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Official opening of the Tshwane East Manufacturing Incubation Centre, dedicated to development of the innovative DigiAnt digital TV antenna

19th February 2014

  

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Tshwane East Manufacturing Incubation Centre  (0.06 MB)

Members of the media are invited to the official opening of TEMIC on 25th February 2014, 14.00 in Pretoria East, at the Eersterust Civic Centre, corner of Hans Coverdale West Street and PS Fourie Drive.  Invited guests include the Minister of the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti), and stakeholders from the Department of Communications and the City of Tshwane.

Poynting Antennas, a key player in the South African antennas market, has made another leap forward in innovative wireless technology with the development of the DigiAnt digital TV antenna.  DigiAnt is the first TV antenna to have been developed in 50 years.  The antenna will now be mass produced for the first time.

The production of the DigiAnt, which promises to be a highly sought-after TV antenna both in South Africa and globally, marks a milestone in South Africa’s progress towards digital migration.  Production will begin at the newly established Tshwane East Manufacturing Incubation Centre.

Poynting has recently undertaken a joint venture with Lawrence Global Manufacturing to enable production of the DigiAnt.  Lawrence Global Manufacturing is anengineering company specialising in both prototype and mass production of sheet metal fabrication and machining components.  The joint venture has made possible the establishment of the TEMIC manufacturing facility so as to begin production on the DigiAnt.  Initial production is expected to commence at the end of March 2014, with the factory reaching full capacity by June.  

Lawrence Global Manufacturing has received a grant from the Incubation Support Programme of the dti, to establish an incubation centre in which SMMEs can be incubated to partake meaningfully in the manufacturing opportunities emanating from DigiAnt.  The incubation centre will encourage the development of small businesses involved in the production of high pressure aluminium die casting and the steel fabrication product value chain. Poynting brings its own capital to the venture, and contributes DigiAnt’s intellectual property which includes the antenna’s design and technology. 

Eduard Walker, Poynting’s Digital Television Business Unit Manager, says of the DigiAnt:  “This TV antenna looks completely different to any other TV antenna on the global market.  Its key advantage lies in its size:  when packaged, the DigiAnt is eight times smaller than other antennas, meaning that eight containers of standard-sized antennas will equal just one container of the DigiAnt.  This is going to be hugely beneficial for South Africa’s digital migration, which will require the distribution of 12 million antennas throughout the country.”

Gerhard Lawrence, the CEO and founder of Lawrence Global Manufacturing, which is based in theCity of Tshwane, says that being awarded a grant by the dti to enable the company to contribute to the process of digital migration in South Africa has been a major win: “One of Lawrence Global Manufacturing’s objectives has been to expand our reach in the South African market.  With government backing to enable this joint venture, we are well positioned to meet our goal of participating in large scale economic activity.  Additionally, being able to actively contribute to the manufacturing of a local product that is a world-class innovation provides the opportunity to showcase our company’s high-quality manufacturing processes and production capability.”

The DigiAnt will be 100% locally-produced using local, recyclable materials.   Digital migration is required by the International Telecommunication Union to be completed in all countries by June 2015.

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

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