logo
Innovate Africa: A new play for player safety, Innovate Africa meets Cape Town's Pro'Tech

Innovate Africa: A new play for player safety, Innovate Africa meets Cape Town's Pro'Tech

TimesLIVE26-06-2025
Pro'Tech Rugby is a Cape Town-born start-up on a mission to make the game safer, without losing its soul.
Their advanced scrum caps are designed to absorb the sort of head impact that builds up over years on the field, whether in a school league or the club trenches. Made with cutting edge materials and engineered for real play, they promise protection that doesn't slow you down.
In this exclusive interview, Innovate Africa founder Kieno Kammies sits down with Pro'Tech's founder Marnus Coetsee to explore how this home-grown innovation could help keep grassroots players safer for longer.
Watch the video as they unpack the problem, the prototype and the bigger plan to take this solution global.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Left behind? Somalia secures Starlink
Left behind? Somalia secures Starlink

The South African

time7 hours ago

  • The South African

Left behind? Somalia secures Starlink

Somalia is the latest country on the continent to get Starlink – the internet satellite service belonging to Pretoria-born Elon Musk – leaving many South Africans frustrated at being 'left behind'. The news comes amid reports that the world's richest man is set to bypass transformative legislation like Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policies to operate his company in his home country. Musk is reportedly planning a R2 billion investment in development in southern Africa. On the X app, Elon Musk announced that Starlink was now operating in Somalia. The news came as a surprise to many, given the East African country's ongoing civil war and widespread poverty. South Africans also joined the commentary. Some, like former DA Renaldo Gouws, expressed their annoyance at South Africa seemingly falling behind. He posted on X: 'A war-torn Somalia manages to get Starlink before South Africa. What does this tell us about the competence of our government?' Another, @G1ngerNomad, added: 'What's actually sad is a country blocking a South African-born billionaire from connecting its poorest schools. While the rest of Africa just says 'yes' and plugs in'. Others claimed that Elon Musk's company was not welcome in South Africa, as long as it did not adhere to transformative legislation that applied to foreign investors. Starlink currently operates in 20 African countries, including South Africa's neighbouring countries, such as Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, eSwatini, and Lesotho. However, the internet satellite service has yet to be granted an operating licence in South Africa. According to reports, Starlink, which falls under SpaceX, is likely hoping to achieve this with its plans to invest over R2 billion in the country. Business Day reports that the company would finance infrastructure to support the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which is made up of 16 countries. Should Starlink operate in South Africa? Images via X: @starlink The move is thought to be a way to 'work around' local BEE policies, which require 30% local shareholding for foreign investors. In May, Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi gazetted a policy direction for his department on EEIPs, which are considered 'alternatives' to transformative legislation. Without mentioning Starlink, the minister claimed that the policy would 'attract investment,' specifically in operating licensing. The minister revealed that current legislation for foreign investments 'did not allow companies to contribute to transformation goals in ways other than traditional ownership'. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.

Where is former Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer?
Where is former Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer?

The South African

time8 hours ago

  • The South African

Where is former Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer?

Heyneke Meyer is one of the most celebrated coaches in South Africa, having been the first South African coach to win the Super Rugby trophy. With nearly 30 years of experience coaching professional teams, the Mbombela-born coach has secured multiple trophies, including the 2007 Super Rugby trophy with the Vodacom Bulls. After coaching youth and school teams, Meyer rose to the position of head coach for the SWD Eagles in 1998, where he led the team to strong performances in the Currie Cup. He also served as the forwards coach for the Stormers and Emerging Springboks in 1999. In 2000, Meyer joined the Bulls, guiding them to four Currie Cup titles and a historic Super Rugby title in 2007, making him the first South African coach to achieve this feat. The Bulls also became the first and only team to lift the Super Rugby title at that time. After losing the 2007 Currie Cup semifinal against the Free State Cheetahs, Meyer left the Pretoria franchise. On June 30, 2008, he was named head coach of the Leicester Tigers in England. His tenure was short-lived after he took compassionate leave to attend to family matters in South Africa after just 15 matches. The South African coach subsequently stepped down from his position on January 28, 2009 and later took up an executive role with the Bulls. In January 2012, Meyer was appointed head coach of the Springboks on a four-year term, taking over from Peter de Villiers. During his time, the Springboks played commendable rugby but were often dominated and outplayed by the All Blacks during their golden era. Meyer coached the Springboks in their first-ever game against Japan in the 2015 World Cup. The Brave Blossoms produced one of the biggest upsets in rugby history by defeating the Springboks 34–32 with a try in the corner deep into injury time. Following that match, Meyer faced criticism for favouring 'experience over talent' and was required to issue a public apology to South Africans after the embarrassing defeat. After losing to the All Blacks in the 2015 World Cup semifinal, he expressed a desire to continue as coach, but many opposed the extension of his contract. After departing from the Springboks, Heyneke Meyer took on the head coach/director role at Stade Français in the French Top 14 for the 2018–2019 season. As of mid-2025, Heyneke Meyer serves as the Director of Rugby for the Houston SaberCats in Major League Rugby (MLR), a position he has held since July 2021 and is contracted through the end of the 2025 MLR season. The 57-year-old coach recently said he desired to return to South Africa once his contract expired. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.

‘The window is not closed': Nasreddine Nabi hints at more deals for Kaizer Chiefs
‘The window is not closed': Nasreddine Nabi hints at more deals for Kaizer Chiefs

IOL News

time12 hours ago

  • IOL News

‘The window is not closed': Nasreddine Nabi hints at more deals for Kaizer Chiefs

More deals? Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi has hinted that the club could make more deals ahead of the closing of the transfer window. Photo: Kaizer Chiefs on Facebook Image: Kaizer Chiefs on Facebook Kaizer Chiefs could be preparing for more business in the transfer market as the club looks to sign a striker to address their troubles in front of goal. With the transfer window open until the end of the month, head coach Nasreddine Nabi has hinted that they are still looking for that final piece of their jigsaw. The latest striker who has been linked with a move to Naturena is TS Galaxy's Belgian-born Bosnian, Dzenan Zajmovic. Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Nabi preferred not to mention the player's name but did not explicitly rule out a move for the 30-year-old. Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. "I don't want to comment on the striker from Galaxy. I'm not sure if he's part of the club's plans or if his administrative issues have been resolved. But if the opportunity arises to recruit him – especially if he has residency – then yes," Nabi said. He added: "The window is not closed. I think if you have opportunities, our scouting team will do the work. If you have a good opportunity, then why not? But I'm looking for a player who brings more to the table – not someone who offers the same qualities as those we already have." Speaking on Tuesday, Zajmovic denied he had been in touch with Chiefs, saying: '… with regards to Kaizer Chiefs, they never contacted me. I have seen people writing a lot of nonsense that I'm negotiating with them, but nothing like that has happened.' Chiefs signed striker Flavio Silva in this transfer window but have since been linked with a number of other strikers. In recent weeks, Peter Shalulile and Thembinkosi Lorch's names have been mentioned in Chiefs' search for a striker. Shalulile is contracted with Sundowns until 2027 but has reportedly been looking for a way out of the club, while Lorch is seemingly not in the club's plans for the future. The club is also tracking the Cape Town Spurs duo of Asenele Velebayi and Luke Baartman. With less than a month left in the window, all eyes will be on Naturena to see whether Chiefs can land the kind of forward who can truly transform their attacking fortunes – or if the club's search for a reliable goal-scorer will continue to drag into the new season. With Chiefs aiming to reclaim their place among South Africa's elite, finding a consistent goal-scorer has become a non-negotiable. IOL Sport

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store