Malawian-made temperature monitoring app hits Sadc region tech market
TempCras – a new innovative technology that makes it easy to track and monitor temperature of cold rooms, refrigeration systems and cold vans – has hit the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region technology market and the developer, Engineer Alinafe Kaliwo, has challenged delegates in the ongoing 41st Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government to use the platform as an opportunity to explore means on how they can support young technology entrepreneurs.
“After our successful business deals with various government agencies, commercial and non-commercial outfits we continue to get sound feedback and requests from would-be clients from across the SADC region. We currently have established ourselves in South Africa, and are ready to start rolling out big projects with our new clients here.
“It is my prayer that leaders meeting in the ongoing SADC summit dedicate more time to discuss technology for our region, and how young entrepreneurs in this part of Africa can be encouraged and supported in their various initiatives,” Kaliwo, who is chief executive officer (CEO) of Mechro Systems, said in an interview with Nyasa Times from Cape Town, South Africa.
SADC is holding its summit in Malawi’s capital Lilongwe which has pooled together 400 delegates from the sixteen member states. The theme of the summit is “Bolstering Productive Capacities in the Face of COVID-19 Pandemic for Inclusive, Sustainable, Economic and Industrial Transformation”.
Kaliwo said the TempCras technology is a user-friendly system that is easy to install and implement.
“We offer in-transit temperature monitoring solutions featuring alarming capabilities as well as reporting, and GSM cellular technology. One can access their temperature data while it’s on the go and save themselves the hassle of having to manually monitor temperature for their sensitive goods.
“For a very long-time producers of perishable goods such as fruits, meat and milk have had the problem of adverse temperature conditions damaging their products. This happens without any warning whatsoever which leads to loss of thousands if not millions of cash and resources.
“But for the last four years TempCras has been able to perfectly deal with such problems for some of the largest retail chain stores in Malawi,” he said, adding that the TempCras technology employs novel and advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and Blockchain to seamlessly deliver satisfactory services to users.
Some of the largest retail chain stores in Malawi include Game Stores, Shoprite and Chipiku Plus, among others.
According to Kaliwo, it now lay in the hands of the present generation to think technology in averting various day-to-day trials including economic challenges.
“I was actually impressed when the state vice president, Saulos Chilima, presented a lecture last week on the need for SADC member states to embrace digitalization in this Covid-19 era and how he related digitalization and industrialization. That is the way to go,” he said.
According to information available on the TempCras website, Kaliwo has been awarded, recognized and won prizes across the world for his innovation including the Malawi Innovators Design Competition (2017) for Overall Best Project; MBC Innovations Awards (2017); Gist Tech-I Semi Finalist (2018) by AAAS America; SAS Awards Finalist (2018) for Southern Africa Region; Nigeria’s Tony Elumelu Entrepreneur of the Year (2018) and Gist Tech-I Semi Finalist (2019) by AAAS America.
In his public lecture last week, titled ‘Promoting digitalization for revival of the Sadc industrialization agenda in the Covid-19 era’, vice president Chilima said there was “an urgent need for serious investment and that budgets in the Sadc region should support ICT as a transition to digital economies.”
The lecture, organised by the government of Malawi through the National Planning Commission (NPC), discussed, among others, how digitalization can turn out to be effective for Africa amidst Covid-19.
“I hope some of the recommendations made can be adopted and put into use both within Sadc bloc and locally,” said Chilima who is also minister responsible for economic planning and public sector reforms.
He said harnessing digitalization would be a “game changer for the Sadc region” towards a digital economy as the region continues to feel the pinch of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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