Different

Different

Strokes These creative South Africans prove there’s always room for improvement when it comes to design. EUGENE YIGA discovers smart and original innovations, and the maverick thinkers behind them.

28 consider this quarter 02 2017

VENTURES

THINKING OUT OF THE BOX

Building sound systems has become an art form thanks to Grove Audio’s Tshepo Sedumo, who crafts musical masterpieces.

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ver since he was young,

Tshepo Sedumo has been a Do-It-Yourself person at heart. He loved working with his hands, but it wasn’t until a year after high school that he started working with wood and speakers.“One day I had this idea of converting a hinged wooden wine box and old computer speakers into a speaker dock for my iPod Touch,” he recalls.“I knew I was onto something and have been obsessed with building my own sound systems since then.” Because he was studying for a business degree at the University of Johannesburg, it was just a hobby Tshepo did in his spare time. But in 2014 he decided to turn it into a business and give it the official Grove Audio name. “This all began as a hobby, so most of what I built wasn’t

consumer-ready,” he admits. “I’d never studied woodwork or electronics, so I was unpractised in a few areas. I spent those two years learning what I could from books and the internet and generally improving my craft.” As the founder of the business, there isn’t one particular role that the Johannesburg artisan is designated to. Instead, he’s involved in everything including design, construction and marketing. “I like to think of myself as a parent of my brand,” he says. “I’m grooming this business into something I can be proud of, so it’s my responsibility to oversee all aspects. I also don’t permanently employ any individuals. I only use their services as and when required, depending on workload at any particular point in time.”

IMAGES: Réney Warrington

These boomboxes are built by hand using real wood. That adds a visceral kind of value to your listening experience.”

Because Grove Audio is still in its infancy, the majority of the funds are reinvested back into the business so that the focus remains on aggressive growth. But Tshepo is happy with the direction that the business is going in right now. He believes that the potential of this homegrown electronics brand is vast and tries to capitalise on it every day. He knows that it is something special that music-loving South Africans will value. “I believe that the primary appeal of my creations is that they are unique,” he explains.“I can’t say it any plainer than that. Let’s be honest; you can walk into any retail store and pick up an adequate music player for less than half the price that my work goes for. But if you’re coming to Grove Audio it’s because you want something that sets you apart from the rest.” Tshepo started off working with offcuts from cupboards and kitchen fittings to create his own individual product ranges. Indeed, a lot of people would be surprised at just how much of the work is done by hand, even down to the leather-textured fabric on the handle bars that is sewn on.“There’s also something to be said about authenticity,” he says.“These boomboxes are built by hand using real wood. That adds a visceral kind of value to your listening experience in a way that is not simple to explain.”

quarter 02 2017 consider this 29

Mellowcabs are small, which makes navigation and parking easier. They’re also efficient in constant stop/start environments.”


VENTURES

REINVENTING THE WHEEL

Elon Musk is not the only South African paving the way for a future filled with electric cars. When Neil du Preez discovered a new transport he knew it could be adapted to take SA’s roads, and commuters, forward.

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hile he was growing up in South Africa, Neil du Preez didn’t have much access to public transport. Then after living in China, Thailand, and Hong Kong for a few years, he started seeing transit systems in a new light. “I’ve always been interested in public transport systems and what they can mean for individuals and the economy,” he says.“Asian transport systems work on individualised shortdistance transport. My vision was to have a more integrated first- and last-mile system in South Africa too.”This was the inspiration for Mellowcab, a company that manufactures light electric vehicles that provide low-cost, efficient, and emissionfree taxi and transport services.

IMAGES: ZAID JOSEPH

These services can be provided through various mobile applications, seamlessly connecting commuters, goods, and Mellowcabs. The passenger section of the vehicle can even be replaced with a cargo section, making the Mellowcab a versatile delivery vehicle. “Our business model is twofold,” Neil explains. “For the passenger model, we retain ownership of the vehicle; the revenue stream is through commission on fares and deliveries (direct model) or rental/leasing of the vehicles to third parties (indirect model). We have an additional revenue stream through advertising space. For the cargo model, we retain ownership of the vehicle and lease it to clients.” “We built it for South African roads from the ground up,” Neil says. “The plan is for Mellowcabs to be integrated into current public transport systems.” Mellowcab has confirmed operating agreements with Uber (South Africa, Sweden, and India), Bubble Post (Belgium), City of Antwerp (Belgium), and DHL (sub-Saharan Africa).

The company is also in the process of expanding nationwide and plans to establish a head office in Belgium as a first step towards internationalisation into Europe. But they are making the most of local engineering talent. “We have direct access to the University of Stellenbosch’s Mechatronic and Electronic Engineering graduates programme, enabling us to source the brightest and most gifted students on a post-grad level,” he says. “Because it’s a complex electrical vehicle needing engineering expertise, we have a co-operation agreement with the university. All team members bring strong technical and design expertise to the table and believe in the positive change Mellowcabs can bring.” Neil is confident about the company’s prospects. Because large vehicles are difficult to navigate on narrow streets, parking them is almost impossible and the constant stop/start cycle dramatically shortens the life of critical components. Furthermore, major cities around the world charge congestion taxes and limit access to city centres. But Mellowcabs are small, which makes navigation and parking easier. They’re also efficient in constant stop/start environments, and are exempted from congestion taxes because they emit no pollution. And yet their relative low speed and limited payloads don’t detract from the value because these vehicles aren’t hauling much to begin with. “Successful cities depend on efficient public transport working in conjunction with other sustainable travel options,” he says. “Mobility is a precondition for economic growth: mobility for access to jobs, education, health, and other services. Mobility of goods is also critical to supply world markets in our globalised economy.”



VENTURES

SEEDS OF KNOWLEDGE

Our appetites for organic and homegrown produce are growing. Now literally everyone can have green fingers, thanks to Claire Reid’s game-changing way of packaging seeds in strips to make planting easier and more effective.

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s a teen wanting to grow

vegetables to sell for pocket money, Claire Reid saw the challenges most people face when they want to start growing their own food at home: not having enough time, not being sure what to plant (or when, where, and how to do so), and not knowing how to properly look after a vegetable garden. She asked her nanny, Meggi, to help her with this task by holding the seed packet and passing her the seeds while explaining the instructions on the back of the packaging. But the instructions were only in English and contained mathematical language that Meggi was not able to understand. It was at this point that Claire decided she needed to create a way to both plant and keep the seeds and nutrients in the soil at the correct depth and distance apart; a form

of planting that needed no mathematical or English education to understand, that was simple, effective, and easy to do in a short period of time. “I was also frustrated by the whole process and felt like I had already failed,” she recalls. “I wanted to find a simple solution that made the process straightforward, easy, and fun. “This gave birth to the idea of Reel Gardening. With the help of a loan from Anglo Zimele, she went from idea to business. Based in Johannesburg, this purpose-driven company provides different growing solutions to meet a range of needs, from its “Gardens in a Box” (available online and through selected Food Lover’s Markets) to crafted campaigns using its custombranded seed tape for staff or customer giveaways. These products enable the

IMAGES: Réney Warrington

Our innovation takes out the guesswork by holding seeds at the correct distance apart and anchoring them at the correct depth into the soil.”

company to support the many school and community garden projects through its “Buy One, Give One” business model. “Reel Gardening is passionate about reconnecting people with their food and the earth through the process of growing,” Claire says. “We are committed to ensuring that people are able to grow their own food with as little time and effort as possible. Our innovation takes out the guesswork by holding seeds at the correct distance apart and anchoring them at the correct depth into the soil, saving 80% of water in the germination phase. The biodegradable tape also slowly decomposes, adding extra organic matter to the soil.” Reel Gardening has experienced many milestones along its journey from employing its first staff member in 2009 to winning the Future-Agro Challenge: Agripreneur of the Year earlier in 2017. It employs seven staff members and has inspired thousands of people to grow their own food. “We are proud to have partnered with USAID, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) through the Securing Water for Food Grand Challenge, as well as with brands such as Unilever, Nedbank, Discovery, Nandos, Liberty, Nampak, and The SAB Foundation,” Claire says. “We make growing your own food quick, easy, fun, and affordable for anyone: from those with ‘green fingers’ to those who have never planted a single thing before. We want to change the perception that vegetable gardening is for the elderly or rural people. We want people to learn more about the process of nurturing a garden and growing food at home.”
