Fertilis Earthworm Castings and what products do you produce?

CN > In 1990 I attended a permaculture course where Phina Milner gave a talk on Fertilis. She was a pioneer on healing the soil through application of earthworm castings, and she became my mentor. We worked together in those early days, mostly trying to awaken the thinking of the average person about organics, recycling, regeneration of the soil, the link between healthy crops and human health, and more. Upon her passing in 2001, I took over the Fertilis business.

Fertilis earthworm castings is a fertiliser that is made from feeding dairy cow manure to the Eisenia fetida earthworm. They ingest the manure, digest it, balance the pH and produce an incredibly rich micro-organism-filled soil conditioner that makes nutrients available to plants in foodstate form. We produce Fertilis in 5, 15, 30 and 60dm3 bags and in cubic metre-loads, depending on customer needs.

We also produce earthworm ‘farms’ for domestic and commercial wet waste conversion to produce earthworm soil conditioner. The world is running out of landfill site space and we can’t simply discard things anymore. Paper, metal, glass, plastic – all are recyclable items. About 80% of stuff that goes to landfill are compostable – greens and wet waste. Hence the aim behind making

Earthworm Buddies units for the householder and the restaurant owner, supermarkets, hotels, resorts, and more.

We also produce Doggie-Loos, which work on the same principles. The Doggie-Loo originated from seeing that we are ‘security-verskrik’ in SA, and hence our obsession with the bigger dog. Pets are members of the family, and they can have their own earthworm toilet, too.

DiT > You produce Fertilis Earthworm Castings on Ditton’s Farm in Muldersdrift, in Elgin, in KZN and are currently establishing an operation in Botswana. Can you tell us more about these operations?

CN > Expansion needs to be localised (think global – act local). In order to make Fertilis available every-where in a ‘green’ sense, we looked at efficiencies in local production/consumption versus transporting and distribution. This has a positive effect on costs and carbon emissions, as well as utilising manure in situ. A green company needs to be green in every sense of the word!

DiT > According to the literature, permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and perennial agricultural systems that mimic the relationships found in the natural ecologies. It originated in the 1970s and the intent was that, by rapidly training individuals in a core set of design principles, they could design their own environments and build increasingly self-sufficient human settlements – ones that reduce society’s reliance on industrial systems of production and distribution. How do you interpret the concept of ‘design’ into your work?

CN > My interpretation of design stems from asking the right questions within the framework of how nature does things. Every human activity is a system in itself and the workings of each are linked. We are not separate from how nature does things – we are part of and live within nature – and the answers are there.

The design principles that we apply are: care for the earth, care for the people, and distribution of surplus. So, we look at the movement of the sun during the seasons and harness its energies in the placement of

our homes, the design of our vegetable gardens, the recycling and use of water, and so on. Design is linked to how each system or activity fits into the whole picture, using the sun, the wind, the slope of the land, the water, and more, and most importantly – how NOT to create waste. Waste is simply a by-product of an activity that is not re-used or re-cycled for another activity.

Furthermore, every industrial system is a copy of some or other system in nature, be it the provision of energy, the manufacture of food, clothing, homes, treatment of waste and purification of water, land and air. Permaculture studies nature’s systems to find better industrial solutions and this is now the focus of my consulting work.

DiT > How successful is permaculture advocacy?

CN > Permaculture had never really been understood in a holistic context from an industrial point of view because it was such a multi-disciplinary approach. Every specialisation has to have an understanding of the whole picture and how it fits into that picture. I believe that permaculture forms the basis for us to change the way we think. Instead of thinking in a straight line and ignoring our connections to the whole and the consequences of our waste by-products, permaculture teaches us to think in CYCLES, consequences, and regeneration.

The advocacy is a slow process but people like me persist with passion and dedication. In 2004, three of us got together and formed the Earthworm Interest Group of South Africa (EIGSA) with the aim of promoting – as individual citizens – ‘all things earthworm-y’. I confess that my thoughts at that time were “at least there are three of us” and I was not alone anymore. We hold regular open days at the farm (three times a year), and through email communication and a simple website, we now have groups in every province, and over 1 000 members. Cool hey? It’s the worm’s turn!

Every person who attempts to think in a responsible manner, no matter how small, about our impact on the environment contributes to the implementation of permaculture. Permaculture is not the be-all and end-

all – it’s a way of CHANGING OUR THINKING to ask questions about every activity from start to end, and how to link each activity so that the output (waste) from one becomes an input (resource) to other activities.

It is not enough to simply adopt green principles in a mission statement – this is just the first step. Ultimately, we have to practice and implement environmental sustainability in every process, every product, every action in life and work. This will take time, but we have to start somewhere – anywhere: there is no action or process too small – for every action is linked to the greater good (or detriment) of the whole planet. We all are aware of ‘The Butterfly Effect’.

I have always said that we need to stop waiting for others (governments, factories, businesses) to come up with solutions. Every individual needs to make a decision within his or her own life, no matter how small. If one million individuals recycled their own kitchen waste, or made their own compost (without waiting for their neighbour to do it first) the overall impact will be enormous. It’s as simple as that.

DiT > What is the relationship between permaculture and technology?

CN > Permaculture THINKING is totally applicable to technology. Nature is the science of life. Every tech-nology has to have its basis in some form of life – we just need to find those links and connections.

My work, among others, harnesses the unique abilities of earthworms to manage waste and the valuable knowledge that people like me have managed to attain is being put into practical application and, thereby, it has become a technology resource.

DiT > You offer training and workshops in perma-culture and specifically focus on ‘healing the soil, healing the people’. What do these workshops entail?

CN > At present, I am working with Dr Ivan Jardine, the founder of the A.I.D.S Army – Armed with Information for our Daughters and Sons.

44 > THOUGHT LEADER

technology

One of the projects of the A.I.D.S Army is called MISSION IMPossible (pronounced “I AM possible”). The aim is to promote and implement one million vegetable gardens in a sustainable and environmentally-friendly way, using earthworms to convert organic waste into compost, to empower people to feed themselves and to inspire the youth and society to adopt healthy life-styles to engender self respect and positive behaviour change.

We have self-funded and started several demo projects in schools, communities and Diepkloof prison, and are raising funds to get ongoing support to train as many people as possible to go into their own communities: 1 000 000 gardens are a LOT of gardens … but not impossible.

Again, it’s been a challenge to get funders’ minds around this comprehensive approach – the links between soil, people, behaviour change, health and AIDS, nature and recycling, and more.

DiT > Can you expand on the research project aimed at proving the effectiveness and safe conversion of abattoir waste, using earthworms, in conjunction with

the Gauteng Department Agriculture, Conservation and Environment (GDACE)?

CN > Dr Soni, a state veterinarian at GDACE, approached me in 2005. At that time, he was given the unenviable task of waste management of abattoir contaminants – mainly blood and offal. We ran several mini-pilots. The first pilot was disastrous and resulted in the mass-destruction of my poor earthworms in their containers. The second pilot was more successful, and this helped me to think differently and make further amendments in other pilots.

I attended the Annual State Vet Conference as a speaker in 2007 and learnt that in Gauteng province alone that year, 2 000 tons of abattoir waste PER MONTH was being generated (solid and liquid). We do not have enough incinerators to cope with this and the energy requirements are also exorbitant. Most of this waste lands up either being buried in the ground or thrown into landfill sites. What a waste, not to mention the consequent pollution of the soils and the groundwater!

So, our research project is all about asking questions, seeing how it’s done in nature, trying it out, and applying what we have learnt.

From this ... to this in five months! The garden at the Ithembelihle Lsen School for disabled children. Teachers at the school say the development of the garden has done wonders for the pupils’ physical and academic development.

technology

I would love to help convert all biological wastes and pollution found in land, water systems and air by the use of natural systems and creatures (such as the earth-worms, soil micro-organisms and plants) into the fertile basis of life – healthy soil and clean water. This will help increase the biomass on the planet, which will have an enormous impact on reducing the CO

2 emissions,

and consequently air pollution. Increased biomass equals increased plants, better quality food, healthy nutrition, and healthier people.

We have to start somewhere – no matter how small. I therefore put the challenge out to companies – let’s do something together – now, because tomorrow is too late!

I eventually see a world where, in our study of the efficient designs and systems found in nature, we will systematically implement these in our everyday lives. I see people living in villages (not mega-polluting cities) where every member has an important role to play, and where every village is linked across the globe – each one like a healthy cell of planet earth, just as our bodies are made up of individual cells, each performing a vital function in a healthy body – but this is the topic for yet another conversation. <

DiT > You were a qualifier in the 2009 TT100 awards. What advantages has this recognition offered you?

CN > I haven’t really thought about it, because although this bio-technology is available, there is still hesitation on the part of big business, mines and government to come together to act upon the National Waste Act that was promulgated in November last year. People are still trying to get their minds around normal recycling…

So, I think the TT100 status has provided a basis for credibility for people who want to know what can be done. I believe there IS an organisation out there with the funds and the courage to put this technology into practice on a large scale. I am patient – one of the most important lessons that nature has taught me – and it will happen soon.

DiT > In conclusion, while researching this article someone said that Carmen Nottingham is the kind of person who has the vision, knowledge and passion to redesign the world. What would your ideal redesign for the world look like?

CN > What a question! I will attempt to do justice to the answer by quoting (I think it was Gandhi) “BE the change you want to see in the world”.

46 > THOUGHT LEADER

A pilot study aimed at proving the effectiveness and safe conversion of abattoir waste, using earthworms

technology

cRyOgEl pOlymER TEcHNOlOgy uSEd TO mAKE

COSMETIC EYE PRODUCTBy Estelle Warmsley

A n innovative eye-product developed from

cryogel polymer technology patented by the

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research

(CSIR) has taken the cosmetic world by storm.

eyeSlices®, as the product is called, was developed

by South African-born entrepreneur Kerryne Krause

Neufeldt, who refers to herself as a “makeshift scientist”,

and is manufactured by her development and market-

ing company I-Slices Manufacturing.

eyeSlices® are easy-to-use eye pads that combine

the natural essence of nature with bio-innovation to treat

common eye concerns. The dermal delivery eye masks

are a global first in cryogel polymer technology.

When applied to the eyes, the soft, transparent gel-like

pads provide a slow-release eye-treatment by releasing

active ingredients into the area around the eyes to

reduce the appearance of redness, dark circles,

wrinkles and puffiness within five minutes of use.

These professional spa and in-home anti-ageing eye

skin treatments lock in moisture and are unique in that

they provide an instant cooling sensation without a

fridge, and are re-usable.

After working tirelessly for more than seven years,

Kerryne (35) is storming the US$160 billion global

beauty market with her patented cryogel eye-care

product. In the process, she’s turning the cosmetics

company that she started in her backyard into a

multi-million dollar enterprise.

Born in Johannesburg, Kerryne graduated from the

University of Pretoria with a post-graduate marketing

degree at the age of 22. Guided by a personal passion

for health and wellness, and also science and technology,

she was always drawn to the cosmetics industry. At

one point, she was excited to find a special Italian mask

claiming to treat five major eye symptoms, but was

4� > THOUGHT LEADER

technology

disappointed when it did not deliver on the claim.

After testing a variety of eye-care products, Kerryne

discovered a gap in the market. Many companies were

beginning to augment their creams and lotions with

gimmicky eye masks and pads, but none of these

products actually worked. Kerryne wanted to develop

an eye-care product with real technology to back it up.

In 2000, she learned that the South Africa Council for

Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Polymer

Technology Division had invented a water-soluble

polymer gel that functioned as a dermal delivery system

– in other words, a gel-like substance that could be

liquefied and solidified to absorb and emit ingredients

to the skin.

This is when Kerryne, with no formal science training,

became a ‘makeshift’ scientist. As she explains, she had

no option. The product, the polymer gel, had only been

partially developed at the CSIR and the scientists

who had worked on it had mostly left the project. So,

with a product that definitely had the potential to

help her develop her eye-care product, but with more

questions than answers as to how this was going to

happen, Kerryne took advantage of the opportunity

and negotiated an exclusive license for the technology.

She saw the opportunity as the chance she had long

been waiting for to create the eye-care product she

had always dreamed of.

As the exclusive owner of a licence agreement with

the CSIR to commercialise and exploit its polymer

technology for the cosmetic sector, she now became

a full-time researcher and scientist and devoted all

her time and energy to realising her dream.

In an improvised lab on their property, Kerryne and her

husband cooked up polymer, experimenting on hundreds

of different freeze/thaw cycles. The manufacturing

process incorporated multiple freezing, thawing and

heating techniques. After six years, countless side

jobs, and R3.3 million (US$426,000) funding from 13

different institutions, Kerryne and her husband finally

perfected a scalable method for infusing the liquid

active ingredients, and then turning the polymer into

a gel of the right consistency.

Although the product had been perfected, Kerryne’s

problems were not over. She struggled with packaging

that was not airtight which meant her products dried

out and were limited to a two-month shelf life. After

much research into various packaging methods, the

food industry provided the answer. Manufacturers in

that industry are used to producing airtight, hygienic

packaging in all shapes and sizes, she explains.

The purchase of an Ulma thermovac forming machine,

which is traditionally used in the food packaging and

sealing sector, finally solved the problem. This particular

machine, which was imported from Spain, had been

customised for eyeSclices® and could package and

completely seal the product. At last the eyeSclices®

were ready to be marketed.

eyeSlices®, was launched at the Professional Beauty

Exhibition in Johannesburg in early 2006. Within two

hours of setting up the booth, the entire stock was

sold out. This initial response has translated into

wide-scale success for the company. By the end of

2006, the company had stocked the product in over

100 salons and spas in South Africa. And, in the past

three years, international demand has been met by

supplying distributors in the USA, Canada, Mexico,

UK, the Netherlands, Cyprus, Norway, Australia and

Dubai. Germany and Finland are the latest new

markets.

�0 > THOUGHT LEADER

In response to the question of what her future plans

are, Kerryne responded immediately and with great

enthusiasm: “To build a global brand. We want to take

over the world with our product.”

According to Kerryne her product is distributed through

beauty salons and spas, but it is also available and

packaged for the retail market where it offers excellent

value for money at a truly affordable price.

Kerryne has won numerous awards for the develop-

ment of her innovative eyeSlices® product over the

years – to mention but two: In 2008 she received the

coveted Passing the Torch award in the awards pro-

gramme of the same name in the categories Overall

Winner and Women in Trade. In 2007 she was elected

the winner in the Department of Science and Technology’s

annual Technology Top 100 in the category Manage-

ment of Technology. <

Entrepreneur, Kerryne Krause Neufeldt in her laboratory.

technology

Bell RECEIVESTOP HONOURS IN TT100

for more than 50 years the name bell has been synonymous with high quality, heavy duty construction equipment – not only in South Africa, but worldwide. what started out as a small enterprise established by Irvine bell in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa in 1954, culminated in 2009 when bell Equipment co SA (pty) ltd won the department of Science & Technology minister’s Award for Overall Excellence in the prestigious Top Technology 100 (TT100) scheme.

�2 > LOOKING BACK

THE BELL STORY

The story of Bell Equipment began when Irvine Bell and

his new bride and company co-founder Eunice, settled

in Zululand a few years after World War II.

Having completed his trade apprenticeship as a fitter

and turner on a northern Natal colliery where he had

grown up and after serving five years in the Army

Corps of Engineers during the war, Irvine Bell applied

his engineering skills in building a home-made water

boring machine powered by an engine from a Willy’s

Jeep.

Following two years of sinking water wells for a living,

he took up an offer to start a farm machinery repair

service on a sugar estate near Empangeni on the North

Coast of Natal. The enterprise’s ability to repair even

the most extensively damaged or worn machinery

soon attracted work from further a field.

When the business expanded in 1958, Irvine Bell built

a new workshop on his smallholding. Now joined by his

brother Robert, brother-in-law Malcolm Campbell (who

passed away at the age of 78 at the beginning of April)

and with Eunice keeping the books, the small enterprise,

I A Bell and Company, provided a general engineering

service along with limited manufacturing of Irvine’s

various inventions.

Among them a self-loading sugar cane trailer and an

overhead transfer crane for local farmers

With the family home built alongside the workshops,

sons Peter, Gary and Paul grew up amongst the welding

sparks and machine shop in a grease filled mechanical

parts intensive environment.

In the early 1960s Irvine Bell saw a further opportunity

to improve the sugar cane harvesting process. While a

few rudimentary cane loading machines had appeared

on the scene, most were adapted farm tractors and

as such lacked manoeuvrability to quickly gather a

load of cane.

Irvine Bell’s approach was to develop a whole new class

of machine. Utilising emerging hydrostatic technology

and borrowing hydraulic motors from an old motor

grader, his prototype three wheeled loader was

granted a patent and named the greatly manoeuvrable

self propelled machine.

technology

Able to control each of the large drive wheels indepen-dently, the Bell Tri-Wheeler could turn instantly on its own axis. Also the simple control concept was easily assimilated by operators without any previous machinery experience.

Choosing to focus on the general engineering side of his business, Irvine Bell licensed the manufacture of his Cane Loader to a Johannesburg based locomotive company that was active in cane transport at the time.

The quest to design productive mobile machinery was not lost on his sons. Peter and Gary’s first go-kart, scrounged together during school holidays, could pull a small tip trailer. And with a dozer blade fitted to the front of the cart to spread gravel, the rig was put to work repairing the dirt roads on the smallholding!

By the early 1970s the business had again expanded to a new facility in Empangeni’s industrial area.

With the construction of a greenfields port in nearby Richards Bay, the company provided many innovative engineering solutions to the port’s contracting con-sortium – among them light-weight, high flotation earthmoving dumper trailers that could cope with the

soft sand conditions.

�4 > LOOKING BACK

ABOVE: Founder, Irvine Bell with his three sons, left to right, Gary, Paul and Peter.

LEFT: Irvine Bell in his workshop. RIGHT: Irvine with the first harvesting head.

1970, Peter and Gary Bell.

technology

Now with the next generation on board in the business,

Irvine Bell, together with sons Peter and Gary developed

and patented a cane cutting attachment that enabled

the tri-wheeler to further mechanise cane harvesting.

Irvine Bell was nevertheless wary of his son’s ambition to

venture into mass production, warning the boys that

within a year they could lose interest after producing

the same piece of machinery on a continuous basis.

Instead, after a windfall maiden production year which

saw 50 units produced, the company was rising to the

challenge of successful manufacturing. Applying

practical hydrostatic systems experience gained while

working on sabbatical with the Vickers distributor,

Peter Bell made significant improvements to the tri-

wheeler’s design and in 1975, with the expiry of the

manufacturing licence which had seen production being

outsourced, Bell itself began production of complete

machines.

The number of applications grew in which the tri-

wheeler could be used. Fitted with a forklift mast, the

rough terrain forklift version was quickly embraced by

the country’s brick industry. For the expanding timber

industry, a log handling version was configured.

Equipped with a log grab – the Bell Logger – proved to

be the ideal tool to gather logs and to load transporters.

Observing the deficiencies in the adapted farm tractors

used as transporters in the sugar and timber industries,

Peter Bell conceptualised a more robust machine.

Purpose-built for haul work with a truck-style drivetrain,

a steel chassis and tough earthmoving machine for

construction, the Bell Rigid Tractor, together with a

range of job matched trailers found a ready market in

cane and timber haulage which then expanded into

earthmoving applications.

Now working in the earthmoving industry, Peter Bell

saw the opportunity to apply the hauler’s strong simple

design philosophy to the front end loader concept. He

set about designing a tough ‘Built-for-Africa’ mid-size

wheeled loader range that were destined to become

market leaders in their class. After a few years of

marketing their growing product range through

independent distributors, the company recognised

the advantage of having its own dedicated outlets to

provide customers with factory direct support – and

so the Bell Customer Service Centre support network

was born. Beginning with a branch in Johannesburg,

Bell Equipment soon had national coverage and within

a few years, exports to neighbouring countries put

Bell firmly on the map.

AN EYE ON THE GLOBAL MARKET

By the early 1980s – with a factory staff of just over 100

– the manufacturing operation had outgrown the

Empangeni facility and in 1984 a new custom-built

factory located in Richards Bay was commissioned.

By this time the tri-wheel loader range had found ready

markets abroad and the plant provided product in kit

form to final assembly facilities in Mauritius which in

turn supplied cane loaders locally and into Africa. A New

Zealand assembly facility provided loaders for the

Australasian forest industry. In the United States, the

company first partnered with a large forestry equipment

manufacturer to build American versions of the

logger. Later Bell Equipment established its own

facilities in the southern timber market to distribute

products exported from the Richards Bay plant.

Also during the early 1980s a new configuration of earthmover arrived in the South African market place. These articulated dump trucks imported from Europe were effective and versatile. Bell, nevertheless, saw room for improvement by fine tuning their design to better cope with the harsh operating conditions common in Africa.

Launched in 1985, Bell Equipment’s first articulated truck – the 25 ton model – was a resounding success. This led to new models expanding the range. Lighter, faster models extended the artic truck application to a greater number of challenging hauls. By 1989, with the doubling of the Richards Bay plant capacity, the flagship 40 ton capacity articulated dump truck was launched and the worldwide team of employees had grown to 1 650.

Today the Bell articulated dump truck range has again expanded, breaking new ground with the mining – focused 50 ton capacity B50D. To compliment its own product range, Bell Equipment has partnered with global equipment manufacturers to provide customers with a comprehensive range of machines in the con-struction, forestry, mining and agriculture industries. The group has a customer devoted distribution network

that is proud of their service record.

�6 > LOOKING BACK

ABOVE: The Bell Equipment factory located in Richards

Bay, South Africa.

technology

The strategic partnership formed with one of the world’s

largest equipment manufacturers, the John Deere

Company, during 1999 provides the financial strength

to realise the goal of being the world’s premium

articulated truck supplier and in Africa, the equipment

brand of choice.

By partnering with customers and suppliers Bell has

been able to grow from humble beginnings, where

Irvine Bell from his tiny engineering works inspired

the search for a better way.

EXPORT AND DESIGN AWARDS

Over and above the TT100 award in 2009, the

company has been the recipient of various export

awards in 1990, 1991 and 1994 including being elected

as the overall winner of the State President’s Award

for Export Achievement in 1991.

In 2001 Bell Equipment won the National Productivity

Institute’s Gold Award in the corporate category and

the Institute of Marketing Management’s Marketing

Organisation of the Year award.

The Company has received numerous prestigious

engineering awards including the Shell Design Award

in 1987, the SABS Industrial Design Award in 1988,

The South African Institution of Mechanical Engineers’

Projects and Systems Award in 1991 and 2002 and the

Cullinan Design Award in 1992. In 1996 Bell Equipment

was the overall Toma (Outstanding Manufacturer of the

Year) winner and was also winner of the Basic Metals,

Fabricated Metal Products, Machinery & Equipment

category for 1996 and 1997. In 1996 and 1997 Bell

Equipment was also a category winner of the Top

Products Award, convened jointly by the Engineering

Association and Engineering Week. In 2002 Bell

Equipment received two awards at the Top Technology

100 Awards, the Autodesk Award for Outstanding

Achievement in Design Innovation and the Metals,

Machinery, Electrical, Capital Equipment and Con-

struction category award. Last year Bell Equipment

also won the SAIME (South African Institute of

Mechanical Engineering) Projects and Systems Award

in the R2 million to R50 million category. <

All images courtesy of Bell Equipment Co SA (Pty)

Ltd.

nowledge Objects Healthcare, a subsidiary of

Bathabile Technologies, was a finalist in Tech-

nology Top 100 (TT100) Awards earlier this year.

The company specialises in managing healthcare

financing risk for contracted clients. Through its

products, E-Authorisation™, KnowledgeSource™ and

KnowledgePower™, Knowledge Object Healthcare

(KOH) has become pioneers in business intelligence

and fraud prevention in the medical scheme industry

and currently has clients in South Africa, Nigeria,

Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Australia and Hong Kong.

KOH was established in 1996 and has over the years

built world-class knowledge-based applications for

global, blue-chip organisations. Application develop-

ments and engagements include Daimler Chrysler,

BMW, Nissan, GE Capital, Lloyds TSB, ABN Amro and

Ford Motor Company.

PROVIDING BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE FOR THE

HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY

�� > MANAGEMENT OF TECHNOLOGY

K

KOH is the leading implementer of medical rule based

systems in South Africa and Australia. KOH is the sole

licensor of KnowledgePower™ in worldwide

healthcare markets. KOH’s client base currently spans

65% of the medical scheme industry in South Africa

with comprehensive claims adjudication, pre-

authorisation and cohesive fraud prevention solutions.

The rule sets are multi-disciplinary including dental,

optometry, radiology, pathology, hospital, specialist,

general practitioner and all the ancillary disciplines

prevalent in a modern healthcare system. Knowledge

Power™ allows the management of business and

clinical rules by end users in an English language

type of format without any conventional coding

requirement.

Knowledge Objects Pharmaceutical Benefit Management (KOPBM)

KOPBM is the sole licensor and distributor of ProPBM™

in Africa and the Middle East, a world-class pharma-

ceutical benefit management solution from McKesson

Inc, the leading supplier of medical industry systems

in the world and a Fortune 500 company. ProPBM™

is the leading PBM software in the world today and

currently serves major US funders, including Aetna,

the Anthem Group and WellPoint of California.

ProPBM™ can be configured to meet all specific as-

pects of managing pharmaceutical claims in a par-

ticular market by pharmacists without the need for

associated conventional coding. ProPBM™ allows a

number of sophisticated, real-time, automated, drug

technology

technology

utilisation interventions. These interventions allow

healthcare funders to improve healthcare outcomes,

reduce administration costs, and substantially reduce

drug costs. KOPBM currently provides pharmaceutical

benefit management for eight health care funds in

South Africa and is growing rapidly.

TT100 finalist

The TT100 annual awards programme, sponsored by

the Department of Science and Technology (thedti)

and Da Vinci Holdings, identifies true South African role

models who through innovation, tenacity and a pas-

sionate belief in people have been able to take their

organisations to new levels of competitiveness.

Bathabile Technologies Group was a finalist in two of

the six Emerging Enterprise TT100 2008 award categories:

Excellence in the Management of Technology and

Excellence in the Management of Research.

In the Excellence in the Management of Technology

category the adjudication process probed deeply into

the processes which an organisation deploys in the

management of technology. Of key interest are the

processes which are deployed to develop, implement

and monitor the technology strategy. A winning

company devotes attention to the technology life cycle

ensuring that they have a healthy mix of emerging,

pacing, key and base technologies. Fundamental to

the effective management of technology are the tools

deployed to maintain and enhance competitive

advantage.

In the Excellence in the Management of Research

category, successful organisations place significant

emphasis on aligning the research objectives to the

strategic intent of the organisation. Further, the

efficiency of the process is high on the manager’s

agenda. Technology Top 100 winners are recognised

by the fact that they commit significant resource to

the research process.

The entrants to the TT100 programme included over

250 companies from both the public and the private

sectors representing a wide spectrum of operations

in diversified industries.

KOH products

KOH’s E-Authorisation™ ensures the automation of

consistent and clinically appropriate authorisations

real-time through automated clinical rule sets. It offers

direct integration into a medical aid scheme’s managed

care system, reducing the need for expensive clinical

resources

KnowledgePower™ stops fraudulent, errant and

misappropriate claims prior to payment. It is a holistic

fraud and best practice medical claims management

tool which is administration and operating platform

independent. It covers the full spectrum of medical

disciplines.

KnowledgeSource™ monitors key reporting indicators

in a medical aid scheme including fraud, REF, managed

care and fund utilisation. KnowledgeSource™ centralises

scheme data allowing for retrospective data analysis

against a multitude of disciplines using a dynamic

web portal. <

60 > MANAGEMENT OF TECHNOLOGY

+27 11 257 3900www.knowledgeobjects.co.za

Knowledge Objects Healthcare

 Specialist knowledge. Fresh thinking. Smarter technology.

The sharper side ofcutting edge

technology.

At KOH, we pride ourselves on having a healthy disrespect

for the impossible. Over the years this approach has made us a

clear leader in developing new technologies that automate complex

health and life insurance underwriting and administration processes.

We have a wealth of professional insight into the healthcare and

insurance markets, and we are 100% focused on technology solutions

that help overcome the key challenges facing those markets today.

TECHNOLOGY PIONEERS 2009 > AwARdINg THE bEST Of THE bEST

for the past ten years the world Economic forum has awarded pioneers in technology – companies that have a talent for innovation and that are noticed in the global marketplace.

T echnology Pioneers are a constituency of the

World Economic Forum, with the BT Group,

Accel, KPMG and Kudelski Group acting as

strategic partners of the Technology Pioneers pro-

gramme. The publication on award winners, titled

Talent for innovation: Getting noticed in a global market,

offers an overview of the award scheme, with write-ups

on the winning innovations. The information in this

article was sourced from this publication.

According to André Schneider, managing director and

chief operating officer of the World Economic Forum

the 2009 awards achieved several milestones. The

most significant of these were that there was a 50%

increase on entries compared to the previous year, the

programme has generated an unprecedented interest

from candidates in emerging economies, whose

applications constituted 22% of the total and the

award scheme welcomed the first ever Technology

Pioneers from Africa, Chile and the People’s Republic

of China. Schneider is convinced that the globalisation

of science and technology will continue to improve

standards of living around the world in the years to

come.

Matt Bross, CEO of BT innovate and BT Group chief

technology officer – one of the award scheme’s strategic

partners – says that to be selected as a Technology

Pioneer, a company must be involved in the develop-

ment of life-changing technology innovation and have

the potential for long-term impact on countries,

companies and communities on a planetary basis.

62 > MANAGEMENT OF TECHNOLOGY

technology

In today’s globalised, interconnected world, innovation

is the work of teams, often based in particular innova-

tion hotspots, and often collaborating with partners,

suppliers and customers both nearby and in other

countries. Innovation has become a global activity as

it has become easier for ideas and talented people to

move from one country to another. This has both

quickened the pace of technological development

and presented many new opportunities, as creative

individuals have become increasingly prized and

there has been greater recognition of new sources of

talent, beyond the traditional innovation hotspots of

the developed world.

A total of 34 companies were selected as Technology

Pioneers in 2009. They entered into three categories:

Biotechnology and health, energy/environmental

technology and information technology. Candidates

were nominated by members, constituents and col-

laborators of the World Economic Forum. Candidates

were reviewed by an external selection advisory com-

mittee comprising technology experts in a variety of

fields, with the World Economic

Forum taking the final decision. The Pioneers were

chosen on the basis of six selection criteria, being recent

innovation based on a significant investment in

What makes a Technology Pioneer in the 21st century?

research and development, potential impact, growth

and sustainability, proof of concept (a proven track

record), leadership and the company should not be a

member of the World Economic Forum.

Award winners – with specific focus on developing countries

In the category Energy/Environmental Technology, the winners were:

> Cows to Kilowatts Partnership – Nigeria,

www.c2k.org

Why the company is a pioneer

Construction of the Cows to Kilowatts biogas plant, which

will be one of the biggest in Africa, began in 2007.

With an estimated life span of 15 years, it is designed

to be commercially viable and is expected to reduce

greenhouse gas emissions from the slaughterhouse

by more than 22 300 tons of CO2 per year. Not only

has Cows to Kilowatts solved a potentially disastrous

problem, it has also created opportunities that could

be replicated elsewhere in the developing world.

> RECYCLA Chile – Chile, www.recycla.cl

Why the company is a pioneer

Being the first on a continent to address the issue of

electronic waste is pioneering in itself, but RECYCLA’s

model also generates profits for shareholders, while

addressing a worrying environmental issue in a socially

responsible way. RECYCLA’s next step will be to export

its business model throughout South America, while

helping to ensure that its social responsibility ethos

remains at the core.

Other winners in this category:

> BrightSource Energy – USA,

www.brightsourceenergy.com

> Current Group – USA, www.currentgroup.com

> GreenPeak Technologies – The Netherlands,

www.greenpeak.com

> Lemnis Lighting – The Netherlands and the USA,

www.lemnislighting.com

> NovaTorque – USA, www.novatorque.com

> RecycleBank – USA, www.recyclebank.com

> SemiLEDs Corporation – USA and Taiwan,

www.semileds.com

> Virent Energy Systems – USA, www.virent.com

> ZPower – USA, www.zpowerbattery.com

In the category Information Technology, the winners were:

> JiGrahak Mobility Solutions – India,

www.ngpay.com

Why the company is a pioneer

JiGrahak believes that ngpay will do for mobile com-

merce in India what companies like Amazon did for

electronic commerce in the US and Europe in the 1990s.

Given that 70 million Indians are already accessing the

Internet via mobile, ngpay is creating new commercial

opportunities in that country, particularly for rural

and working-class people – 70% of the company’s

users are outside major metropolitan areas.

64 > MANAGEMENT OF TECHNOLOGY

technology

> mPedigree – Ghana and the USA, www.

mpedigree.com/home

Why the company is a pioneer

Counterfeit drugs are a huge problem in developing

countries. The implications for human health include

over-dosage, low-dosage—which means the drug’s

desired effect is lessened or useless—further illness,

poisoning and death. It is vitally important to develop

a system that not only prevents and detects counter-

feit drugs but also encourages use by being easily

accessible, cheap and relatively foolproof. mPedigree’s

platform offers such a solution for the real world.

> Nivio – Switzerland and India, www.nivio.com

Why the company is a pioneer

Nivio is the first hosted Windows desktop. As a small

start-up, the company was able to create something

none of its larger rivals were able to do. This tech-

nology provides a new way to access modern computing

for the developing world and extends the life of

equipment for people who already own computers.

And, because it is based on an operating system used

by around 90 per cent of the world’s users, Nivio

offers broad functionality.

> Qifang – China, www.qifang.cn

Why the company is a pioneer

Combining technological innovations such as P2P

lending, microfinance, Web 2.0 and online bidding

with social and educational interests, Qifang may well

revolutionise and democratise higher education in

China. The company’s name means “bloom”, a reference

to a classical Chinese poem: “Bai hua qi fang”— “Let

a hundred flowers bloom.”

Other winners in this category were:

> Advanced Track & Trace – France,

www.advancedtrackandtrace.com

> Brightcove – USA, www.brightcove.com

> Etsy – USA, www.etsy.com

> Gameforge – Germany, www.gameforge.de

> Mint.com – USA, www.mint.com

> Mojix – USA, www.mojix.com

> SpinVox – UK, www.spinvox.com

> Tideway Systems – UK, www.tideway.com

> TraceTracker – Norway, www.traceway.com

> Ubiquisys – UK, www.ubiquisys.com

In the category biotechnology / Health, the winners were:

> AC Immune – Switzerland, www.acimmune.com

> lnylam Pharmaceuticals – USA, www.alnylam.com

> Biomedica diagnostics – Canada,

www.biomedicadiagnostics.com

> Intercell – Austria, www.intercell.com

> Mobile Healthcare – Japan, www.lifewatcher.com

> MorhoSys – Germany, www.morphosys.com

> Phase Forward – USA, www.phaseforward.com

> Proteus Biomedical – USA, www.proteus.bz <

> ACCESS TALENT FOR INNOVATION: GETTING NOTICED IN A GLOBAL MARKET AT www.weforum.org/en/communities/Technology%20pioneers/index.htm

T his is the question raised by Teryl Schroenn,

CEO at Accsys, a national supplier of payroll,

human resources (HR), time & attendance

and access control solutions.

Schroenn refers to the growth in popularity of initiatives

like Facebook and Myspace which offer any end-user

free access to and management of his or her own

Internet space.

“It was simply a matter of time before businesses

cottoned on to the strength of online social networking

forums to increase levels of exposure, generate leads

and encourage referrals. The nature of the Internet is

such that lends itself very well to businesses as an

automatic, cost-effective and simple way to advertise

and attract attention,” says Schroenn.

The reality is that more companies are assimilating their

profiles and placing them on these websites to secure

online presence, Schroenn adds. The introduction of

Twitter and LinkID services has opened up a new

dimension to modern corporate communication and

networking.

“Today the business environment involves engaging

existing clients and prospective business partners using

online channels. It is a step up from email and the basic

fact is that business is being conducted through online

social forums,” adds Schroenn.

As specialists in the area of HR management, Accsys

continues to monitor the impact of social networking

and its role in corporate governance. The company is

aware of the number of real threats to a business posed

by unregulated engagement with social networking

SOCIAL NETWORKING ONLINE – TAKINg VIRTuAl cORpORATE pRESENcE TO THE NEXT lEVEl

The pervasive quality and immediacy of online social networking seems to have grabbed the attention of corporate South Africa. So much so that the concept of using digital forums to talk to the market, boost sales, generate leads and advertise services is now considered by many to be a serious element of overall marketing strategy. but does this represent a boon or a pandora’s box for companies?

66 > CONNECTIVITY

forums. These range from lower productivity – right

through to the deliberate or accidental sharing of

sensitive company data.

“It is about striving for and attaining higher levels of

visibility, of reinforcing competitive advantage by

knowing what is being said, when and by whom in

the market. But, as with any technology and initiatives

that empower individuals and groups, there has to be a

degree of responsibility. The onus is on the company to

determine policy to regulate access to social networking

resources and to better manage the process of what is

being communicated. Information remains a business’s

most prized asset – to encourage freedom to interact

digitally is one thing, to do this with no policies, channels

of responsibility or checks in place is simply asking for

trouble,” Schroenn continues.

The situation at present, according to Accsys, is that

there are obvious marketing benefits associated with

social networking on which businesses can capitalise.

However, the success and experience will be influenced

significantly by the quality of the product, reliability

of the forum, the existence and strength of policies

and procedures or checks that are in place, as well as

the dexterity with which decision-makers approach

the situation. <Teryl Schroenn, CEO at Accsys

technology

BURN FOR FREE > lEAdINg THE cHARgE IN THE

OpEN SOuRcE REVOluTION

A n innovative open source software platform

known as the Freedom Toaster has provided

an opportunity to bridge the digital divide and

make software available free of charge to the previously

disadvantaged.

While today the Freedom Toaster is an independent

commercial undertaking by Breadbin Interactive, the

initiative was developed and prototyped with the

support of the South African funding and development

organisation Shuttleworth Foundation.

So successful was the undertaking that the Freedom

Toaster has grown into a highly effective digital content

distribution initiative that reaches across South Africa

and is being replicated internationally in countries like

Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Namibia, India and Canada, to

name but a few.

Imagine a vending machine that allows you to pick what

you want at the touch of a button, then ‘spits’ it out in a

format that allows you to slip the product in your pocket

and carry on with your day. Best of all, whatever you

order is never out of stock, and it’s always free!

That, in a nutshell, is the Freedom Toaster. These con-

veniently located, robust, self-contained, computer

kiosks allow anyone to bring along a disk, tap a few

buttons on the touch screen and burn open source

software and operating systems onto a blank CD,

DVD or flash drive.

No bandwidth costs. No connectivity issues. No

expensive technical support departments. Just the

content you want to distribute, made available in a

way that’s easy for everyone to access.

Breadbin Interactive’s Freedom Toaster was one of

the top winners at the annual Technology Top 100

awards ceremony in February 2009 when it received

two awards in the Emerging Enterprises category:

one for management of technology and the other the

Director-General’s award for overall excellence. The

achievement came as no surprise to those who are

familiar with the Toaster and its capabilities.

To fully understand what sparked the development of

such an innovative and useful technological tool, one

needs to look at the environment that created the need.

6� > CONNECTIVITY

technology

BACKGROUND

While the Internet has been hailed as a great equaliser

of developing and developed nations, there are in many

countries still great disparities in opportunity to access

the Internet.

In South Africa, despite its new democratic dispensa-

tion, the problem of a technologically divided population

is very prevalent and highlights the need for increased

technological access and literacy. With technological

competency becoming a prerequisite for any sort of

skilled labour, it has become a social and economic

priority to make technology cheaply and widely

available.

A restrictive telecommunications environment, high

unemployment rate and the low income of large sectors

of the population greatly hamper the process.

While the main problem associated with computer

literacy will always be cost, a substantial portion of

the expenditure incurred can be negated by switching

to Free and Open Source Software (FOSS).

The term “open source” refers to computer software that has been built by a global community of volunteers who make the source code freely available. Unlike the more widely known proprietary software model, whereby a software product is owned by a single company and users pay license fees to use it, open source gives users a freedom that no proprietary software will ever offer and this includes the freedom to obtain, modify and distribute the software.

Open source software embraces the philosophy of sharing. With open source, concepts such as piracy are not a problem. In fact, you are encouraged to share and spread the software as much as you like. The open source license states that you may copy and re-distribute the software even after modifying it. This provides users with a freedom not obtainable from proprietary software and creates tremendous opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs around the world, especially in developing countries.

However, in the unique South African context open source software has its own drawbacks as it relies heavily on the Internet. Without a reliable, fast Internet connection, which many people cannot afford, numerous open source applications and operating systems are

all but inaccessible.

70 > CONNECTIVITY

DEVELOPMENT OF FREEDOM TOASTER

Some five years ago, the Shuttleworth Foundation in

South Africa embarked on a project to address the

shortcomings of the open source model in the South

African context and to provide an interactive display

of open source software at the MTN Science Centre in

Cape Town. The project was the start of what was to

become the Freedom Toaster.

The idea was first conceived by Jason Hudson (previously

of the Shutttleworth Foundation and now a Director

of Breadbin Interactive) who realised that while open

source represents the future of software, South Africans

Jason Hudson, founder of the Freedom Toaster project.

face significant barriers in terms of its distribution

due to the high cost of bandwidth in the country. He

knew there was little point in offering freely available

alternatives to proprietary software, when they cost

too much in bandwidth to distribute or download.

The Shuttleworth Foundation saw the invitation from

the MTN Science Centre as an opportunity to showcase

open source software in a public area.

“We agreed that we wanted something capable of

increasing the public interest in and keenness for open

source software,” Hudson recalls. “One of the main

ideas was to distribute software while simultaneously

having a few computers set-up where people could test

drive open source software. But none of these ideas

were anything new or different,” he says.

It was then that he came up with the initial concept

behind the Freedom Toaster. “I thought it would be cool

to have a vending machine for open source software,”

he recalls. “I initially planned to have a conventional

vending machine with open source CDs stocked

inside it, with predetermined software on them.”

This idea turned out not to be very viable in terms of

the huge costs involved and Hudson set out to rethink

his idea of an open source vending machine.

“We then decided to use a regular computer with three

CD burning drives inside it,” he explains. “We authored

some clever software in the PERL programming language

that would allow the computer to burn three CDs con-

currently and we placed this computer in the MTN

Science Centre.”

What happened next illustrates how open source is

driven by the community it both originates from and

offers benefits to. “Members of the Cape Linux User

technology

Group (CLUG) got hold of the computer and the soft-ware

we had written for it,” explains Hudson.

“We started seeing discussions on the CLUG’s newsletters

about it,” he continues. “They were calling it an ‘open source

kiosk’ and there was substantial community interest in

what we had created.”

This community of Linux and open source enthusiasts

then set out to develop the concept into the final product

that is the Freedom Toaster we know today.

The name Freedom Toaster is derived from the fact that

open source software is free and that Linux users refer

to burning CDs as ‘toasting’ as opposed to ‘burning’ them

which is a Windows term.

The Shuttleworth Foundation compensated the community

for their efforts and brought in professional designers and

computer programmers to take care of the user interface

and additional programming required.

After three years within the Shuttleworth Foundation, it

was decided the best way to make this philanthropic

project self-sustainable would be to commercialise it.

This consequently led to the formation of Breadbin

Interactive in 2006, and a commercially viable model

was developed to make the units available to companies,

educational institutions and government departments.

Co-founder of the original concept, Brett Simpson, also

left the Shuttleworth Foundation at this stage to join

Hudson in the new venture.

The Freedom Toaster’s selection of software is not limited

to Linux distributions. Software such as the OpenCD and

OpenOffice.org is available as well. The OpenCd contains Rendering of a Freedom Toaster kiosk.

72 > CONNECTIVITY

a wealth of free Windows software such as Firefox and

Thunderbird, which serve as free alternatives to

Internet Explorer and Outlook.

The selection of Windows-compatible software on the

Freedom Toaster makes it an invaluable tool for those

who have opted to stay with Microsoft Windows, but

who require low-cost, functional desktop utilities and

applications.

IMPLEMENTATION

In South Africa various institutions have adopted the

Freedom Toaster and embraced the access which it

provides to open source software.

One of the first locations where it was installed was at

the MTN Science Centre in Cape Town where the intention

was to stimulate the interest of the increasingly mobile

and technologically savvy young adults and teenagers

who frequented the Centre. Branded as a hip and trendy

portal into the world of open source, the Freedom Toaster

was received with great approval by the youngsters

and in just six months in 2004, it was used to burn a

total of 1 335 distributions.

Although difficult to quantify, the impact on the local

community has been undeniable. “It only takes one

distribution in the right hands to create a lifelong love

of open source, one copy of OpenOffice.org to provide

an entire school with a desktop publishing application

and one CD with Firefox and Thunderbird to enable a

household to connect to the Internet,” says the

pamphlet on The Case of the MTN Science Centre

Freedom Toaster.

Celebrating Software Freedom Day at the campus of the

Department of Science and Technology in Pretoria.

technology

The University of South Africa (Unisa), one of the world’s

largest distance learning institutions, distributes all

its course material, across the entire curriculum, to

registered students via Toasters placed in its offices

around the country. This followed a successful pilot

launch of the Toaster in 2007 on the Unisa campus in

Pretoria. Because the Toaster is driven by open source

coding it was possible to customise it exactly to

Unisa’s needs.

Another academic institution that has benefited from

the implementation of the Freedom Toaster on its

premises is the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT)

in the Pretoria area. As a result of substantial student

grants and loans available at the TUT every year, the

institution attracts a significant number of students from

historically disadvantaged backgrounds who often

are seriously lacking in technological literacy skills.

At the TUT the Freedom Toaster doesn’t just benefit

the large and varied student base and educators.

Regular seminars and training have also provided the

general public with access to and information on how

to use the facility.

A Freedom Toaster has also been implemented at the

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

at its Open Source Centre (OSC). Launched in 2003 by

the CSIR and the Department of Science and Tech-

nology, the OSC was created to facilitate the adoption of

open source software in both business and government

circles and as such was a perfect host for a freedom

Toaster. The OSC also works in the education and

training sector to facilitate the adoption of open source

software as an aid to learning and empowerment and

has proved a valuable ally in increasing awareness of

open source software and making it accessible to many

who previously may never have had an opportunity to

try it.

BUILD YOUR OWN

Besides being available at various institutions, the

Freedom Toaster is also moved around to convenient

locations and events where anyone is welcome to choose

from the variety of software available and burn their

own CDs. Plans and software for the Freedom Toaster

are also freely available, allowing anyone, anywhere,

to build their own Freedom Toaster and make open

source software available in their community.

The development of the Freedom Toaster couldn’t

have come at a better time in South Africa. Not only

does it deliver open source software in a dynamic and

empowering way, it has the potential to empower

those with less access to information resources,

thereby creating more opportunities to change society

for the better. <

PROCUREMENT AND ADVERTISING PLATFORM >

cHANgINg THE wAy pHARmAcIES dO buSINESS

74 > CONNECTIVITY

pharmacies have experienced hard times in the recent past. In

its efforts to make medicine more affordable and accessible to all

citizens, the South African government has implemented pricing

regulations that have forced many of your small corner pharmacies

out of business. The situation has now stabilised, but pharmacies

still need all the help they can get to streamline business.

Recent legislation changes in South Africa have also shifted

more responsibility onto pharmacists, making them key decision

makers in the distribution and recommendation of pharmaceutical

products to the public. The SA pharmacy council reports that

the new legislation has shifted the emphasis from the price of

medicine to the rendering of professional services by pharmacists

to members of the public.

technology

X/procure® is an innovative electronic procurement and

advertising platform that aims to create a friendlier

business environment for pharmacies. More than 61%

of South African pharmacies have already implemented

the electronic procurement system, enabling them to

purchase scheduled and over-the-counter pharmaceu-

tical, surgical and front shop requirements directly

from wholesalers and distributors.

The system also facilitates electronic advertising directly

to the pharmacist, allowing advertisers the opportunity

to present and promote their products at the time the

buying decision is made.

The X/procure® Software company became a subsidiary

of Primedia Unlimited, the ambient advertising arm

of Primedia (Pty) Ltd – a media conglomerate that aims

to adapt traditional media businesses to the new

electronic economy.

Over a million items

The software allows the buyer to search a database of

more than one million line items, accurately compare

prices, deals and specials, and easily build, send and

manage purchase orders. X/procure® adds value to

pharmacies by generating savings on cost of sales,

improving buying decisions and ensuring better

management of the procurement process.

The system has been developed with the practicalities

of the pharmacy environment in mind, and allows

orders to be created quickly and easily.

Boasting a wide range of electronic advertising

mediums the X/procure® system also facilitates

electronic advertising directly to the pharmacist at the

time when the buying decision is made. Advertising

mediums range from text-based messaging to image

banner advertising to intervention adverts and

interactive mediums.

What’s in it for the advertiser?

X/procure®’s extensive advertising reach can offer

the advertiser access to more than 1200 pharmacies

country wide.

Because the system is typically used for the bulk of a

pharmacy’s procurement, it provides an ideal

opportunity for pharmaceutical manufacturers to

advertise, promote and create awareness for their

brands.

Electronic advertising

The X/procure® software facilitates electronic

advertising directly to the pharmacist in more than

1200 pharmacies countrywide at the time when the

buying decision is made by means of banners adverts,

intervention adverts, watermarks adverts, screensaver

adverts, amongst others.

During a recent independent research study con-

ducted by Ipsos Markinor, it was found that more

than 93% of all X/procure® pharmacy subscribers

utilise the system on a daily basis and more than 75%

of the time, the pharmacist was the final decision

maker on the purchase.

The study also showed that in excess of 80% of

pharmacists preferred ordering their stock

electronically through the X/procure® system than

through any other method, and the same number felt

more positive towards the brands being advertised

on the system.

76 > CONNECTIVITY

Images courtesy of X/procure®

technology

This places an added value onto the X/procure®

advertising platform, as its various advertising mediums

have the ability to ensure that the advertiser’s brand

is not only presented at the forefront of the procurement

process, but the brand is highly recognisable at

pharmacy level. With advertising mediums ranging

from intervention to interactive adverts, X/procure®

will not only ensure repetitive brand presentation but

also measurability of advertising campaigns.

The role of generics

Generic medicines are produced after the patent on

an original medicine expires. Other manufacturers are

then entitled to copy the original product using the same

active ingredients as contained in the original medicine.

Generic medicines are much less expensive than the

original medicines because of the costly and extensive

research usually required before the latter are manufac-

tured. The South African government has pushed the

use generics over the past few years – again to make

medicine more affordable to more people.

With the increasing number of generics introduced

into the South African market, manufacturers are

forced to look beyond traditional advertising and to

incorporate creative and innovative mediums into

their marketing mix.

Not only does X/procure® offer advertisers the

required innovation, but through properly understanding

their short and long term marketing objectives, X/

procure®’s advertising consulting team will tailor a

campaign specific to the advertisers needs.

Electronic ordering

Representing over 53% market share within the

pharmacy environment in South Africa, the X/procure®

Pharmacy electronic procurement technology is now

regarded as the industry standard.

From the minimal implementation requirement to the

receipt of confirmed orders, X/procure® Pharmacy

remains the simplest yet most powerful e-Procurement

software tool available.

Implementation of X/procure® Pharmacy is under-

taken by qualified support technicians from one of the

company’s national centres and is supported by a

professionally staffed help-desk, manned 24hours a

day, 7 days a week.

Boasting the largest connectivity to suppliers (whole-

sales and distributors), X/procure® Pharmacy

currently has over 170 front shop, dispensary and

surgical suppliers and affiliates as partners in

ensuring ease of pharmacy e-Procurement.

Wholesaler software

X/procure® Supplier Plus allows the supplier to

capture its product catalogue and price list through

an easy to use interface. Distribution of the suppliers

price file is then possible to all or selected pharmacies

using X/procure® Pharmacy.

For the supplier utilising ERP or legacy systems, X/

procure® RTO allows direct interfacing into the

supplier’s inventory system, enabling online

transaction processing (OLTP) and removing the

human element from the ordering process.

X/procure® currently has more than forty two

suppliers directly connected to its ordering portal,

processing in excess of R400 million worth of orders

on a monthly basis. <

GAUTRAIN MAP ONLINE The use of mapping technology is vital in the planning of the gautrain rapid rail system and will form an integral part of the transport system after its launch.

lanning the Gautrain through a heavily populated

Gauteng province has been a challenging process

requiring careful consideration of current and

future developments and road infrastructure. To

assist in the planning of the task, Gautrain utilised

the services of location-based services company,

AfriGIS.

Magnus Rademeyer, MD of AfriGIS, says the Gautrain

project used mapping in a number of ways. The total

length of the completed network will be 80 kilometres

with ten stations on the line between Johannesburg,

Pretoria and the OR Tambo International Airport. A

great deal of planning went into the route and assessing

how the current infrastructure would be affected.

“Firstly maps were used to plan the route of the train.

Then they were used to identify exactly which properties

and roads would be affected by the line and the various

stations. The mapping technology was also integrated

into the Gautrain website (www.gautrain.co.za). In

addition, AfriGIS used Google Earth to visually display

the route on the Gautrain website and additional

information about the stations,” says Rademeyer.

The online map on the Gautrain website was developed

by AfriGIS. It allows people to see the route and zoom

in right down to street names and stand numbers.

The map includes detail such as stations and affected

properties and also provides a search function to show

people directions from their homes to the nearest station.

The map is interactive and can be viewed as a map or

as a displayed image that can be zoomed in and out.

The other interesting option on the Gautrain website is

the Google Earth tool. Google Earth displays satellite

imagery and the route has been mapped onto imagery

taken from Google Earth, allowing people to view the

route from different angles.

“Each station has been marked on this map and clicking

on a station brings up various options including more

information on that station, detailed photographs of

construction progress and an artist’s impression of

what the station will look like,” says Rademeyer.

Barbara Jensen from the Gautrain communication team

says along with the tools on the website, the mapping

technology was also used by the Gautrain call centre

agents to assist people who wanted to know how they

would be affected.

“Furthermore, the technology was used in the exten-

sive planning process around the construction sites,

which roads were affected as well as being used in

the planning of alternative routes around stations

while construction is in process,” says Jensen.

“There will be a dedicated fleet of 125 Gautrain buses

fanning out on major routes from each station, taking

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Examples of the online maps found on the Gautrain website which were developed by AfriGIS.

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Examples of the online maps found on the Gautrain website which were developed by AfriGIS.

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passengers to and from the Gautrain. These buses

will be able to carry more than 100 000 passengers

per day in each direction between Johannesburg and

Tshwane,” she says.

As the Gautrain bus service launches, new routes will

be added on a regular basis and existing routes will

be updated based on demand. “We’re looking at ways

of using mapping technology for bus routes. So for

example, the bus routes could possibly be posted on the

website and would also be made available at stations

and other points so that commuters will know exactly

where the buses travel to and which route is best suited

to them,” says Jensen.

Passengers will not have to wait long for the train

which will have 24 sets of four rail cars each travelling

on the line – a total of 96 cars on the track. A journey

from OR Tambo to Sandton will take 12 minutes or

less while the journey between Johannesburg and

Tshwane should take 42 minutes.

Points of interest will also be used extensively once

the Gautrain begins operating to assist people at each

station to decide on the services that may interest

them, says Rademeyer. “For example, tourists coming

from the OR Tambo International Airport may want to

find their hotel in Sandton or find the closest place to

do their shopping. Location-based services and map-

ping will help people to orientate themselves and

find what they are looking for.”

AfriGIS provides Geographical Information Systems

(GIS) solutions to corporates, parastatals and various

government institutions departments. Solutions vary

from providing data sets of geographical information

to software, maps, customised solutions and consulting

services. This geographical information is used for a

host of purposes including population, proximity and

location analysis, address verification, location based

services and so on.

AfriGIS also specialises in making these services

available from mobile phones and developing mobile

applications that use geographical information. It

has also developed a mobile advertising platform to

serve advertising to websites and mobile phone

applications. <

Google Earth tool allows browsers the opportunity to view Gautrain routes from different angles as well as displaying other information of interest.

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ApplyINg THE 4 pS IN THE MOBILE MARKETING MIX

By Gavin van Haght, account manager at CellSmart Technologies

The growth of mobile technologies creates various opportunities for mobile operators, advertisers and media owners to use new and untapped media channels to reach new customers and to engage and retain existing ones. As more consumers adopt mobile devices into their daily lives, it is becoming increasingly important to integrate such mobile technologies into communication and marketing strategies.

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Image: © Renato Mitra

technology

T he growth of mobile technologies creates various

opportunities for mobile operators, advertisers

and media owners to use new and untapped

media channels to reach new customers and to

engage and retain existing ones. As more consumers

adopt mobile devices into their daily lives, it is becom-

ing increasingly important to integrate such mobile

technologies into communication and marketing

strategies.

Mobile marketing is far more than just a fleeting trend.

Combining the reach and frequency of television with

the accuracy and personal communication of direct

marketing, mobile has become an effective and cost-

efficient means for reaching consumers. The long-

term potential benefits of using mobile marketing and

the challenges presented to enterprises, publishers,

advertisers, service providers and networks are

attracting the interest of organisations. These benefits

include driving incremental revenue, creating a direct

feedback channel, enhancing consumer loyalty and

providing a better brand and service experience for

consumers.

Four key concepts are considered decisive when

developing a mobile marketing mix: Personalisation,

participation, peer-to-peer and predictive modelling.

Personalisation refers to the ability to customise

products and services through the use of the Internet.

Early examples include Dell on-line and Amazon.com,

but the concept is further extended by emerging social

media and advanced algorithms.

Participation refers to the engagement of customers

in determining brand positioning, the direction of

product development and even which advertisements

to run. This concept lays the foundation for disruptive

change through the democratisation of information.

Peer-to-peer (P2P) refers to customer networks and

communities where advocacy takes place. The historical

problem with marketing is that it is interruptive by

nature – always trying to impose a brand on the cus-

tomer. This is most apparent in television advertising.

The active customer communities will ultimately

replace the passive customer bases and brand engage-

ment happens within those conversations. P2P is now

being referred as social computing and is likely to be

the most disruptive force in the future of marketing.

Predictive modelling refers to algorithms that are

being successfully applied in marketing problems,

which are both a regression as well as a classification

problem.

PERSONALISATION

Enhancing consumer loyalty and generating more sales

Gone are the days of mass marketing where brands

were non-specific about their target audience. Now,

more than ever, brands are moving towards com-

munication that takes place on a one-on-one basis,

and in doing so, are generating higher levels of brand

loyalty.

Consumers want to feel unique and will, therefore, be

willing to focus their attention on communication that

meets this need. Mobile offers brands the opportunity

to place the communication directly into the palm of

the consumer, avoiding the clutter of traditional

media and singling out the consumer as the focus of

that particular brand’s attention.

By integrating mobile marketing into communications

strategies, brands can expect longer and more

beneficial relationships with their consumers through

direct and personal communication, resulting in

greater market security and higher revenues, because

consumers seek out the brands with whom they feel

the closest bond.

By using targeted mobile marketing brands are able to

offer consumers up-to-date notifications about product

promotions, discounts, limited editions and special

purchasing incentives, while capturing data and

rewarding of consumers. Mobile makes the whole

process simpler, more customer-focussed, and it

costs considerably less that traditional media.

Through the use of mobile, brands can ensure that

personalised communications are placed in the palms

of their target market, bypassing the clutter and

making sure that that brands message receives the

consumer’s full attention.

case study

Foschini, one of South Africa’s largest retail chains,

allowed consumers to customise their own T-shirt

designs in a Mother’s Day promotion and offered

them a chance of winning a cell phone for their effort.

The customised T-shirt element was a massive

success, providing Foschini with a large database of

consumer designs.

From this case study one can see that personalisation

is a sure-fire way of generating interest in one’s brand.

PARTICIPATION

brand positioning and consumer research

Up to now building a brand has relied on traditional

mediums such as television and radio. However, as

more brands enter the marketplace, vying for the

consumer’s attention, a lot of what brands are trying

to tell their consumers is getting lost in the clutter

and marketing overload. Today’s consumers want

their brands to listen to what they have to say and are

no longer willing to except a general shot-in-the-dark

approach from brands trying to attract their attention.

As marketers, we are merely the brand custodians.

The ownership lies with the consumer.

Through the use of mobile marketing elements

brands can communicate with their consumers on a

two-way level, allowing them to accurately state what

they feel the brand is and what it should stand for.

It is important not only for brands to generate new

clients, but also to retain their current clients. In order

to do this, brands need to continuously offer added

value to their consumers in one way or another. Through

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Mother’s Day promotion for Foschini.

SECTION > ��

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the use of mobile marketing, brands are able to collect

information about their target consumers, whether it is

demographic, psychographic, behavioural, or product-

related, which provides insight into what their con-

sumers perceive as value. As a result marketers are

able to more accurately meet the needs of their target

consumers, and in doing so, stay ahead of their

competitors.

case study

The Make Your Move campaign from Love Life, South

Africa’s fourth largest brand is an excellent example

of an effective participation strategy that used mobile

marketing. The campaign entailed a custom-developed

WAP site to create a social network where Love Life’s

target consumers would interact with one another

and in doing so, provide feedback for the campaign

and brand as a whole. The site provided an innovative

means for sourcing valuable data on the organisation’s

target audience and also allowed them to take

ownership of the communication and brand.

PEER-TO-PEER

Increasing consumer interaction by introducing viral elements and hype

To ensure brand distinction, marketers need to generate

opportunities for interaction with their consumers.

Traditional media often come up short on this score

and can often be viewed as talking at the consumer

rather than talking to the consumer.

The use of mobile places the communication at the

consumer’s fingertips and speaks to them in their

own environments. Mobile elements such as WAP

encourage consumers to spend long periods of time

interacting with the sites that they choose to access

and increase their engagement with the brands.

In a world of PVRs and page-turning options brands

need to harness the power of a medium that not only

holds the attention of the consumer, but also

encourages return visits. Mobile offers brands the

ability to do just that by providing interactive and

entertaining elements to a personalised environment

of communication.

The Make Your Move campaign for Love Life.

In addition, there is no more powerful form of adver-

tising than word-of-mouth. Peer-to-peer interaction

can have an extremely positive or negative effect on

a brand. Marketers need to provide their consumers

with communication that will be talked about in a

positive way. Mobile campaigns offer marketers

opportunities to incorporate prizes, downloadable

content or tell-a-friend options which are highly

effective in generating viral aspects and P2P

interactivity.

These new and exciting ways of interacting with a

brand’s target audience ensure that it receives in-

creased share-of-mouth space in social circles, giving

such campaigns an extra boost in the cluttered market

space.

Much along the same lines of viral campaigns, mobile

can be used to generate high levels of interest around

a particular brand or product. Providing consumers

with the option of designing their own sought-after

content (as can be seen from the case study below)

can generate a great deal of hype around a particular

product or brand.

case study

Mitsubishi recently commissioned the design of a WAP

site as part of its launch of the new Mitsubishi Lancer.

The campaign was designed to entice consumers to

test drive the car, and even rewarded consumers for

interacting with the brand and ‘pimping out’ the

Mitsubishi Lancer on the site by giving away Mitsubishi

hampers. Once consumers had designed their own

Lancer, they were given the option of sending it on to

their friends, creating a chain effect of consumers

interacting with the brand.

PREDICTIVE MODELLING

Reaching the right people

Through the use of database marketing and opt-in

services such as Vodacom’s AdMe, marketers are able

to reach their specific target markets through

personalised and tailored messages. The use of

mobile is far more reach-effective than traditional

forms of direct response marketing when it comes to

communicating to the right consumers, and far more

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WAP site for the launch of the Mitsubishi Lancer.

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cost-effective in terms of minimal expense wastage

when it comes to distribution.

Another big appeal of using mobile to communicate

with one’s target audience is its measurability. Very few

mediums offer the same degree to which marketers

can follow how consumers interact with a particular

communication quite like mobile. This is one of the

key driving factors as to why the communication

industry is experiencing a dramatic upswing in the

use of mobile marketing. Marketers are able to view

statistics such as the time spent on each page of a

WAP site or view the statistics of which product or

service attracted the interest. This provides marketers

with the ability to pinpoint the needs and wants of

their consumers without the drudgery and expense

often associated with market research campaigns.

case study

Pongracz is an example of a brand that has success-

fully used mobile to enhance its predictive modelling

strategy. Pongracz developed a WAP site that aimed

to generate a database of information in order to

communicate better with its consumers. Not only were

consumers rewarded for interacting with the site by

being offered a chance to win a trip to the Champagne

region of France, but they were also provided information

related to the brand, which instilled the feeling that

Pongracz is more than just a sparkling wine, but rather

a close friend.

CROSS MEDIA INTEGRATION

Brands are increasingly noticing the tremendous

potential of mobile marketing when it comes to com-

munication and building long-term relationships with

consumers.

It is often the case that mobile marketing is used in a

tactical, once-off manner. This is not because success

rates are low – on the contrary, evidence shows that well-

constructed campaigns have been highly successful.

The most successful campaigns, however, involve adding

mobile marketing to the marketing mix with the long-

term aim of using mobile as a vehicle for ongoing two-

way communication with consumers. <

All case study images courtesy of CellSmart Technologies.

WAP site for Pongracz.

technology

AFRICAN INVENTIONS SITE HONOURED

By Janine Erasmus

“Being named as one of the best sites the web has to

offer is an honour for AfriGadget,” says founder and

editor Erik Hersman, who grew up in Sudan and Kenya.

Hersman believes strongly in change brought about

through the use of technology, and he and his team report

on what are often the most unlikely inventions across a

range of Africa-relevant categories such as sanitation,

food, water, energy, transportation and health.

The site, as Hersman says, is a testament to Africans

bending the little they have to their will, using creativity

to overcome life’s challenges, often forging ahead

without the help of NGOs and other organisations.

Overcoming challenges

Stories covered on AfriGadget include the bamboo

bike project, an initiative pioneered jointly by profes-

sional bicycle designer Craig Calfree and the Earth

Institute at Columbia University; an ironworks in Nairobi

that uses a bicycle-driven bellows; a project making

biodiesel out of local palm nuts in Sierra Leone; a bicycle

fitted with a grinding wheel that becomes a mobile

knife-sharpening workshop when put onto its stand,

earning the entrepreneur about R80 ($10) a day; and

a foldaway house for emergency situations invented

by South African Rajan Harinarain.

Other notable stories involve young Malawian William

Kamkwamba who built a windmill from scratch to

generate electricity for his home; and the non-profit

KickStart organisation which develops and markets

new technologies in Africa to allow local entrepreneurs

to establish profitable new small businesses.

One of Kickstart’s most popular products is its award-

winning MoneyMaker pump. Operating much like a

gym step machine, the device pumps water to irrigate

lands and enable small-scale African farmers to

expand their enterprises. Kickstart has sold a large

number of these pumps across Africa, and has been

approached by the United Nations to sell globally.

Telling the stories of African ingenuity

The AfriGadget team comprises Erik Hersman; Kenyan

Steve Mugiri who comes from a business management

Afrigadget, a website that reports on African ingenuity and innovation, has made it onto the list of Time magazine’s 50 best websites for 2008. The site, which is run by a team of volunteers who contribute material from all over the continent, showcases simple yet sustainable inventions that boost living and working conditions in Africa.

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and technology background but is also a noted music

blogger specialising in pre-1985 East African music;

Kenyan Juliana Chebet, an AfriGadget founder with an

engineering degree; and German Juergen Eichholz, a

water and sanitation specialist who grew up in East

Africa.

The core team relies on a network of writers across

Africa for stories, videos and images. Since AfriGadget

is formatted as a blog, people are encouraged to write

in with their contributions.

“What makes these stories so engaging, interesting

and challenging is the fact that they are about people

carrying out economic activities with very little

resources to them, that are so challenging that we

would typically expect them to be tackled only by

organisations,” said Mugiri in an interview with the

Sietch, a worldwide online community that works for

positive change.

AfriGadget also runs the Grassroots Reporting Project

with a view to building a network of reporters who can

go out into the field and find stories. They will be trained

and equipped with mobile phones and computers to

help them get the stories as they happen. <

Source: MediaClubSouthAfrica.com

> VISIT AFRIGADGET AThttp://www.afrigadget.com

technology

SOuTH AfRIcAN INVENTION gETS TO THE cORE Of

PILATES TRAINING

pilates enthusiasts could soon find themselves being challenged to learn some interesting new exercises and skills in studios around the country, using an innovative piece of exercise equipment developed by a South African physiotherapist.

90 > HEALTH

D-sebecs is a new multifunctional apparatus that gives one an opportunity to exercise in a dynamic environment.

technology

T he D-SEBECS is an unstable platform that rests

on a flat disc-shaped base fitted with multi-

directional castors. It acts like a balance board,

with any movement on the platform causing the

apparatus to slide and tilt in different directions,

depending on the direction of the force. Designed to

improve bio-motor abilities and movement control,

the name says it all: the acronym D-SEBECS stands

for Dynamic, Symmetrical Exerciser to improve your

Balance, Endurance, Co-ordination and Stability.

Pretoria-based physiotherapist Ryk Eksteen, who

works with top athletes, invented the device to meet the

industry need for a challenging exercise rehabilitation

accessory and strength-training tool. He wrote his

graduate thesis on the D-SEBECS and tested it while

providing physiotherapy services to the Blue Bulls

rugby team.

Eksteen says the core stabilisers of the body, also referred

to as trunk stabilisers, are best trained when moving

in an unstable environment. Core stability involves

recruiting the trunk muscles to control the position of

the lumbar spine during dynamic movements.

Stability ball training is one method of placing the

body in an unstable environment, forcing a person to use

the stabiliser muscles to stay balanced in a given position

or through a particular motion. In experiments com-

paring the effectiveness of the D-SEBECS with the

stability ball during a shoulder bridging exercise,

researchers found that the D-SEBECS was a more

effective tool to engage the body’s core stabilisers.

When Cape Town-based Pilates instructor James Raaff

discovered Eksteen’s invention, he immediately realised

that the new exercise gadget would hold value for the

Pilates community, since the training of the core

stability muscles in the lower back and abdomen, trunk,

head and neck, and the pelvic and shoulder girdles is

a key focus in Pilates.

Raaff approached Eksteen with the idea of developing

a Pilates-based workshop, using the balance board in

combination with exercises that would incorporate the

principles and techniques that he had been teaching

for many years. Following a partnership agreement,

Raaff held the first workshops in Cape Town in May

and in Centurion in June, which turned out to be a

huge success. While the D-SEBECS has a wide range

of applications and can be used by many health and

technology

fitness professionals, Raaff targeted his initial work-

shops at Pilates instructors only, teaching them how

to use the product and introducing them to a range of

interesting exercises that challenge the body in

different ways.

He says Eksteen’s invention, which has a patent pend-

ing, will open up a world of challenging new stability

exercises that could not be performed just by doing

traditional mat work. By using the D-SEBECS, many mat-

based exercises can be adapted to create exercises

similar to those done on a Reformer, which is a sliding

platform used in Pilates exercises.

The D-SEBECS also has cost advantages. “The price

of providing balance boards for a class of 16 people

92 > HEALTH

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would be less than the cost of purchasing one

Reformer, which has a price tag of around R40 000

and can only accommodate one person at a time,” says

Raaff. “The D-SEBECS, which costs under R2 500, is

a nice crossover for studio owners or instructors who

feel that it’s a big decision to buy a Reformer and then

to spend a huge amount of time learning how to do

all the exercises with it.”

Another advantage of the D-SEBECS is that after

attending a single five-hour workshop, Pilates in-

structors will have enough information and exercises

to be able to teach what they have learnt in their own

classes the very next day. Raaff points out that the

D-SEBECS also saves studio space: “You stand on a

mat and are confined to the space of that mat, but

you are getting the functionality of a Reformer, which

takes up a lot more space.”

He is excited to be using a South African invention.

“We’re always importing the bands and other

equipment used in Pilates exercises. We now have a

gadget that was made on our doorstep, which came

straight out of Ryk Eksteen’s creative thoughts as a

student. We don’t often come across a really cool

invention by a South African scientist.”

A final bonus is that the product is eco-friendly. “It’s

made of biodegradable materials and there are no

mechanical parts. It’s not battery-operated or driven

by any other power source, so there are no carbon

emissions,” says Raaff.

For more information about D-SEBECS visit

www.dsebecs.com

or contact info@jamesraaffandassociates.com

or call +27 (0)21 465 2870.

THE PEEPOO BAG > A SImplE SOluTION

TO A pRESSINg pROblEm

Access to drinking water and sanitation is a basic human right. but unfortunately this is not as straight-forward as it should be. In 2002 the united Nations set the target to halve the number of people without sustainable access to drinking water and sanitation by 2015 as part of

the uN millennium goals – a seemingly realistic target.

A t present 2.6 billion people throughout the

world lack access to basic sanitation which

means that 40 out of 100 people lack even

the simplest latrine. To halve this number in the next

six years will mean that 1.3 billion people will have

to be reached. Unfortunately the progress needed

to achieve this goal is slow or even negative, due,

amongst other, to the rapid increase in the number

of people living in slums or slum-like conditions. To

come even close to reaching the UN Millennium goal,

the main approach to the problem has to change.

Out-of-the-box thinking is what Peepoople AB applied

to develop, produce and distribute the Peepoo bag,

a single-use personal toilet that is self-sanitising, bio-

degradable and which becomes fertiliser after use.

The company was founded in 2006 and is based in

Stockholm, Sweden. The research into the Peepoo

bag was conducted in cooperation with SLU Swedish

University of Agricultural Science and KTH Royal

College of Technology. This simple design is scheduled

to go into large-scale production in the next few

months.

Why toilets are important

Lack of toilets affects both society and the individual

through the contamination of fresh water and ground

water. Human faeces contain infectious and often

lethal pathogens – viruses, bacteria, worms and

parasites. One child dies every 15 seconds due to

contaminated water.

94 > HEALTH

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The most obvious way to a solution is to start at the

source. This means preventing disease transmission as

early as possible in the chain through rapid inactivation

of pathogens right after defecation. Simply providing

latrines in high-density urban areas will not achieve

sustainable sanitation.

In a world where poverty remains a pressing problem

the people who need sanitation most are often the

ones who can least afford it. Therefore, they have no

other choice than to use whatever is available.

Increasing choice by introducing an innovative low-

cost product can rapidly change demand patterns

among the poor. Choice is also linked to dignity and

status, important concepts behind the decision to

invest in a toilet.

A simple concept

The Peepoo bag is a personal single-use toilet that

sanitises human excreta shortly after defecation,

preventing the faeces from contaminating the

immediate area and the broader environment. The

toilet is a high-technology product for a low-income

economy and like the original Tetra Pak, it uses the

minimum amount of material while providing

maximum hygiene.

The Peepoo bag is ergonomically designed for easy

and hygienic use. It is simple and extremely cost-

efficient to produce. This means that it is suitable for

the poorest of the poor and can be used whenever

and wherever it is needed.

How to use the Peepoo bag. Images © Peepoople AB.

After use, the Peepoo bag offers value as a fertiliser, which enables collecting and disposal systems to

arise, informally or formally.

Self-sanitising to save the environment

Thanks to its self-sanitising function, a discarded Peepoo bag does not contaminate the environment, even if no waste management services are available. The Peepoo bag is a slim, elongated bag with a gauze inner and has been designed to be used once – sitting, squatting or standing.

Bags are odour-free for at least 24 hours after use and can be stored in the immediate environment. It is also one of the few sanitation solutions requiring no

water. The only water needed is for washing one’s hands after use. This means that the traditional link between water and sanitation has been cut.

The inside of the Peepoo bag is coated with a thin film of urea, a non-hazardous chemical that is found, among others, in toothpaste or body lotion. Urea is the most common fertiliser in the world. When the urea comes into contact with faeces or urine, an enzymatic break-down into ammonia and carbonate takes place, driven by enzymes which naturally occur in faeces. As the urea is broken down, the pH value of the material increases and hygienisation begins. Disease-producing pathogens which may be found in faeces are rendered inactivate within two to four weeks, depending on the surrounding temperature. And when the bags degrade in the soil the ammonia acts as a harmless fertiliser taken up by the plants.

The Peepoo bag has been field tested in Kibera, Kenya Kenya and Calcutta, India. Images by Camilla Wirseen.

The Peepoo weighs only 9 grams and consists of the bag and a sheet of thin green gauze. Image © Ecosan.

96 > HEALTH

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Bio-degradable plastic

The bag is made of a high-performance degradable bio-plastic which meets EU standard EN13432. This means the plastic not only disintegrates, but also that the molecules are broken down into carbon dioxide, water and bio-mass. The plastic is produced with 45% renewable materials. Peepoople AB intends, within the near future, to find a solution which is 100% renewable.

Fertiliser after use

When all pathogens have been inactivated, the faeces turn into a high-value fertiliser with considerable market value. Since fertilisers are expensive and scarce in less developed countries, informal economic systems may develop around the collection and distribution of used Peepoo bags.

Field-testing

Peepoo bags have been field-tested in Kibera – Africa’s largest informal settlement around Nairobi, Kenya. The sample included 30 people in different age groups who used the Peepoo bag every day for two weeks. The objective was to get feedback regarding the overall use and acceptability of the Peepoo bag. The general findings showed that the participants were positive towards the use bag with a slight difference in the acceptance between male and female participants. The women were more positive and thought that it worked equally well for children. Subsequently, field test were also conducted in Calcutta, India.

Once accepted and implemented, this innovative little bag may change the outlook for reaching the Millennium Goal for sanitation by 2015. <

A Peepoo bag six months after it has been buried in the ground. Image © Ecosan.

The used bags are collected on a daily basis and placed into a hole and covered with soil. They will be left there until the bags biodegrade at which point the waste and bag particles will become fertiliser. Image by Ashley Wheaton.

technology

K• A combination grader, tractor, staticroller, ripper, water tanker and firetender.

K• Fully hydraulic with fast responsecontrols.

K• Standard 3600 wide blade can beextended up to 5 000, greatlyreducing no. of passes in roadmaintenance - a dramatic fuelsaving.

K• Angles, tilts, lifts up and down andside shifts 600mm to LH and RH offthe tractors hydraulic system.

K• All mechanical and consumableparts freely available.

K• Made in South Africa for Africanconditions.

K• Winner of the Design ExcellenceAward sponsored by the SABS(South African Bureau ofStandards)

•K• Winner of the SMART Awardsponsored by the South AfricanInstitute of Civil Engineers, SouthAfrican Road Agency and SANLAM.

TERRA GRADERS (Pty) Ltd3 Spekvreter StreetBirchacres Ext 7Kempton ParkGauteng, South Africa

Tel: +27 (0) 11 393-2092Tel: +27 (0) 11 393-3705Fax: +27 (0) 11 976-4508Email: lquaroni@mweb.co.za

Rugged. Reliable. The hallmark of quality.

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K• A combination grader, tractor, staticroller, ripper, water tanker and firetender.

K• Fully hydraulic with fast responsecontrols.

K• Standard 3600 wide blade can beextended up to 5 000, greatlyreducing no. of passes in roadmaintenance - a dramatic fuelsaving.

K• Angles, tilts, lifts up and down andside shifts 600mm to LH and RH offthe tractors hydraulic system.

K• All mechanical and consumableparts freely available.

K• Made in South Africa for Africanconditions.

K• Winner of the Design ExcellenceAward sponsored by the SABS(South African Bureau ofStandards)

•K• Winner of the SMART Awardsponsored by the South AfricanInstitute of Civil Engineers, SouthAfrican Road Agency and SANLAM.

TERRA GRADERS (Pty) Ltd3 Spekvreter StreetBirchacres Ext 7Kempton ParkGauteng, South Africa

Tel: +27 (0) 11 393-2092Tel: +27 (0) 11 393-3705Fax: +27 (0) 11 976-4508Email: lquaroni@mweb.co.za

Rugged. Reliable. The hallmark of quality.

lOcAl cOmpANy pROVIdES SOluTIONS fOR

LANDMINE CLEARING

The South African company demco (pty) ltd is a specialist

in landmine clearing and detonating equipment and provides

the means and expertise to address the contamination by

landmines in areas throughout the world.

100 > ENVIRONMENT

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n all, 76 countries and territories worldwide are

affected by landmines and/or explosive remnants

of war. While there is no credible estimate of the

number of landmines in the ground in these areas,

the impact can be measured in several ways.

One way would be to add up the area of land that is

unusable or unsafe due to contamination, while another

would be to gather data on the number of people killed

or injured by landmines. Whatever the answer, it is

clear that landmines have a devastating effect and

should be removed at all costs.

LANDMINES

Because there are so many types of landmines, a

focussed and specialist approach is required to provide

solutions.

Antipersonnel landmines are explosive devices

designed to injure or kill people. They can lie dormant

for years and even decades under, on or near the ground

until a person or animal triggers their detonating

mechanism. They can be activated by direct pressure

from above, by pressure put on a wire or filament

attached to a pull switch, by a radio signal or other remote

firing method, or even simply by the proximity of a

person within a predetermined distance. Because no one

controls the detonation of such landmines, they are

known as victim-activated weapons. Since mines are

not aimed at a specific target they indiscriminately

kill or injure civilians, including children, soldiers, peace-

keepers, and aid workers.

Anti-vehicle mines, also called antitank mines, are

designed to destroy or disable vehicles. They contain

more explosives than antipersonnel mines and often

require more pressure or weight on top of them to

detonate.

Made of plastic, metal or other materials, mines contain

explosives and some contain pieces of shrapnel. A

landmine blast can be fatal or cause injuries such as

blindness, burns, damaged limbs, and shrapnel wounds.

Stepping on a blast antipersonnel mine will invariably

cause foot and leg injuries, and secondary infections

usually resulting in amputation. Fragmentation mines

project hundreds of metal fragments, which cause the

victim to suffer deep wounds. Bounding fragmentation

mines spring up approximately one meter and then

explode, firing metal fragments within a large radius.

In terms of the Mine Ban Treaty of 1997, the use of

antipersonnel mines which are victim-activated are

banned, while the use of some mines operated by

remote control is allowed. Anti-vehicle mines are also

not banned under the treaty.

HOLISTIC APPROACH

Logistics to get landmine clearing projects up and run-

ning are both costly and time consuming. In cognisance

I

of this, Demco advocates, and indeed practises, a

holistic approach to the clearing operation, particularly

as landmine clearing is generally the forerunner to

other development and aid projects involving

education, health, agriculture and tourism.

Demco’s comprehensive range of mechanical land-

mine clearing equipment enables the rehabilitation

of roads and sites, bush clearing, as well as ploughing,

planting, dam building and site levelling for buildings.

In this way role players in the various projects can

coordinate their efforts, thus reducing time and costs

in delivering successful aid projects.

Demco also designs and manufactures rugged and

reliable towed road graders for easy and cost

effectively maintenance of access roads after

rehabilitation. These basic graders are ideal as self

help aid to communities as they do not require highly

skilled mechanic technicians, expensive stock piles

of fuel and spare parts.

102 > ENVIRONMENT

Road building and maintenance costs are dramatically reduced with the tractor-drawn TerraGrader. It incorporates a water tank, fire fighting equipment, scarifier static roller, foam filled tyres and hydraulically operated blade.

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PRODUCTS

Demco boasts a comprehensive range of mechanical

landmine clearing equipment and has nine different

landmine detonating systems that can be fitted to

core construction equipment machines, such as

excavators, dozers, TLBs and loaders.

flailing systems

Demco flailing systems are available for a wide range

of core machines, with excavators being considered

the ideal machine. The systems can be fitted on

machines ranging from mini excavators to units of 45

tons and more to allow for the rapid detonation of all

mines, including tank mines.

Blasts take place a long distance from the operator/

machine (up to 15 meters) reducing danger and damage.

Demco flailing systems fitted to excavators and

working in a 180 degree arc can safely clear flat, open

areas, hills, canals and other inaccessible sites.

By working in a 180 degree arc, access to machines

on both sides for repairs, is safe. Cost effective

ground preparation is unsurpassed and with a

working methodology of four passes over the same

area in the arch every one to two minutes, high pro-

duction figures are easily achieved. Excavators allow

for rapid or slow cycle times. With slow speeds a hole

can be dug with the flailing system.

Excavators such as Caterpillar, Komatsu, Leighber, Fiat,

Kobelco and other renowned makes, have spares and

service facilities available worldwide thus eliminating

costly down time often experienced with custom built

machines and systems. A further advantage is that

excavators have a good resale value and are easily

disposed of once contracts are completed, unlike

highly priced custom-built machines. Flailing systems

are also available for fitting to TLBs as core machines.

Flailing machine systems are available in sizes varying

from one to four metres in width.

Single detonating disc system

Demco’s single detonating disc system allows for cost

effective static detonation of mines fitted to a wide

range of excavators, TLBs and other prime movers.

Detonating discs and arms are inexpensive and

individually replaced when damaged. They are ideal

when environmental concerns are a problem, as they

do not destroy root structures of vegetation, scatter

mines or fragments of mines, or remove top soil like

the flail system does. The discs and arms act

independently on the central shaft, follow the

contours of the ground and ride with the blast when

they detonate a mine. Heavier discs can be fitted for

heavily infested tank mine areas. The system relies

on static weight for detonation.

double detonating disc explosion projection

Designed for rapid road and runway clearance, or

continuous checking of surfaces, this system is

available for propelling with wheeled or tracked

excavators, bulldozers, TLBs and other prime movers.

The discs are offset allowing for total coverage of the

surface and for delayed detonating mines. The discs

are inexpensive and easy to remove and replace when

damaged. Discs and arms act independently as they

follow the contours of the ground.

mowers and stump removers

Demco is able to supply and fit a range of robust and

reliable mowers and stump removers. If mowers are

not available to suit larger machines, Demco has

clients to develop the product required.

bush croppers and ripper rakes

Designed to allow for rapid loosening of hard ground,

rubble and vegetation, bush croppers and ripper

rakes are easily fitted to excavators, with standard or

extended booms and dipper arms. Within minutes

they allow for inspection of all suspect sites that are

hazardous and inaccessible.

filter buckets

These buckets allow for the filtering of beaches,

swamps, river banks and other locations that could

have landmine densities that cannot safely be

checked manually or mechanically because of soft

underfoot conditions.

104 > ENVIRONMENT

A Bell 315SG complete with armour plating protection ready for mine clearing work.

A Komatsu PC300-3 armour plated excavator with a flailing system and screen.

Luigi Quaroni, MD of Demco, and Johan Wessels checking an attachment for use on clearing both small

anti-personnel and the powerful anti-tank mines.

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magnetic debris removal system

This system allows for rapid removal of ferrous metals

that interfere with quality-assurance checks.

Rotovator

The rotovator is hydraulically operated and rapidly

loosens hard ground. The disks have replaceable

cutting teeth which are inexpensive.

Armour plating

Demco has access to armour plating from respected

suppliers and is able to armour plate to the highest

standards all types of machines, from excavators to

transport vehicles. The company has access to test

ranges and testing techniques formulated by world

renowned experts. All customers’ criteria can be

met.

concept design

Demco is able to work with clients to develop their

own unique ideas and systems in a cost effective

manner.

Support trailers

Demco designs and supplies a wide range of support

trailers for difficult and remote operational areas.

Basic or customised, ruggedness and functionality are

key components of this product. The trailers are suitable

to be used as field clinics, workshops, offices, stores

and accommodation. Demco also undertakes new

designs or conversions.

dual purpose products

Demco’s landmine clearing equipment is dual purpose

in that it can also be used for infrastructural

development simply by removing the landmine-

clearing attachments. As pressure on wealthy

countries to alleviate poverty in developing countries

is increasing and aid has to be rapidly and efficiently

implemented, it has become imperative to ensure the

accessibility and safety of these locations.

Lack of access to proposed development sites is one

of the most critical obstacles that aid organisations

contend with. A poor road network hampers the

delivery and operation of the whole relief package,

apart from escalating the costs unnecessarily.

Demco is not only able to provide a wide range of

demining attachments and undertake demining

contracts, but can also manage donor depots with

skilled management and technical personnel in order

to facilitate efficient running of the aid schemes.

Demco’s services include administration, maintenance,

repair of equipment and the training of operators and

support staff. <

pRIZE-wINNINg dESIgN >

106 > ENVIRONMENT

technology

ot many moons ago la Vall de’n Joan (the

Valley of Joan) in the Parc del Garraf National

Park within the municipal borders of Begues

and Gavà, south-west of Barcelona, Spain, was an

eyesore of note. Today it is a 150 hectare green

terraced agricultural landscape worthy of one of the

world’s most prestigious design awards.

The site – used as a rubbish dump for most of

Barcelona’s and other cities in the metropolitan area’s

urban waste since 1974 – was transformed through

an landscape restoration project that was a winner in

the World Architecture Festival 2008, taking top

honours in the Energy, Waste & Recycling category.

For more than 30 years in excess of 20 million tons of

rubbish was spread around the valley before the site

was closed in 2006. In some places the rubbish was

up to 100 meters deep.

Batlle & Roig Architects from Spain was the lead

architectural firm responsible for the design – both as

architects and landscape architects. Joan Roig of

Batlle & Roig Architects told CNN: “The idea was to

create a system of hills and banks in a way that would

avoid erosion from water and to give the rubbish

dump back to nature with a natural design.”

The category judges described the scheme as “a

perfect example of bringing dead nature back to life

by converting rubbish into a beautiful piece of

landscape architecture...using few and humble

means”. Martin Keiding, one of the judges told CNN:

FROM DUMP TO DELIGHT

N

10� > ENVIRONMENT

“It’s a very beautiful and simple design. It is landscape

architecture that is inspiring. It is a very good example

that everyone could look at and say: ‘We could do the

same.’ This competition is about pointing out good

examples that could inspire architects.”

The restoration project that was started in 2000 defines

a pattern of topographic configuration with terraces,

side slopes, a drainage system of internal fluids

(separated of the external drainage net), a biogas

extraction net, pathways and plantation by phases.

The project’s aim was for Parc del Garraf to absorb

the dump by using the local forest tissue and

supporting the establishment of primary ecosystems.

Through time local species (such as bardissa, brolla

or mediterranian màquia) and trees from the area will

transform the area even further.

But a stark reminder of the site’s former use has been

retained with some of the rubbish remaining above

ground. Housed in large steel cages which flank the

entrance to the site, Roig says they serve as a permanent

reminder to visitors of the site’s previous life.

Matthew Knight of CNN International reported that it

is a striking redrawing of a previously scarred and

polluted landscape and that sustainability, rather

than a cosmetic makeover, was key to the project.

There is an underground drainage system on site which

filters contaminated waste fluids. Part of this recycled

water is then used to irrigate the park. “The whole

project is very sustainable,” Roig said. The dump also

uses the bio-gas that is emitted to provide electricity.

As reported by CNN, Batlle and Roig’s winning design

was one of eight short-listed projects in the Energy,

technology

Waste & Recycling category, which was notable for

the variety of entries.

They ranged from state-of-the-art, hi-tech plans such

as the Digital Beijing designed by Studio Pei Zhu and

Urbanus, right down to low-cost, primitive ventures

like the Community Cooker devised by Kenyan

company, Planning Systems Services.

The communal cooker is turning rubbish into fuel to

feed residents of one of Africa’s biggest slums, Kibera,

on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya. The project was

highly commended by the judges.

“Sustainability is a very important issue and so are

the questions about rubbish, especially in third world

countries,” Keiding said. “The community cooker is a

way of introducing a solution directly into the society.”

Keiding, himself a trained architect, believes that

Energy, Waste & Recycling was the most important

category at the inaugural World Architecture Festival.

“We are facing big problems, so it is a great

opportunity for architects to work seriously with this

problem on many different levels.

“I think flashy executive buildings are interesting in

one sense but they are not interesting if they are

not dealing seriously with this matter. In my opinion

you can throw them out. We have to be far more

serious about integrating aspects of sustainability

into architecture.” <

All images courtesy of Batlle & Roig Architects and the

municipal government of the City of Barcelona.

110 > TRANSPORT

GAUTRAIN >AfRIcAN SOluTIONS TO AddRESS uNIquE

dEVElOpmENT cHAllENgES By Barbara Jensen

“As the first-ever rapid rail system for Africa and one of the biggest infrastructure projects in South Africa, gautrain has become a symbol of pride, prosperity and progress for the

continent.” Jack van merwe, cEO of the gautrain management Agency.

n a country where existing public transport is in dire

need of upgrading and traffic congestion is affecting

economic mobility and growth, Gautrain will bring

much-needed world-class technology to South Africa

and assist in providing transport solutions. The first

phase, linking OR Tambo International Airport and

Sandton, will be operational in 2010 with the balance

of the system due to open in 2011.

Travelling at 160 kilometres hour, Gautrain will link

ten stations over an eighty kilometre and three

metropolitan areas. Three of these stations will be

located underground, the deepest nearly 11 stories

below street level. The system will include an express

airport link between OR Tambo International Airport

and Sandton, the business heartbeat of the South Africa.

Stations will be serviced by dedicated bus feeder and

distributor routes.

Rolling stock comprises 96 Bombardier’s Electrostar

rail cars that will be operated initially in four-car train sets

with a capacity to carry more than 100 000 passengers

per day.

In an environment where public transport is often seen

as an unreliable option, Gautrain has developed inno-

vative solutions in order to attract sceptical car users.

In addition, the province of Gauteng has experienced

I

Train on the test track at the depot in Midrand.

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Train on the test track at the depot in Midrand.

112 > TRANSPORT

Aerial view of the construction of Johannesburg Park Station.

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an economic and population boom which necessitated

a rethink on integrated transport infrastructure and

spatial development. Simulta-neously, social and

environmental threats such as inner city decay, a high

rate of unemployment, urban sprawl and carbon emis-

sions caused by private cars are all concerns which

Gautrain’s strategic objectives have to address.

“We recognised the unique challenges that our region

faces. Gautrain will become a benchmark for how to

implement the best in global technology today while

devising innovative local solutions that are customised

for Africa and her people,” says Van Der Merwe.

Local assembly to transfer skills

Although manufactured in the United Kingdom, 81

out of the 96 Electrostar rail cars are being assembled

in South Africa. To familiarise themselves with the

production processes, South Africans first attended

training at Bombardier Transportation’s facility in

Derby in the UK. A mirror production line was then

installed in South Africa and the first fully assembled

cars from this line have already been delivered to the

project.

Rolling stock customisation

Train sets are distinctly branded in Gautrain’s golden

colours. The outside shape of the Electrostar driver

cab has been customised to improve its aesthetics

resulting in an ultra-modern vehicle shape. Customised

to meet local conditions including gradients of 4%

(compared with typically 1.5% on the lines Electrostar

cars currently operate in the UK), a relatively harsh

operational environment and potentially high passenger

loads, the Electrostar rail cars will feature enhanced

propulsion with motorisation of 75% of all axles.

Customisation of the Electrostar vehicles will also

meet the requirements of airport passengers

travelling on the dedicated 15-minute link between

OR Tambo International Airport and Sandton. The two

forward rail cars will feature fewer but wider and

more luxurious seats, as well as special areas for

luggage storage near the doors.

Commitment to socio-economic development

Investing in sustainable economic growth, Gautrain

project partners have committed to socio-economic

development targets as set out in a concession

agreement. Job creation and skills training for local

people include:

Broad-based black economic empowerment to

overcome the apartheid legacy

Development of small, medium and micro enterprise

Sustainable development of underprivileged

communities

Employing historically disadvantaged individuals

Employing women

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114 > TRANSPORT

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Artist’s impression of Sandton Station.

Artist’s impression of Rosebank Station. Artist’s impression of Sandton Station at night.

OR Tambo International Airport Station. Artist’s impression of Marlboro Station.

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Employing people with disabilities

Women and historically disadvantaged individuals

in management positions

Commitment to environmental sustainability

Environmental considerations have been at the fore-

front of all aspects of the project development, including

the design and construction phases. Extensive public

participation exercises had a substantial influence on

the ultimate route location. An interesting aspect was

‘search and rescue’ exercises conducted within the

demarcated rail reserve before the commencement of

construction to relocate indigenous fauna and flora.

Independent monitoring and verification of environ-

mental processes and interventions has been given

high priority at all stages of project development.

Transport and land use integration

Gautrain works closely with other public transport

bodies to ensure that public transport facilities,

services and operations are integrated. This will allow

for future effective transfer from one transport mode

to the other.

Integrated with future land use strategies of local

authorities, Gautrain is considered a catalyst for a

higher density mixed land use urban development

and will also play and important part to lure residents

and businesses back to rejuvenated inner cities.

›

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While the property market has slowed down in the

rest of the country, properties along Gautrain’s route

are experiencing a boom in both development and

pricing. Once Gautrain is running, it is possible that

property prices will escalate further around Gautrain

stations as commuters seek to find housing that is

conveniently close to stations.

Corporate governance

Several bodies are in place to oversee the implementation

of good business practice, transparency and account-

ability to all Gautrain’s stakeholders.

gautrain is a public-private partnership (ppp) project.

The Gauteng Provincial Government is the public partner

and the primary promoter of Gautrain. A key roleplayer

is the National Department of Transport who has

taken responsibility for 50% of the contract price.

Another important role-player is the Department of

Finance and its Public-Private Partnership Unit through

which Gautrain obtained the necessary treasury

authorisations in order to conclude the procurement

phase. Gautrain’s private partner is the Bombela

Concession Company. The concessionaire is made up

of four specialist sponsors as well as two investor

companies. They are the two construction companies,

Murray & Roberts, and Bouygues, the rolling stock

and other electrical and mechanical equipment

suppliers, Bombardier, and the Black Empowerment

Partner, SPG. Bombela has a 20-year concession

agreement with the Gauteng Province for construction

116 > TRANSPORT

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Artist’s impression of Johannesburg Park Station.

Artist’s impression of Hatfield station at night. Artist’s impression of Midrand Station.

Artist’s impression of Centurion Station.

11� > TRANSPORT

Aerial view of Viaduct 15 towards OR Tambo International Airport Station.

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(54 months) and operating and maintenance (15

years). The public and private partners have signed a

concession agreement which commits the parties to

achieving the Gautrain project objectives.

gautrain management Agency (gmA).

The GMA assists the Gauteng Provincial Government

while overseeing the concession agreement and the

achievement of project objectives.

The following independent bodies play an important

role:

Independent Certifier

Financial advances made by the Gauteng Provincial

Government for the delivery of the Gautrain system

are only paid against the completion of specific

verifiable milestones. Milestones are certified on a

monthly basis by the Independent Certifier and

consolidated into a monthly payment certificate.

Independent Environmental control person (IEcp)

An IECP monitors and reports on compliance with the

approved Environmental Management Plan, as well

as any other environmental statutory obligations

pertaining to environmental performance during

construction and subsequent operation of the project.

Independent Socio-Economic monitor (ISEm)

The purpose of the ISEM is to perform an independent

verifying role to validate compliance by the Conces-

sionaire with its contracted socio-economic obligations

during the design, construction and commissioning

of the project.

dispute Resolution board (dRb)

The body is jointly appointed by the Gauteng Province

and Bombela for the development phase of Gautrain.

Gautrain’s impact on socio-economic development

Although construction is still underway, Gautrain has

already made a significant impact on the welfare of South

Africans. With regards to job creation, the following

has already been achieved:

11 700 direct jobs

63 200 direct, indirect and induced jobs

Companies benefited include:

260 Black Empowerment Entities (R1 900

million)

90 New Black Empowerment Entities (R800

million)

230 small, medium and micro enterprises

(R600 million)

In 2008, Gautrain was named the Best Global Project

to Sign at the tenth annual Public Private Finance

Awards evening held on 29 April in London. <

All images courtesy of gautrain.

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120 > TRANSPORT

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Reinforced steel for the castellated perimeter walls of the cut and cover section towards the northern shaft.

Tunnel from Rosebank Station at emergency shaft 5.

Dismantling the tunnel boring machine’s exposed cutter head at Rosebank Station.

Train on the test track at the depot in Midrand.

Local technicians assembling Gautrain rail cars at the Nigel workshop.

Installation of technical equipment at OR Tambo International Airport Station.

122 > TRANSPORT

ZOOM RIH > DESIGNED TO RUN

LIKE THE WIND german industrial designer, maximilian Näther, recently launched his spectacular design of the concept racing motorbike, ZOOm Rih

Designed for small series production, Rih is a 1 000ccm motorbike targeted at the special needs of hobby racers. Racetrack motorcycles for hobby riders are mostly mass produced bikes which have to be altered and converted at great cost and effort. The Rih closes the gap with a bike adjusted and produced specifically for hobby-racing.

Despite being a competitive sport-bike with no com-promise on demands for performance, weight, aero-dynamics and chassis, Rih enthuses with new ideas and concepts. The design is based on the likeness of a motorbike and a living organism, more specifically a racehorse. Examples are the ‘breathing’ of air, the absorption of energy, the conversion to power and the skeletal structure of the frame, or the skin-like fairing. The owner’s reference to his or her machine is often emotionally akin to that of the owners of precious animals such as thoroughbred racehorses. Näther intentionally drew on this as a design reference.

The Rih concept is complex and Näther introduces new concepts and innovations in almost every component. The heart of the motorbike is the new V4-engine by Aprilia, whose ignition timing reminds of the dark sound of the MotoGP machines.

Entirely new is the air system with its lung-like

membranes on the fuel tank. These shape the top of

the airbox and make the intake process lucid. When

one accelerates in idle running, the motor abruptly

sucks in lots of air, resulting in low pressure in the

airbox, made visible by the flexible membranes

yielding to the inside – the motorbike breathes. This

function helps the driver to better understand the

activities in the motorbike and is advantageous in

troubleshooting.

The ergonomically shaped tank unit provides the

rider with a feeling of riding his bike like a mount.

Accordingly, the tank seat unit reminds one of the

back of a horse. The small elevation towards the filler

neck imitates the shape of a spine and the voluminous

form of the tank appears muscular.

Some of the other special features include the frame

and swing-arm which are not like common tube frames,

designed with two-dimensional tube structures. The

Rih’s organic shape incorporates traverse-shaped

three-dimensional tube structures, which makes the

chassis stronger, more rigid and direct. The swinging

lines seem like muscle strands and sinews.

The footpeg unit can be rotated and is mounted on the

swing-arm pivot to make it ergonomically customisable.

The footpeg itself is easily adjustable in length via

three notches.

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124 > TRANSPORT

The fairing is made of carbon fibre, which is commonly

used in racing sports vehicles. The front leaning of the

fairing seems aggressive and feisty and the big opening

towards the cooling unit reminds of a wide hungry

mouth.

To protect the bike in case of a crash to the low side,

crash pads are placed on both sides on which the bike

can slide to a halt.

The windshield is seated on ‘nostril-shaped’ RAM airs

and forms the whole front part. It appears fixed but it

is easily removable. In its centre is a rhombic section

behind which a camera for onboard video recording

is hidden. The shape of the windshield and the blaze-

like safety screen of the camera again bring a horse’s

face to mind.

The windshield is directly bolted to the dashboard. A

full digital element provides a simple and clear cockpit

and allows the rider to record and analyse diverse data.

Even the design of the tyres was not forgotten. A logo

with thermochrome pigments is baked into their centre

Maximilian Näther, designer of the Rih.

which changes its colour according to the temperature.

Thus one can observe when the tyres reach the ap-

propriate temperature frame, which is vitally important

for the driver.

Näther developed the concept for the Zoom Rih as

part of his graduate thesis at the University of Applied

Sciences Coburg, Germany.

When asked about the origins of the motorbike’s

name, Näther explains: “Zoom is the brand name and

has its roots in comic speech. The word ‘Zoom’ is

often used when a fast vehicle is driving past.” He

says that ‘Rih’ came from the work of Karl May, a best-

selling 19th century German writer. “May wrote about

the fictitious adventures of his alter ego, Kara Ben

Nemsi, while travelling through throughout the

Ottoman Empire. Without ever leaving the saddle of

his fabulous black horse Rih, Kara Ben Nemsi single-

handedly fights off droves of thieves and crooks left

and right.” ‘Rih’ is the Arabic word for air or wind. “When

Kara Ben Nemsi lays his hands between the horse’s

ears and calls “Rih”, the black stallion activates his

last strengths and runs even faster,” says Näther.

Karl May was coincidentally born in Hohenstein-

Ernstthal, where the Sachsenring is held, the annual

German Grand Prix of the royal league of motorbike

sports, the MotoPG.

According to Wheels 24, pricing for the Zoom Rih has

not yet been confirmed and production will depend

on securing the appropriate sponsorship for building

and testing prototypes, but rumours suggest it will

set you back around R325 000. <

All images courtesy of ZOOM design agency.

technology

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perfect for everyonewith bright ideas

technology

DO YOU KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON

UNDER YOUR OWN ROOF?

Most people are blissfully unaware of the

amount of energy their households consume.

Having hot water on tap is something we

just take for granted. We don’t question how it happens

and very few of us stop to consider the costs of such

a luxury.

Rolling blackouts and load-shedding experienced by

South Africans last year has, at long last, got people

thinking about ways to save electricity. Did you know

that a geyser is responsible for 66% of the average

household’s electricity consumption? But there are

other hidden costs as well.

The insurance industry pays out over R400 million a

year in geyser-related claims and the question should

be asked if there are ways to make geysers safer. A

very sad story in November 2006 brought the world’s

attention to this problem. Rhianna Hardie, a ten month

old baby, was tragically killed when a burst geyser

spilled boiling hot water over her while asleep. The

council knew of the faulty thermostat responsible for

the malfunction and did nothing about it.

One would expect that with geysers being as expensive,

dangerous and unreliable as they are that someone

would be giving the public the right kind of advice.

Unfortunately that’s not the case. In fact, the complete

opposite is true.

The electricity company, in conjunction with the public

broadcaster, actually tell people to turn their geysers

off to save electricity. The result is that the public pays

more each month to reheat the water from scratch

every day.

What they should be telling people is to set their

thermostats lower. Most geysers are set at 70 degrees

ENERGY > 127

Celsius. That’s hot enough to burn you so badly that

you may die. But it makes no sense for the electricity

company to tell you to set your geyser to run at 52

degrees, as that would save you 30% on your bill.

Why on earth would they tell you about something

that will save you money?

A group of South African entrepreneurs have come up

with an answer to the energy problem related to

geysers. The Water Angel’s CEO, Hennie Stander,

explains the implications.

“Think about it, here’s a product that saves lives,

saves electricity and water, the implications are huge.

For instance, the insurance industry alone can save

over R400 million a year. Households can save up to

30% a month on electricity. And when electricity costs

go up, that kind of saving makes a lot of sense. But

over and above that, people will no longer have to

worry about their geysers bursting, leaking and causing

damage to property.”

The product features highly sensitive and patented

water detection membranes. Should they detect even

the smallest amount of water; the main controlling

unit will be activated. It will then simultaneously shut

down the water and electricity supply to the geyser

and an alarm will sound. A water temperature sensor

is also fitted to the device to detect overheating.

The homeowner will be able to monitor up to as many

as eight geysers from an easy to use touch screen

unit. A GSM system will enable management and

control of the geyser from a mobile phone.

“It has been five years of intense groundwork, and with

the teething problems out of the way, it looks like

we’re all in for safer, more cost-effective living,” says

Stander. <

12� > ENERGY

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GREEN CHARCOAL TO SAVE FORESTS

By Irin News

W ith Senegal’s trees disappearing, finding

viable alternatives is a must. At least half

the country’s 13 million people rely on

wood and charcoal for household fuel, and 40% use

petrol products like butane gas, according to the

Ministry of Energy.

“You need to cut down 5kg of wood to produce only

1kg of charcoal,” says Ibrahima Niang, an alternative

household energies specialist at the Senegalese

energy ministry. “Less than 30 years ago, charcoal

consumed in Dakar came from 70km away, from the

Thiès region. Now you have to go 400km from Dakar

to find forests,” says Niang.

According to the country’s Department of Water and

Forestry, 40 000 hectares of forest are cut every year

for fuel and other commercial uses.

Deforestation is said to exacerbate soil erosion –

already a considerable problem in parts of Senegal.

The country is part of the Sahel, a region where erratic

rainfall, land degradation and desertification are

constant setbacks for a population largely dependent

on agriculture and livestock.

The green charcoal is produced by compressing

agricultural waste, such as the invasive typha weed,

into briquettes and then mechanically carbonising

1�0 > ENERGY

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them. The product has the look and feel of traditional

charcoal and burns in the same way.

“The technology is efficient, effective and economical

because we can produce a substitute for charcoal at

half the price,” says Guy Reinaud, director of Pro

Natura International, the French NGO that has

partnered with the Senegalese government on the

green charcoal initiative. The project is based in Ross-

Bethio, a town 300km north of Dakar in the Saint-

Louis region.

Environmental firms and governments have long been

working to transform plants and natural waste materials

into energy, such as water lilies in the Philippines.

Tough sell or consumer demand?

Despite the apparent advantages, marketing the green

charcoal in Senegal is a challenge, according to Mireille

Ehemba, a specialist in alternative household fuels at

the Programme for the Promotion of Rural

Electrification and the Sustainable Supply of Domestic

Fuels (Peracod), a joint Senegalese and German

renewable energy initiative and another partner in

the green charcoal project.

“We have not been able to penetrate the charcoal market

in urban areas. People are very attached to charcoal,”

says Ehemba. “Much more [education] is needed,

An environmental NgO in northern Senegal is about to go to market with

green charcoal – a household fuel produced from agricultural waste materials

to replace wood and charcoal in cooking stoves.

1�2 > ENERGY

including cooking demonstrations that explain how

this new fuel works, if we want people to make the

switch.”

“Not only buyers need to be convinced. Identifying

distribution networks and responding to the needs of

charcoal vendors are also major challenges,” says

Ehemba. For 1kg of green charcoal, a vendor makes a

profit of five US cents (about nine South African

cents), whereas conventional charcoal brings in

almost 20 cents (R1.80) per kilogram.

“We must talk to producers to get them to increase

the scale of their operations in order to increase the

profit for vendors, if this is to work,” says Ehemba.

On the other hand, Senegalese consumers may be tempted to switch to the new product because it is the cheapest fuel. One kilogram of green charcoal sells for just 20 cents (R1.80), whereas traditional charcoal currently costs three times that. A 6kg bottle of butane gas costs about $5 (R45.50).

Fatou Camara from Ross-Bethio has tested the new fuel when cooking for her family of ten. “I can use 1kg of green charcoal and that will cook the dinner. It is cheaper than normal charcoal.” Camara says she used to use butane gas for cooking, but recurrent gas shortages pushed her to switch to green charcoal.

In the past, butane gas was heavily subsidised and

promoted by the government as an alternative to

The green charcoal is made from agricultural waste such as the invasive typha weed.

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charcoal. But such measures are no longer sustaina-

ble, according to the energy ministry’s Niang. The gov-

ernment plans to phase out butane subsidies in July.

Peracod’s Ehemba is concerned the move will put

more pressure on Senegal’s forests as poorer

households return to traditional fuels like charcoal.

“It is now very important that we propose alternatives

like improved stoves and bio-charcoal so that people

have affordable ways to cook cleanly,” she said.

ProNatura and the Senegalese government plan to

turn the project into a profit-making venture called

Green Charcoal Senegal that will produce up to 800

tons of the green fuel a year for sale in the Saint-Louis

region. ProNatura will soon start a project in Mali,

transforming cotton stems into green charcoal, and

plans similar projects in Niger, Madagascar, China,

India and Brazil.

“It has global potential in terms of its adaptability to

different local environments, and it uses local waste

materials,” says Reinaud.

Adds the energy ministry’s Niang: “It is not possible to

completely replace charcoal. But even if we can replace

10% or 15% that is good. It will preserve the forests.” <

Source: mediaclubSouthAfrica.com

R1.8-BN SUGAR FUEL PLANT FOR KZN

By Nicky Rehbock

1�4 > ENERGY

P rivate investors have injected R1.8-billion (US$200 000)

into building a new sugar-processing facility in the rural

area of Makhathini, in the far north of KwaZulu-Natal

province, Engineering News reports.

The project, which is a joint initiative by the Department of Trade

and Industry (the dti), local municipalities and sugar growers,

aims to produce ethanol and other sugar by-products from raw

sugarcane. Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, is an alternative fuel that

can be blended with petrol to produce fuel with a higher octane

rating and lower harmful emissions. It is produced by ferment-

ing materials that contain starch or sugar.

The dti’s director for agroprocessing Imamaleng Mothebe said

“the biggest advantage of the project is that it would justify

investment in much needed critical infrastructure within one of

the least developed regions of the country. Once completed,

the improved infrastructure in the area should generate more

investments in areas other than just sugar. The role of the dti

is to facilitate investment into Makhathini.”

“The investment into the project is 100% private-sector funded

through development financing institutions, as well as some

members of the sugar industry and other private investors,”

she added.

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Mothebe revealed that state-owned power utility

Eskom, which generates 95% of the electricity used

in South Africa, was one of the stakeholders in the

Makhathini project. “There is work done between

Eskom, the Industrial Development Corporation and

the Central Energy Fund around issues of cogeneration

and ethanol.”

The dti’s director-general Tshediso Matona said the

project would play an important role in aiding rural

development. “For South Africa, it is important that

an appropriate policy environment be created that

would establish real markets for renewable energy

products,” he said. “This will not only improve our

overall carbon footprint, but will unlock substantial

further investments in the sugar sector.”

South African Sugar Association chairperson Martin

Mohale said the markets for sugarcane-based

renewable energy will create major opportunities for

the South African sugar industry.

The Makhathini sugar-processing facility will be com-

missioned in 2011 and is estimated to create 1 800

direct jobs.

South African sugar industry

The South African sugar sector comprises approxi-

mately 38 200 registered sugarcane growers farming

predominantly in KwaZulu-Natal, with some opera-

tions in the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga.

The industry produces an estimated average of 2.3-

million tons of sugar per season. About 60% of this

sugar is marketed in the Southern African Customs

Union (Sacu), which includes Botswana, Lesotho,

Namibia and Swaziland. The remainder is exported to

markets elsewhere in Africa, Asia and the Middle

East.

Based on revenue generated through sugar sales in

the Sacu region, as well as world market exports, the

South African sugar industry is responsible for

generating an estimated average income of R7-billion

($700 000) a year. <

Source: mediaclubSouthAfrica.combanner image by Hannelie coetzee.

SOUTH AFRICAN SPORTS STADIUMS SET TO IMPRESS

with the confederations cup out of the way, South Africa will be adding the finishing touches to an impressive number of sports stadiums that will collectively seat 570 000 people to

showcase the fIfA 2010 world cup.

1�6 > CONSTRUCTION

SOUTH AFRICAN SPORTS STADIUMS SET TO IMPRESS

By Jennie Fourie

with the confederations cup out of the way, South Africa will be adding the finishing touches to an impressive number of sports stadiums that will collectively seat 570 000 people to

showcase the fIfA 2010 world cup.

Green Point Stadium, Cape Town: aerial view of progressPhoto by Mo Rush.

Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban: progress of outer face and membrane covering. Top photo by Felicity Hayward, bottom photo by Mo Rush.

T he most important event on the world’s football calendar will be staged on the African continent for the fist time and creative architects, engineers

and construction companies have ensured that the ten sports stadiums in South Africa will be up to the challenge. The latest news reports state that all ten stadiums will have been completed by the end of 2009.

Five of the football stadiums were renovated for 2010. These include Soccer City and Ellis Park in Johannes-burg, Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg and the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.

New stadiums that have been completed or are still under construction include the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, the Peter Mokaba stadium in Polokwane, the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, Cape Town’s Green Point stadium and the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in

Port Elizabeth.

Training venues

Stadiums in townships are being upgraded, some as training venues. These include Orlando Stadium, which has been completed ahead of schedule, and Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto. Then there are the Rand, Cecil Payne, Rabie Ridge and Ruimsig stadiums in Johannesburg and the HM Pitje, Super and Giant stadiums in Pretoria. Cape Town will boast upgrades to the Sesa Ramabodu Stadium in Rocklands, while the Princess Magogo, King Zwelithini and Sugar Ray Xulu stadiums have been upgraded in Durban and like wise, the Olympia Park Stadium in Rustenburg.

The ten stadiums – a bird’s eye view

green point Stadium – cape Town

The Green Point Stadium in Cape Town will be trans-formed into a completely new 70 000-seater stadium that is all-weather, multi-purpose, environmentally sustainable, modern and technologically advanced.

most outstanding feature

Cape Town weather in winter is dodgy, to say the least, and the roof of the stadium is ultimately important. Birdair, Inc., the world’s leading specialty contractor of lightweight long-span roofing systems and tensile structures was awarded contracts for the Green Point Stadium, as well as three others.

The stadium is being constructed on six levels and should be completed by September 2009. In addition to constructing the roof, Birdair is also erecting 1,600 metric tonnes of perimeter compression ring steel on the facility.

Green Point Stadium’s abstract, linear design and flat roof shape will emulate the surrounding Cape Town landscape, complementing the mountainous terrain rather than detracting from it. A unique combination of steel, cables, PVC (polyvinyl chloride) mesh and glass will form the structure’s sleek tensile roof, an essential aesthetic and functional component of the athletic facility. Shaped like a large undulating bicycle wheel, the roof will feature 340,000 square feet of translucent

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1�� > CONSTRUCTION

PVC mesh liner, creating a veil-like effect intended to parallel the surrounding mountains’ misty atmosphere.

To offset the PVC mesh liner, 365,000 square feet of glass will be installed, acting as a ballast to hold down the entire light-weight roof structure during the 70 to 80 km/h winds that frequently sweep through the Cape Town area. The glass will additionally serve as a sound dampener to keep noise levels down. Studies indicate that the glass roof will better contain the noise inside the stadium while reducing the overall noise level by six decibels, as compared to the previous Green Point Sta-dium, which was demolished in 2007.

Along with Green Point Stadium, Birdair also served as the roofing sub-contractor for the Port Elizabeth

and Durban stadiums.

moses mabhida Stadium – durban

The Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban is another world class multi-purpose stadium set to make

history in the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

most outstanding feature

The stadium has a steel arch 105 m above the middle

of the pitch, and by using a cable car spectators will

enjoy a stunning view of the Indian Ocean. The catering

capacity is set to comprise of 70 000 spectator seats.

There are plans and allocations to increase the capacity

of the stadium to 84 000 seats in the future to further

accommodate major events such as Olympics.

Ellis park – Johannesburg

Ellis Park, a major football venue in South Africa, has

been ear-marked as a semi-final venue for the 2010

event. The stadium has undergone major renovations

like new upper tiers behind each goal, adding an

extra 10 000 seats and bringing the seating capacity

to the required 70 000.

Furthermore, the greater Ellis Park precinct will

receive a multi-million rand upgrade over the next

five years – a move expected to sell the area as a place

Soccer City, Johannesburg: architect’s rendering and progress.Top photo © Media Club South Africa, bottom photo by African Biohazard.

Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg: aerial view.

that is ready to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup and,

hopefully, the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The R2-billion

upgrade is also expected to attract investment.

Soccer city – Johannesburg

Soccer City (also know as the FNB Stadium) is ear-

marked to host both the opening and final matches

of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Built in 1987, Soccer City

has played host to some of the most memorable

matches in South Africa’s soccer history.

Soccer City has been enlarged from its previous seating

capacity of 80 000 to 94 700. Some significant changes

were made, including extending the upper tier around

the stadium and adding an encircling roof.

most outstanding feature

Austrian companies Rieder Smart Elements and Valenta

Metallbau were tasked to realise the outstanding

facade of the stadium in typical African colours. The

idea was to create a calabash-like technical and

aesthetical solution to the facade by enveloping it in

fibreC glassfibre concrete. Rieder Smart Elements

produced 30000 square meters of fibreC elements

forming the facade of the stadium and Valenta

Metallbau developed more than 100 000 specially

designed steel elements for the sub-construction.

The outer skin of the arena spans 43 000 square

meters in total. The impressive outer shell is divided

in a roof section consisting of transparent

polycarbonate elements and the facade section

based on fibreC glassfibre concrete. In total more

than 2100 modules with each 16 fibreC panels were

prefabricated in the field factory. The elements with a

thickness of only 13 millimetres resist all weather

conditions. The energy consumption of fibreC is

significantly lower compared to alternative facade

products and the production of fibreC has 40% less

global warming potential than fibre cement panels or

aluminium sheets.

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth. Top photo by Mo Rush, bottom photo © South African the Good News.

Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein.Photo © Media Club South Africa.

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Nelson mandela bay Stadium – port Elizabeth

The R1.5 billion stadium has up to 43 000 permanent

seats and an additional 5 000 temporary seats for the

World Cup. It has employed state-of the-art technol-

ogy and modern stadium design, with a ‘sunflower’

roof that wraps around the stadium, without covering

the full extent of the stands. After the World Cup the

stadium will be used for events besides soccer, such

as conferences and training, so that the venue can

still be financially viable.

most outstanding feature

The roof – which appears to be levitating over the

base of the stadium – posed a particular challenge. It

has a structural steel frame covered with aluminium

cladding and with a PTFE- fabric spanning between

the girders. It was designed by GMP Architects to

provide maximum protection from wind and rain to

the spectators on the upper concourse and upper tier

in particular.

free State Stadium – bloemfontein

For the 2010 World Cup, a second tier has been added

to the main grandstand of the Free State Stadium,

increasing the seating capacity to 40,000. This

stadium was successfully test-driven during the

Confederations Cup and has been ear-marked for

first- and second-round matches for the 2010 World

Cup.

mbombela Stadium – Nelspruit

Construction of the new Mbombela Stadium on open

land seven kilometres north of Nelspruit in

Mpumalanga was expected to be completed by June

2009. The Mbombela Stadium has been designed to

ensure it enjoys a prosperous life beyond the

tournament as an adaptable, relevant multi-sport,

entertainment and exhibition venue.

The stadium has been proposed as for both the first

and second round matches with a capacity of just over

Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit: aerial view of progressPhoto © Tadpolefarm.

Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane: aerial view of progress and architect rendering. Top photo © Tadpolefarm, bottom photo © Media Club South Africa.

40,000. Its signature feature is the 18 roof supports

that resemble giraffes.

peter mokaba Stadium – polokwane

The Peter Mokaba Stadium is situated in Polokwane

and currently serves as a football stadium and as an

international athletics venue. The roof over the existing

west stand of the stadium was removed and replaced

by a roof that covers the entire western stand of the

new stadium. An additional 20 rows of seating were

built around the entire stadium to increase capacity

to 40 000. In addition to the structural work, the Peter

Mokaba Stadium was provided with first rate

equipment, including an electronic scoreboard in the

northern stand, new floodlights, sound system and a

fire detection and protection system.

Royal bafokeng Stadium – Rustenburg

Only minor renovations were required to bring the

Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace in line with the FIFA

requirements for a stadium able to host first and

second round matches for the FIFA World Cup in 2010.

The seating capacity was increased to just over 40 000

and proved a popular venue in the Confederations

Cup.

loftus Versveld Stadium – pretoria / Tshwane

Best know as a legendary rugby stadium, Loftus

Versfeld, South Africa’s most established stadium

built in 1906, is a home ground for Premier Soccer

League champions Mamelodi Sundowns.

To qualify for selection as a first and second round

venue the floodlights, sound system and scoreboard

at Loftus Versfeld were upgraded and designated

media areas were constructed in the lower level of

the west stand. Since 1977 Loftus Versfeld has

undergone many renovations and its four major

stands have been completely rebuilt. <

Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg. Photos by Mo Rush.

Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria.

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MOVE CITY, MOVE

T he 2009 Interdesign, titled ‘City Move’ was

hosted by the Swedish Industrial Design

Foundation (SVID) and took place in Gällivare,

Lapland, Sweden. A total of 38 participants from 17

different countries explored the answer to the

following questions:

How can a city be relocated?

How can people be involved in the process?

What has design got to do with it?

What is Interdesign?

Interdesign, a project of the International Council of

Societies of Industrial Designers (ICSID), was initiated

to give mid-career designers from different countries

and cultures an opportunity to work together with

local experts and designers for an intensive two-week

period, exploring design issues of national, regional

and global importance.

›

›

›

Interdesign workshops provide the opportunity for

cooperative problem-solving and have as its ultimate

goal the creation of innovative and appropriate solutions

intended for implementation. The emphasis is on under-

standing of local cultures and actively engaging local

communities in helping to find meaningful, realistic

answers. In the process, the skills and expertise of the

world’s most experienced designers and other specialists

are channeled into cooperative problem-solving. The

solutions reached are not only applicable locally, but can

be applied in different regions throughout the world.

The first Interdesign was held in 1971 in Minsk, USSR

on the production and distribution of bread and the

design of urban squares. Since then, 43 Interdesigns

have been presented in several countries in the world

on economical, social and ecological related topics.

Pre-event planning

A pre-study group was formed prior to the workshop

to carry out in depth research and collect opinions

many inner cities throughout the world have become wastelands, as economic or social hubs close down and move somewhere else. This was the subject for a group of designers who brought their collective skills to the table to come up with ideas that could solve this problem.

142 > CONSTRUCTION

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from the local community in the municipality of Gällivare,

including perceptions and views from those affected

by the current situation. Six students from Sweden

spent August 2008 forming the ‘concept studio’. The

results of this research were published in an ideas book,

a publication that was shared with the local community

and later provided to the Interdesign participants in

preparation for the event in March 2009.

The brief

A brief was presented at the opening of the workshop

which included information from the political leaders

from the municipality of Gällivare.

The town of Malmberget is a part of Gällivare municipality

and for nearly 40 years it has been involved in a drawn-

out and, at times, painful moving process as a result of

the expansion of the mining industry. The current

community is suffering as the gradual deterioration

into a slum has negatively affected quality of life.

Increasingly, residents of Malmberget are forced to

move from their apartments and homes to other

areas. It is difficult to say how long this process will

continue. It is clear, however, that increasing numbers

of residents will be affected in the coming years. Since

the 1970s the population has fallen by more than half

and today Malmberget has about 6 000 residents.

Many have chosen to move to apartments in the town

of Gällivare. Others have chosen to even move their house

to a new location that is, for the most part, away from

areas affected by the mine. Both alternatives involve

a more or less voluntary move event thought they are

still unwanted changes. Unfortunately, the situation is

such that many have chosen to move to another town.

The uncertainty of the mine’s future direction creates

insecurity among residents, a situation that risks conflicts

on many levels. The vision is that Malmberget and

Gällivare prior to, during and after the move will be

safe, attractive communities with a high quality of life.

“We want people to want to move to the new settings

without feeling they are forced to. We want a community

that is attractive, that has a range of services and that

offers opportunities that make people want to move

here. We want to integrate current residents with new-

comers into the community. This process will lead to

a new community – characterised by thoughtful use

of nature’s resources and long-term sustainability.

Now we need your help in creating a community

where people want to live and want to move to, and

Panoramic view of Gellivare. Photo © Gellivare Municipality

which serves as a model for the rest of the world”

states municipal officials.

Research

In order to give the workshop participants a strong intro-duction to the situation, a broad programme of seminars from experts were included in the programme.

The Interdesign participants also experienced a journey underground to a mine below sea level at the LKAB mine. This allowed them to experience the vastness of the problem itself and a visit to the neighbouring Aitik open pit mine.

Ongoing research visits were also coordinated, bringing the participants to local areas affected by the situation, including houses which have already been moved or are in the processed of being moved.

Participants

The participants’ backgrounds included: industrial

design, city planning, design critical practice and theory,

design and building, graphic design, architecture,

housing and urbanisation, urban design and community

and environmental design, research, design management,

landscape architecture, built environment project

management, civil engineering, media, urban design,

sustainable architecture, ecology, mechanical

engineering, concept design, development and eco-

design, urban project management, interior design,

concept design, art, curation and a local physician.

Processes addressed

With an understanding that ‘City Move’ was a broad

concept with many layers, some groups looked at a

144 > CONSTRUCTION

The pit in Malmberget. Photo © LKAB.

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project management process, timescale and how to

establish solutions to the vast problem. Participants

looked at how to move the people within the community,

rather than simply shifting solid structures. Communication

methods were analysed between key people involved

with the capacity to make change for the better.

Various sustainable elements were outlined in order

to secure the future of the municipality. The groups

took into account gender balance, education, identity

and engagement for sustainability and vitality.

Possible variations and formations of actual housing

structures were also researched and designed,

including further potential uses of the materials

mined in the local region.

Groups also identified new locations, which they

perceived as worthy, attractive and more structurally

secure places to re-locate the community, encouraging

new businesses and self-sustainability in addition to

the mining industry.

Architectural drawings and models were created to

show a meeting place for social activity, including a new

city centre identity and public places where historical

landmarks meet new modern structures. Groups worked

on highlighting the historical places of interest and

attractions in order to improve the identity and appeal of

the area to visitors and new residents as well as the

connection of leisure and recreation through nature

and environmental improvements were presented.

Groups also looked at cultural events to increase visitors

and as well as retaining or increase population.

In the end, many of the workshop groups provided

various options and possible solutions from which

The sports arena in Malmberget was converted into a design studio for the run of the Interdesign. Photo by Anna Bellander.

the local people can decide the best way forward.

Likewise, groups identified that long-term results and

deadlines were needed.

Outcomes and results

Over the two-week period, the six groups of students,

academics, professors, consultants and experienced

professionals from ‘co-design’ and multi-faceted

fields and skill sets collaborated to address this local

problem with global significance, to bring a better

quality of life for all of those affected. Participants

invested personal and professional experience into

the workshop, tackling results and processes, and

leaving a positive legacy behind after their short two-

week time in the local community.

Overall the workshops were a great success and the

pre-planning, organisation and delivery from the host

organisation, SVID, was outstanding.

Through these workshops and presentations, the

groups identified broad visions, processes and

possible solutions. Workshop results were firmly

based on the real experiences of local people living

in the situation.

The final presentations were printed and presented

in an exhibition open to the public. One group

presented an artistic-scientific project, which showed

a visionary idea as part of the workshop. The object

reflects sunlight to areas left shaded. School pupils

were involved in building and launching the project

146 > CONSTRUCTION

Moving a house from Malmberget to Mellanområdet. Poto by Mats Lundgren/Gellivare Municipality.

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during the workshop. This project was one stage of

the workshop group called “Feel free: Organise” who

engaged in capturing imaginations and infusing

events to open up perceptions and introduce different

experiences.

As a result of the final workshop presentations, the

initiative gained the support of the local mining

company, LKAB. Likewise an action group was

initiated by local community members in order to

ensure the longevity of the initiative once the work-

shop was complete.

The Interdesign participants were adamant to include

the experiences shared by the local community, and

many of these personal insights were reflected in the

workshop findings. The international collaborations

and experiences also brought unique and new insight

to the Interdesign problem.

All of the results and documentation from the work-

shop will become a part of the City Move Innovation

Centre, showing how the process could be used in

Sweden but also be adapted and implemented in

similar areas around the world. This knowledge bank

will provide information for city planners and

designers in order to stimulate cooperation between

different stakeholders. <

Midnight sun in Gellivare. Photo © Gellivare Municipality.

Images courtesy of the Swedish Industrial design foundation and the gellivare municipality.

technology

DESIGN INGENUITY AddRESSES DEVELOPING

WORLD ISSuES dual economies, like South Africa, offer challenging environments for product developers. language and cultural diversity often means that assumptions about product acceptance imported from developed economies fail to gain acceptance. devices that are contextually sensitive and perhaps over-engineered seldom stand up to the

rugged African environment in which they need to work.

14� > DESIGN FOR DEVELOPMENT

T he wind-up radio that caught the world’s imag-

ination a decade ago established …XYZ Design’s

reputation as innovative solution providers to

emerging market challenges.

Among the main products developed by the firm are

bicycle assembly kits allowing owners to custom-

build a robust cycle that suits different needs and an

electronic device that delivers greater accuracy to

sociological and market research questionnaires.

Research tool

The Qbee is an electronic hand-held device that socio-

logical and market researchers can use to accurately

gauge the attitudes and feelings of people – irrespective

of language and cultural norms. The device can be used

on illiterate people.

Byron Qually, XYZ design director, notes that “obtaining

sensitive information from respondents using unfamiliar

technology was a challenge. Apart from usual ergonomic constraints required of handheld devices, subconscious user interactions should ideally not influence the quality of data collated. The completed design aimed to tone down technical complexity and encourage user/device partnering whereby the device acted as a kind of confidante”.

Prototypes of the Qbee – developed by the Qbee Survey Consortium – were used by the Foundation for Alcohol Related Research (FARR) and the University of Cape Town in a foetal alcohol syndrome survey conducted in De Aar last year.

While the research findings await publication the researchers’ reaction to the efficacy of the Qbee in gathering quality data was extremely positive, says Chris Meintjies who is the consortium’s project manager for the development and market acceptance of the tool.

“For the first time researchers conducting an attitudinal

survey believed they were getting accurate responses

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1�0 > DESIGN FOR DEVELOPMENT

to personally sensitive questions from both illiterate

people and people with a low education.”

The recorded questions – moulded into the appropriate

local dialect of Afrikaans – were relayed through ear-

phones so the respondents could use the Qbee in

private without the presence of an interviewer. A brief

recorded tutorial, which taught the respondents how

the device worked, was followed by the survey questions.

The respondents recorded their response to the

research questions by pushing a tensioned toggle

button to the appropriate point on the scale.

Meintjies says that from the researchers preliminary

results, the responses captured by the device were

more accurate than those gathered through other market

research devices, primarily because the respondents

were more honest in their responses. There was no

personal contact with an interviewer whom they might

fear would be judgmental or could not be trusted with

sensitive information.

He adds that the Qbee supports attitudinal survey

best practice requirements as its built-in motoric

resistance enables its respondents to give graded

answers to questions, including the measurement of

attitudes and perceptions of people.

“Researching social issues has always been a challenge

for researchers because it’s not easy to accurately put

feelings into words. The De Aar trial enabled researchers

to gather more accurate responses than is currently

possible using the commonly used Likert Scale of

multiple answers. With the latter the quality of the

responses was always questionable in the case of

illiterate respondents.”

What excites Meintjies about QBee’s potential is the

impact it will have on research among the world’s one

billion illiterate adults, as well as among children.

“South Africans grappling with African challenges have

pooled their ideas, experiences and skills to innovate

The Qbee is an electronic hand-held device that sociological and market researchers can use to accurately gauge the attitudes and feelings of people.

an electronic device that has universal application

across nations, cultures, languages and educational

levels. For the first time there is a tool that breaks

down the barriers that challenge academics’ accurate

understanding of attitudes, feelings and behaviour. It

is a custom-designed and built research tool.

“Other electronic devices – such as Personal Data

Assistants (PDAs) and mobile phones – that have been

adapted for research purposes do not go far enough

because many of the respondents are not comfortable

with the technology that is commonplace in literate,

technologically advanced societies.”

The Qbee was born of the frustrations lifelong researcher

Dr De Wet Schutte of UniSearch Research Consultants

experienced while doing research HIV/AIDS and other

socially stigmatised diseases among illiterate and low

educated people in various African countries.

He developed the Schutte Scale,now commonly used

in South Africa, of which the tensioned slider manually

registers responses in a face-to-face interview with a

researcher. But he believed that it was possible to

develop a ‘friendly electronic version’ that could make

a ‘faceless face-to-face’ interview possible and in

doing so, enhance the access to sensitive data from

respondents.

The consortium – comprising Dr Schutte, market

researcher Chris Meintjies of Five Senses, learning

materials developer James Thomas of Just Think, and

Grant Broomhall and Michael Walton of Far South

Networks – pooled talents to research and develop

the new-age market research device.

The ideas and preliminary designs were taken to …XYZ

Design to design and develop into a device that is

comfortable and straight-forward to use, while being

robust and made of material acceptable to users.

“Without …XYZ Design’s involvement in the develop-

ment it is unlikely that Qbee would have had such a

successful field trial. The respondents felt comfortable using it and it was robust enough to preserve the integrity of the data despite the rugged environment. The result was the exciting blending of high-tech first world electronics with third world needs,” says Meintjies.

The Qbee consortium is awaiting the final academic evaluation of the device from the FAAR/CPUT researchers before finalising its design and taking it into commercial production late next year. It is likely to sell for US$300 per device.

As a multi-function interactive motoric survey and assessment hardware device it can be used for a wide range of data capturing including surveys, attitudinal assessments, multiple-choice tests and exams and census data.

It stores questionnaires in onboard memory. These questions are then transferred to a respondent via an audio stream that can be delivered via a speaker or audio headset enabling respondents to listen to the questions in private and then, using the motoric resistance device (a tensioned toggle button), record

their answers or “expressions of feeling”.

Cycle diversity

The North West Department of Transport first planted the seed for non-motorised modes of transport among the design community in 2005 when it requested the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) Design Institute to develop specifications for tender documents for the building of donkey carts.

This prompted a two-week Interdesign 2005 workshop that brought to the North West Province 60 designers from across the world to examine non-motorised rural transport solutions. …XYZ Design’s Roelf Mulder led the bicycle and tricycle workshop at this event.

Following this event the ...XYZ Design was commis-

sioned by SABS to develop its modular bicycle idea.

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The design criteria were that the bicycle should be

easily built, maintained and repaired in an isolated

rural environment; components should be uncompli-

cated and there should be no gears.

In mid-2008 the modular bicycle, along with other

prototypes evolved from Interdesign 2005, underwent

field trials in North West Province. ...XYZ Design’s

bicycle attracted a lot of attention and comment from

local communities.

The modular bicycle can be assembled in a variety of

ways depending on the user’s needs. It could be a

conventional two-wheeler, a tricycle, a tandem or two

bicycles side-by-side with a materials-carrying

platform bolted between them. The permutations are

varied and numerous.

...XYZ Design’s bicycle was designed to be symmetrical,

irrespective of its final assembly and height. It can be

built for both male and female cyclists. As gears were

left out of the design – in support of the uncomplicated

maintenance requirements – the bicycle is suited only

to flat terrain.

Rugged rural conditions where access to suppliers is

limited and skills are basic were uppermost in the

designers’ minds. The bicycles can be assembled with-

out the need for specialised equipment and, if need

be, can be repaired with scrap metal, wood, fence wire

or whatever materials are at hand.

“The bicycles must continue to be useable if factory-

made components are unavailable. We see these

bicycles being used to carry water containers, building

materials, patients to clinics and goods to market.

1�2 > DESIGN FOR DEVELOPMENT

The modular bicycle.

technology

People’s livelihoods will depend on them so they can-

not remain idle because a component is unavailable.

They must continue to be robust machines, even with

makeshift repairs,” Mulder says.

“The idea lends itself to a franchise operation geared

towards rural entrepreneurial development. A franchisee

could open a shop stocked with the bicycle’s components

and assemble them to order. If this person has basic

welding skills, he could repair the bicycles as well.”

The central building block of the bicycle is the back

wheel frame including the saddle and the front

headset which includes the front-wheel fork and

handlebar. The chain and braking mechanism are the

components that cannot be left to local ingenuity and

will be supplied by the manufacturer.

Many of the materials suggested by the design are

re-cycled. For example, the rear mud guard is an old

bicycle tyre turned inside out.

“We have put a lot of thought into designing this

bicycle, but it lends itself to further ingenuity by the

users as they adapt it to their conditions and needs.

This is why it is modular, made from metal and held

together with roofing bolts or pieces of wire,” says

Mulder.

…XYZ Design believes that African product developers

are coming up with innovative solutions to universal

problems because resources are at a premium. “We

understand the robust environments in which our

clients’ products will be used and the comparatively

little money they have available to buy them.

“This challenges our imagination. We get tremendous

satisfaction knowing that the creative ideas we

develop into worthwhile and useful products are

increasingly finding acceptance in global markets.” <

The materials-carrying platform can be

bolted to the modular bucycle.

1�4 > DESIGN FOR DEVELOPMENT

WHAT IS GOOD DESIGN? By Sanandan Sudhir

companies that integrate design more strategically within their organisations experience greater demand for their goods and services. This was one of the findings of a recent study conducted by the centre for design Innovation amongst more than 400 businesses in Ireland. linking design to technology and innovation makes economic sense. but what is

considered as good design?

Good design is inclusive:

It is inclusive of all the aspects surrounding the product,

starting from the overall experience of owning the

product (branding, packaging, surprise elements, and

more), the actual functioning (usability, look and feel,

texture, colour) and then the end of life (disposal,

recycling, secondary usage).

It is inclusive of the synergy of the people involved, who

come together to enrich the inspiring idea, thought,

direction, concept, prototype, story – ensuring that it

turns out to be a winner in the market place.

It is also inclusive of the consumer and adapts itself to

the ever-changing needs and contexts – as the world

is moving towards a global culture – accommodating

individual preferences.

Good design is based on systems thinking:

A systems approach keeping both the short and long

term strategies in mind is becoming vital for good design

in any field. A holistic understanding of how the system

flows helps define how various design elements come

together to provide a product or a service. This under-

standing helps in establishing scope for incremental

iterations or new innovations.

Humans expect perfection and the corresponding

context can be extremely demanding on a product’s

ability to be customised. Corporates struggle to define

how much to add (from the product wish list) to a new

product iteration for enough differentiation. Very

innovative integrations with a lot of new features can

take a lot of time, and short term strategies that are more

profitable (with not enough differentiation) can lead to

losing the edge in the long term. A balanced approach to

this is the outcome of good systems understanding.

Good design is not over-ambitious and while under-

standing systems constraints, looks at the larger

picture, leaving enough scope for customisation and

growth in the future.

Good design is attractive:

What is beautiful is soothing to the eye and brings a

smile to the face. When many attractive things are around,

we are relaxed and happy -this helps us live longer.

So being surrounded by beauty becomes a survival

instinct. Though form does follow function, it becomes

a very important function in itself for longevity.

All that we design should look good. We have no choice

there. But what is attractive to some is not attractive

to many others. Good design is a marriage of elements

that have universal appeal (sunset ambiance is liked

by all) with a customisable local flavour (my kind of

wallpaper, design and print my own t-shirt).

Furthermore, there is another question that intrigues

all: The form and function relationship. Well, I guess

as we mature towards a more technologically stable

paradigm in terms of assurances of functional reliability

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in products (because of very concrete and mature

verification and validation processes) form as function

is becoming increasingly significant.

Good design is just a step ahead:

Design evolution is a step-by-step incremental process.

The timely launch of the next version, or any new

innovation is critical to the success of the product or

service. Good design is in sync with trends (formal,

technological and social) and natural boredom

cycles.

We have seen many commendable designs that have

failed in the market place (Real Value Vacuumizer,

KFC’s India Launch and more). Real Value Vacuumizer

failed in early 90s because if was ahead of its time. It

was a clunky, expensive contraption that sat on that piece

of high-valued real estate – the housewife’s crowded

kitchen counter, and helped her “keep namkeens

fresh”. Perhaps today (more than 15 years later) a re-

designed version of the same product that suits the

current context could be a great success.

Another important factor is that people get bored and

change is natural. After 30 to 40 uses a shirt is boring,

in six to eight months you are fed-up with your cell

phone, in two years or less the laptop becomes too

slow, around four years is a good time to change your

car and so on.

These trends are different for different people in different

societies and are dependent on affordability (when instal-

ments are paid) and natural cycles (months, seasons,

years). Understanding these, in a cultural context, and

planning the products and their launches are critical

for good design.

1�6 > DESIGN FOR DEVELOPMENT

Good design goes back to nature:

Design helps us live a long and quality life and to do everything we for while we are alive. This means design has to be as intuitive to all our senses as possible. Good design reciprocates to natural instinctive behaviour, as well as the human urge to excel.

Humans perceive everything through the five senses (visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, gustatory and olfactory). We learn from nature what is good for us. The colour of an apple attracts us, texture feels nice, it smells sweet and the appetising taste prompts us to eat it. Multiple senses act together to facilitate the whole experience. In this way, the body is tuned to our natural needs and how we interact with the environment. Good design simulates a similar experience. It becomes an extension of our body and resonates with our natural, intuitive, semantic and semiotic understanding – allowing us to

excel and innovate iteratively.

Good design is sensitive to sustainability issues:

Almost nothing is self-sustainable. No solar cell or windmill can produce the amount of energy in its life-time that was consumed in creating it. Good design aims towards sustainability and optimised energy usage in all scenarios.

The energy that is consumed to create an object is enormous – far more than we think. Imagine that you have to create something as simple as a paper clip or a spring. The process involves collecting petroleum, coal and iron from natural reserves, creating machinery to refine or extract usable metal, bringing a variety of resources together to produce the paper clip or spring (electricity, heavy machinery, electronics, plastics, metals, paints, paper packaging, automobiles for transportation and more).

Hence, the cost of the product has no relation to the

energy spent producing it. The cost is only a measure

of how much human effort has gone into transforming

the materials from their crude form to a usable product,

and other logistics involved.

In the process of this transformation – from the naturally

available materials to the final product form – the damage

is enormous and amounts to global environmental crisis,

the rapid growth of economic activity and human popula-

tion, depletion of natural resources, damage to eco-

systems and loss of biodiversity and more.

Good design is energy-efficient (it uses manufacturing

processes and create products that require less energy),

produces more efficient products (increased life of

products), and is sensitive to the environmental impact

(recycling, reuse, renew-ability).

Good design is innovative:

Lastly, innovation is key to all things man-made. Design

in the absence of innovation is not capable of adequate

differentiation. Good design will always amaze or

amuse people, and the success of an organisation

would be defined by the innovation quotient of the

organisation as a whole or of its individuals.

Good design caters for the human need of faster, better

and more.

About the Author

Sanandan Sudhir is Vice President Design, IDEA

(Innovative Design Engineering Animation Pvt Ltd). The

company is based in Ahmedabad, India and San

Francisco, USA. <

technology

158 > TT100

ROLL OF HONOUR

T he Technology Top 100 programme is focused on

identifying the true South African role models

who through innovation, tenacity and a pas-

sionate belief in people, have been able to take their

organisations to new levels of competitiveness. The

programme seeks to identify role models who are either

users or developers of technology.

The entrants of the TT100 programme include a wide

spectrum of operations in diversified industries. They

exemplify the reality that irrespective of what business

they are in, they cannot escape the fact that technology

will alter their world.

This awards programme recognises these organisations

as sustainable, high-performance operations.

2008 Established Enterprises

The Technology Top 100 Established Enterprise

category for companies in business more than three

years, honours South Africa’s true role models in the

field of technology. These are the organisations

which, through innovation and their management of

technology, have raised South Africa’s profile in the

international arena.

winners

Management of Technology: X/Procure Software

(Pty) Ltd.

Management of Innovation: DebTech.

Management of People: ID Control Solutions cc .

Management of Systems: Hazleton Pumps (SA)

(Pty) Ltd and South African Post Office.

Management of Research: Sasol Limited and

South African Medical Research Council.

Management of TIP: Altech Management

Services and Sasol Limited.

Overall Excellence Minister’s Award: Bell

Equipment Co SA (Pty) Ltd.

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finalists

Management of Technology: Altech Management

Services, Bell Equipment Co SA (Pty) Ltd and

DebTech.

Management of Innovation: Bell Equipment Co SA

(Pty) Ltd, ID Control Solutions cc, Sasol Limited

and South African Medical Research Council.

Management of People: Altech Management

Services, Bell Equipment Co SA (Pty) Ltd, South

African Medical Research Council and Veripath

(Pty) Ltd.

Management of Systems: Bell Equipment Co SA

(Pty) Ltd, Demco (Pty) Ltd, ID Control Solutions

cc and South African Medical Research Council.

Management of Research: Altech UEC Pty Ltd, Bell

Equipment Co SA (Pty) Ltd and ID Control Solutions.

Management of TIP: South African Post Office.

commendation Awards

Advanced Technologies & Engineering Co (Pty)

Ltd, ARC-LBD: Animal Production Institute, Cerdak

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(Pty) Ltd, Intelligent Inspection Systems Pty Ltd

and Media Works.

Qualifiers

ABB South Africa, Accsys (Pty) Ltd, AfriGIS (Pty) Ltd,

Air Systems cc, Attix5 Africa Holdings, CAE r/a

Cape Advanced Engineering Pty Ltd, Cura Software

Solutions, Du Pont Telecom (Pty) Ltd, Ergoform

Office furniture Manufacturing, EyeOn MultImedia,

Grove Group, Khanya Technology in Education

Project, LeadTrain (Pty) Ltd, Netstar Altech, nFold

(Pty) Ltd, Ngena DesignSpace (Pty) Ltd, Parsec (Pty)

Ltd, Planner Bee Plant Care cc, Quirk eMarketing

Pty (Ltd), Rapid Mobile (Pty) Ltd, Shield Technologies

cc, SMS Cellular Services (Pty) Ltd, Spescom

DataVoice Pty Ltd, Strive Software International

(Pty) Ltd and The Virtual Works.

2008 Emerging Enterprises

In recognising a need to identify and acknowledge newly

formed technology companies, an Emerging Enterprises

category was instituted for those companies which have

been in business for less than three years.

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160 > TT100

winners

Management of Technology: Breadbin Interactive.

Management of Innovation: CUPL – Rapid Liquid

Dispensing cc.

Management of People: Flexi Manufacturing.

Management of Systems: Resource Ballast

Technologies (Pty)Ltd.

Management of Research: Resource Ballast

Technologies (Pty)Ltd.

Overall Excellence, dg’s Award

Breadbin Interactive cc and Resource Ballast

Technologies (Pty)Ltd.

finalists

Management of Technology: Bathabile Technologies

(Pty) Ltd, Resource Ballast Technologies (Pty)Ltd

and Water Angel Operations (Pty) Ltd.

Management of Innovation: Breadbin Interactive,

Flexi Manufacturing and Resource Ballast

Technologies (Pty)Ltd.

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Management of People: Altis Biologics Pty Ltd.

Management of Systems: Flexi Manufacturing.

Management of Research: Bathabile Technologies

(Pty) Ltd, Breadbin Interactive cc, Flexi Manufacturing

and Water Angel Operations (Pty) Ltd.

commendation Awards

CypheRix

Qualifiers

ALCAT South Africa, Billminder, CellSmart Tech-

nologies cc, D-sebecs, d6 (registered as Parsons

Technology Pty Ltd), Design Information, Forge

Media Investments Limited, Fraxion (Pty) Ltd, Great

Guide (Pty) Ltd, Kwantam Digital Pty (Ltd), LucidView

(Pty) Ltd, MFI Data & Networking Solutions cc,

Nexion SA Pty Ltd, Richard Turner & Associates cc,

Strategic Productivity (Pty) Ltd, Technetium (Pty)

Ltd, Telspace Systems cc, Timetunnel Consulting

(Pty) Ltd, Trimega Diagnostics Pty, Yeigo, Zslic

Technologies (Pty) Ltd. <

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technology

Inspired

by

almost

anything.

www.bluprintdesign.co.za

+27 (0)12 346 7788