A joint venture between Poynting Antennas and Lawrence Global Manufacturing has been officially acknowledged at the launch of the Tshwane East Manufacturing Incubation Centre (TEMIC).
The partnership has enabled the establishment of the incubation centre in order to mass-produce the DigiAnt digital television antenna.
The joint venture is expected to contribute meaningfully to both South Africa and Africa’s migration from analogue to digital television.
In addition, the incubation opportunities provided by the centre will enable small manufacturing enterprises to actively participate in the digital migration process.
Tervern Jaftha of the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) says the joint venture will contribute to the first technology-based incubator for the steel manufacturing sector, and will provide invaluable structural support for small businesses.
The joint venture was made possible in part through a grant obtained by Lawrence Global Manufacturing via the Incubation Support Programme of the Department of Trade & Industry (dti), with Poynting Antennas contributing 50% of their own capital towards the venture.
Jaftha says: “The incubation support programme is speared by Minister Rob Davies, and is one of his key projects. In general, the incubation support programme (ISP) gives a clear indication of the Minister’s commitment to the development of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in manufacturing industries and associated supply chains, with an emphasis on building symbiotic relationships between small enterprises and big business.”
He adds that TEMIC, in particular, will enable small steel manufacturing enterprises to have access to state-of-the-art technology.
Reuben Olifant, director of Lawrence Global and chairperson of TEMIC, says that the joint venture is committed to having an impact on SMMEs while producing a highly sought-after digital television antenna.
Eduard Walker, Poynting Antenna’s Digital Television (DTV) business unit manager and newly-appointed director of TEMIC, is also one of the engineers behind the design and technology of the DigiAnt.
He explains that television antennas have traditionally utilised the Yagi, Grid and Dipole (or ‘bunny ears’) type of antennas, whereas the DigiAnt uses a Vivaldi Horn antenna.
“The DigiAnt signals the first time that this kind of antenna is used in the television environment,” says Walker. “No form of a Vivaldi Horn has previously been commercially used or sold as a television antenna.
“What we’re looking at here is a totally new type of television antenna in a very old environment.”
What makes the DigiAnt a viable solution is a combination of low production costs and ease of manufacture. Production of the DigiAnt requires only one process, whereas existing television antennas use multiple processes that are more time consuming and less cost-effective.
Walker says that the DigiAnt offers sound performance, is 100% locally produced from local products, and is 100% recyclable. In addition, its comes in a compact box that is easy to transport – and key consideration for South Africa’s digital migration process, which will require the delivery of about 12-million TV antennas across the country.
Assembly of the DigiAnt will begin in March this year. It will take six months to reach pre-production phase locally and a further nine months to meet full capacity. It is anticipated that TEMIC will produce 1,5-million television antennas per year.