Two former Wits university students are set to launch South Africa\u2019s first locally manufactured smartphone in August this year.<\/p>\n
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The T-Touch smartphone was conceptualised by former Witsies Karabo Masenyadiloana and Thulani Khoza through Khoza\u2019s company Thules Telecoms.<\/p>\n
Apart from its industry-standard functions such as calling, texting and browsing the internet amongst other things, the T-Touch smartphone also comes with a unique security software system to protect it from hackers. \u201cWe\u2019ve invested a lot in developing the cybersecurity and making sure that it is competitive worldwide and not just within the South African borders,\u201d said Masenyadiloana, a BA graduate.<\/p>\n
The T-Touch smartphone is based on the Samsung smartphone and the company aims to cater to a wide range of the market. The smartphone runs on Google\u2019s Android operating system but according to Masenyadiloana, will also have an \u201ciOS feel\u201d.\u00a0The duo hope to encourage the use of locally produced apps. \u201cOur concentration has been that it\u2019s an African brand, it needs African backing, so it needs African developers,\u201d said Masenyadiloana.<\/p>\n
The smartphone has already received about 50 000 pre-orders from Ghana alone and some from Mexico.\u00a0Thules Telecoms has plans to build two manufacturing plants through which they would provide about 2500 direct jobs.<\/p>\n
Masenyadiloana said they are hoping to reverse the trend in the technology industry where Africans are consumers and importers rather than producers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe live in an era where Africans are called consumers and it\u2019s painful when you look at a lot of the inventions that were conceptualised by African minds going oversees to get them recognised prior to applying the trade down this side,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Written by: Olwethu Boso<\/p>\n