Brand South Africa Blog

In case you missed them.

From the engineering team that built the largest telescope in the southern hemisphere on time and under budget comes Joule, a practical and affordable battery-powered car. Sasha Planting, SA’s top tech writer, reports in this week’s Financial Mail. With Pretoria Boys High alumnus Elon Musk launching the Tesla in California, South Africans seem to have a special affinity for green car technology.

Toby Shapshak blogs on the cellphone banking revolution being pioneered in SA by Wizzit. Or you can watch the film.

The Economist profiles Dabba, a VoIP-based “village telco”, which has launched a low cost wireless telephone network for residents of the Orange Farm community south of Johannesburg. Dabba and its founder, Rael Lissoos were honoured in Berlin last week as Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2008. Many Possibilities blogger Steve Song, a fellow at the Shuttleworth Foundation, provides more background.

Rolf Papsdorf, CEO of Randburg-based Alternative Energy Development Corp., talks about how his zinc-air fuel cells are transforming rural lives in this IMC video.

First National Bank has launched its own TV channel on You Tube. Videos posted so far include a good SABC interview with FNB Brand Director Derek Carstens visiting a xenophobia relief camp in the Midrand, and this terrific ad.