Cashless ATM extends banking's reach

South Africa's First National Bank (FNB) has unveiled an innovative automatic teller machine (ATM) capable of delivering full digital banking via retail outlets to remote rural areas beyond the business reach of conventional ATMs. FNB's Slimline ATM offers a large touch screen with an integrated camera, a card reader for CHIP and PIN enabled cards, and a numeric keypad. Instead of dispensing cash, the Slimline ATM issues a slip that can be cashed at a retailer's till, crediting the retailer's account and thus lowering the risk and cost of holding additional cash in the shop. FNB has already installed 960 Slimline ATMs in South Africa, and is extending Slimlines across its African subsidiaries, with installations under way in Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Swaziland and Tanzania. Aziz Cassim, head of self-service channels at FNB, described the Slimline as "a unique ATM designed specifically for emerging market and lower income needs", adding: "Slimline also has great potential across all our market segments from personal to business and commercial due to its deep digital banking ability." Access to an ATM is a critical when enabling greater access to banking. According to the Finscope Consumer Survey of 2012, people in the lowest income groups spend nearly 100% more time accessing an ATM than people in middle and upper income groups. The survey showed that poorer customers took 47 minutes to access an ATM while better-off customers were able to do this in 23 minutes. "Slimlines represent a wonderful, mutually beneficial relationship for the retailer, bank and customer," Cassim said. "While our now-retired mini-ATMs offered typical kiosk banking or voucher banking, Slimline approximates online banking with PIN and image verification. The new devices offer a rich banking platform to customers in remote locations, and we plan to expand services in coming months." SAinfo reporter

South Africa in 'world first for brewing'

23 August 2013
Brewing giant SABMiller has begun using South African firm SurePure's liquid photopurification technology, which cuts down on energy costs by using ultraviolet light instead of heat to purify liquids during the brewing process. "SABMiller's Flavoured Alcoholic Beverage (FAB) Brewery, situated in the west rand of Johannesburg, brews 11 FAB products via an ambient brewing process facilitated by UV photopurification, a world first," Sure Pure said in a statement earlier this month. "Research completed indicates that UV processing of FABs in the packaging plant negates the requirement for pasteurisation or preservative addition." Photopurification is an environmentally friendly alternative to pasteurisation and chemicals, using UV-C (short-range) light to purify microbiologically sensitive liquids such as wine, milk and fruit juice. The collaboration between the two firms has led to the commercial production of a lager brand that uses UV production in the brew house process that doubles the shelf life of conventionally brewed beer. Studies on beer packaged in clear glass also found that using UV photopurification replaces costly filtration processes.

"This is the first time in the history of brewing that this technology has been applied to the brewing process," said SurePure senior marketing executive Steve Miller. "SurePure's technology significantly differs from the existing technology being used by SAB and utilises the world's first UV-C photopurification process that can be used on turbid liquids. "It uses light instead of heat to purify beer and other brewed products, including finished product, something no other UV technology can accomplish," he said. The technology is a first as it is also effective on both clear and turbid liquids. "SurePure are game-changers in brewing and can help win the race for the reduction in energy and water costs, as well as improvement in quality and throughput," said master brewer Craig Groeneveld. "The global brewing implications are enormous if SurePure finds the resources to exploit them." SAinfo reporter

SA census app to improve planning

South African mapping firm mapIT has released a location-based business intelligence application, MarketScope, based on Statistics South Africa's census 2011 data, as a tool to improve government and business planning. The app has incorporated data for race, gender, age, income, education, language, employment status, household size and total population within local and district municipal boundaries. "This inclusion of the census data offers enterprise and government a comprehensive geo-spatial snapshot of their operations to allow planning, benchmarking and market analyses. It's a virtual replication of reality," mapIT managing director, Etienne Louw, said in a statement on Monday. MarketScope also comes standard with navigation service provider TomTom's mapping data to ensure accurate analysis and benchmarking. TomTom has developed the most extensive mapping database in the world and includes over 10-million kilometres of roads and 2-million points of interest in Africa. "MarketScope's four-module application geo-codes, imports, integrates and overlays proprietary information - customer, store, supplier and logistical data and third-party demographic research including census 2011 - onto a digital map for analysis and display in a geo-spatial context," mapIT said. The four modules are client centric information, router, locator and spatial analyser. MarketScope also provides "decision-makers the ability to compare and contrast company data on consumers, sales patterns and customer trends with the latest census 2011 data and demographic information such as Living Standards Measures", according to mapIT. Another feature of the app is the drive time analysis, which determines a drive time zone - the distance travelled through a road network in the given time. "The tool selects a driving time according to the nature of a business and how much time people would probably be willing to spend in their cars to get to this location," the company said. SAinfo reporter

SA to test fuel cell 'home generator'

19 June 2013 The South African government is to provide investment funding to support field trials of a prototype methanol-fuelled "home generator" with the potential to provide economical electric power to remote rural African households. As part of its beneficiation strategy, and in a bid to extend the uses of platinum, the government will partner with Canadian company Ballard Power Systems and Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) on initial field trials of the product the two companies have been working on developing. Making the announcement at the Hydrogen + Fuel Cells 2013 International Conference and Exhibition in Vancouver, Canada this week, Godfrey Oliphant, South Africa's deputy mineral resources minister, said projects such as this "are key in the development of new technologies which will stimulate the creation of jobs for the South African economy". Aimed at addressing the needs of households in remote rural communities not connected to a power grid, the home generator will be built with Ballard fuel cells and run on readily available methanol fuel, using an integrated fuel reformer. Initial field trials, to be conducted during 2014, will provide data to support further development of the prototype. In 2015, once the product development phase is complete, a pilot test of more than 200 units will be conducted in villages across rural South Africa. Platinum-based fuel cells could provide a significant economic and environmental development opportunity for South Africa, opening the way for the provision of clean, reliable and cost-effective power. South Africa holds 75% of the world's supply of platinum, a key component of Ballard's proton exchange membrane fuel cell products. Amplats head of marketing Andrew Hinkly said the companys' involvement in fuel cell market adoption "extends beyond the implications for platinum utilisation to the potential transformational impact fuel cells could have on the economy in South Africa. "Fuel cell-based product deployments enable the platinum beneficiation strategy in Africa and create jobs in a key growth sector for the economy." SAinfo reporter

SA's low-dose X-ray makes its mark

South African X-ray system manufacturer Lodox Systems is making its mark on the international medical scene with a low radiation dose X-ray system that takes a full-body scan in just 13 seconds. It's even got the attention of the makers of popular American television dramaGrey's Anatomy. The Xmplar-dr X-ray system, the company's latest product, featured in the 18th episode of season nine of the TV drama series for its functions in medical trauma and forensic pathology. "Far from paid-for product placement, this was a storyline independently researched and written by theGrey's Anatomyproducers," Lodox's Sarah Whiley said in a statement on Tuesday. "Here at Lodox, we are both pleased and proud that our scanner has been recognised on this international platform and equally that it has been featured in our local media as an example of some of the truly great things that happen here in South Africa," Whiley said.

'World-class SA medical innovation'

"AlthoughGrey's Anatomyis just a TV show, the featuring of Lodox's unique scanner shows that our technology is of the highest standard and continues the proud tradition of world-class South African medical innovation that was started by such pioneering icons as Alan Cormack and Christiaan Barnard." Lodox's critical imaging technology was first developed for use in South Africa's diamond mines to prevent smuggling in the 1980s and '90s. The requirements for a machine of this calibre were the ability to scan the whole body, a resolution good enough to detect at least one carat or a fifth of a gram of diamonds, a speed quick enough to process large numbers of people - and the lowest possible X-ray dose for safety. A team of engineers from mining company De Beers' research laboratories developed the scanner and, when they realised the instrument's potential, established Lodox Systems to adapt and develop the technology for medical use. "After some experience it was found that the Lodox full-body X-ray scanner was also ideal for use by forensic pathologists, as it assisted them in getting an accurate full body overview of injuries and foreign bodies quickly," the company says onwww.lodox.com. South Africa's Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) became a majority shareholder of Lodox in 2010 and assist with funding for research, development and product improvement. Lodox celebrated its 10th anniversary last year and is sold and distributed worldwide. SAinfo reporter

South African develops 'waterless bath'

10 January 2013 Imagine taking a bath anywhere, at any time, without using the traditional method of water. Now it is possible, thanks to a young South African entrepreneur who developed a product that allows people who have limited access to water to maintain their standards of hygiene. Ludwick Marishane hails originally from Motetema on the border of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, a town located not too far from the small Kwaggavoetpad Nature Reserve. Hes just completed his fourth year as a commerce student at the University of Cape Town. His product, called DryBath, is a clear germicidal and moisturising gel thats applied to skin in the manner of waterless hand cleaners, although it has a sweet aroma rather than the distinctive alcohol smell of the latter.

'Doing the work of soap and water'

DryBath does the work of water and soap and it earned Marishane the 2011 Global Student Entrepreneur of the Year Award, with a US$10 000 (about R86 000) prize to boot. The product has positive implications for millions of people in Africa and other parts of the developing world where lack of regular access to clean water leads to reduced basic hygiene and a lower quality of life. Children, for example, often have to walk for hours to fetch clean water, which detracts from the time they can spend at school, doing homework or just playing.

To show solidarity for and raise awareness of the millions of affected people, Marishane is organising a no-bath weekend from 5 to 7 July, which will coincide with the fourth anniversary of the invention of DryBath. His main goal is to get 10-million people to hygienically skip a bath once a week during 2013, even if they dont use DryBath, and save the precious resource of water. DryBath is manufactured by Western Cape-based gel cosmetic specialists BioEarth Labs for HeadBoy Industries, the company started by Marishane to develop and market the product.

Laziness leads to inspiration

Marishane grew up in rural Limpopo, where as a 17-year-old he was chatting one day with a close friend, discussing typical teenage topics and sunbathing in the winter sun. Full of imagination, the friend asked: "Why can't they invent something that you can just apply to your skin so that you dont have to take a bath nor shower?" Marishane felt the same way, and that planted the seed that would germinate into DryBath. "I came up with this idea all because I didnt feel like taking a bath," he joked. Although he only had high school science knowledge, Marishane got onto the internet via his mobile phone and researched statistics on water access, as well as the composition and manufacture of lotions and creams. He finally came up with a formula. Some months later and after much experimentation, he held a bottle of DryBath in his hand and went on to obtain a patent through his company. One 20ml DryBath sachet can do the work of one bath, and Marishane claims it saves about 80 litres of water on average with every use.

Access to water is crucial

During his research he found out that over 2.5-billion people in the world live without access to clean water 450-millon of which are in Africa and five-million in South Africa. Continued research revealed that sanitation-related diseases are often found within these poor areas and the lack of water is one of the main causes of the infections. Saving water is a job that everyone needs to focus on. But there are many areas around the world that have no access to safe water, or any water at all, and people often have to walk long distances to get fresh water. Living without water can also lead to death, as waterborne diseases such as cholera, dysentery, typhoid and schistosomiasis are found in areas that lack clean water. Trachoma, a disease caused by dirt getting into the eye through agents such as flies or towels, affects 350-million people and leaves eight-million of them permanently blind through recurring infection. According toWater.org, nearly 10% of the global disease burden could be reduced through improved water supply, sanitation, hygiene and water resource management.

Getting the product out there

Marishane first approached charity organisations for support, but says he was turned back because of his age and because of doubt that his concept would ever work. Back at the drawing board, he put together a lengthy and detailed proposal all done on his trusty Nokia. With paper in hand, he approached the corporate world in search of sponsors, endorsements and investors;since then, he has struck up partnerships with WaterAid and Oxfam.

DryBath is now also manufactured commercially for clients such as hotels, music festival organisers, major global airlines one of which is British Airways and governments for soldiers in the field. Its not yet available for consumer use but Marishane says it will soon be sold online. First published byMediaClubSouthAfrica.com- get free high-resolution photos and professional feature articles from Brand South Africa's media service

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