From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, this is the Real Economy Report. As part of its corporate social investment initiative, industrial gas company Air Products, in partnership with international philanthropic organisation Inmed, have taken sustainable development to the next level by sponsoring an Aquaponics sustainable farming project at Carel de Wet Technical School in Vereeniging. Zandile Mavuso has the story.

Zandile Mavuso:
Having launched the aquaponics project – an intensive food production technique, which combines fish farming and soilless crop growing – in August last year at Carel de Wet Technical School in Vereeniging, Air Products MD Mike Hellyar highlights the importance of having approached learners to run this project.

Air Products MD Mike Hellyah

Zandile Mavuso:
With the project witnessing its first harvest in April since its launch last year, Inmed South Africa operations director Janet Ogilvie mentions how this adaptive agriculture initiative forms part of sustainable development in South Africa.

Inmed SA operations director Janet Ogilvie

Zandile Mavuso:
Happy Maseko, a grade 11 learner at Carel de Wet Technical School, highlights what she enjoyed most about working on the project.

Learner - Happy Maseko

Zandile Mavuso:
More than the fun experienced while working on the project, Grade 12 learner Stephen Stander mentions how he learnt more about the preservation of water through the project.

Learner – Stephen Stander

Zandile Mavuso:
Already seeing the benefits of the project, Ogilvie expresses how the success of this project could be the beginning of many to come in the country.

Inmed SA operations director Janet Ogilvie

Shannon de Ryhove:
Other news making headlines this week: The first facial air curtain will be launched this month.

South African air filtration solutions company Aircure has advanced the country’s innovative product development capacity by designing and developing the first facial air curtain, the Airhead – to be attached onto hard hats of workers who are exposed to fumes, dust, gas and polluted air – to prevent harmful exposure.

Aircure owner and product developer Darren Bibby

That’s Creamer Media’s Real Economy Report. Join us again next week for more news and insight into South Africa’s real economy.