There is no shortage of innovation in South Africa, but the reason that we don’t have the market penetration of the US companies, is that we just don’t have a culture of financing venture projects. And this is very sad, because there are many companies and individuals who have funds tied up in under-performing assets and equities and in times of recession, like now, the inadequacies of this investment strategy becomes even more apparent.

In my opinion, Venture Capital is not for pensioners, and it should also not comprise more than 10-15% of a well-balanced portfolio, but if you have an appetite for some risk, are patient and give the innovator enough room to do what he/she does best, the returns can easily outperform most other investments.

In most cases the innovator will attract investment by giving away a portion of the equity, or ownership, of the idea or product, in order to attract that last bit of funding to bring the product or service to market.  The investor might later be called on to provide additional funding in the form of a loan account for marketing, packaging or distribution.

So what then is available locally?  Well, set out below are a few projects that may well be worth a look at;

RESTAURANT SOFTWARE PACKAGE

A powerful, yet easy-to-use software package aimed specifically at the small coffee-shop or restaurant market, including Point-of-Sale and Food Stock Control.  Fully-scalable to also cater for large multi-terminal franchise restaurants, this package can be installed and the staff trained in less than one day.  Particularly relevant right now in the run up to the 2010 Soccer World Cup, it also has plenty of potential offshore with plans to launch it in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.  It has been thoroughly Beta-tested in numerous restaurants over the years, but now needs a face-lift, some new features (including touch-screen capability) and some marketing effort here and overseas. The product sells for between R4 500 and R30 000 depending on the size and complexity of the restaurant

The price for 40% of the equity of this package is R160 000.

HOTEL RESERVATIONS SOFTWARE

A powerful grid-based booking and billing system currently installed at numerous hotels and B&B’s as well as at the Eastern Province Cricket Board at St Georges Park in P.E. for conference room reservations.  Also relevant for 2010 as it can be configured and installed in a day at small B&B’s and Guest Houses.  For hotels with restaurants the Restaurant Package above fully integrates to this package.  The system needs an upgrade and new features installed.  As above, it is also easily adapted to the off-shore market.  It retails for between R3 500 and R35 000.

The price for 40% of the equity of this package is R160 000.

SURVEILLANCE CAMERA PORTAL

Millions of web cams and surveillance cameras are installed worldwide but the biggest problem with 99% of them, is that they are not monitored.  Crimes take place, and although they are recorded, everything is done after the case.  Real-time monitoring is very expensive.

On the other hand there are also hundreds of thousands of pensioners, students, disabled people and the unemployed who could easily monitor one or two cameras anywhere in the world over the Internet from the comfort of their homes and respond to breaches according to prescribed procedures.

What is needed, is to bring these two parties together and write the web-based software to link clients, web cams and staff in an online portal.  Revenues would be earned by a percentage of the surveillance cost.

This system is in the very early concept stage and R100 000 is needed for Research and Development.

FISH FARMING

Permit applications are at an advanced stage at a Knysna-based Aquaculture project whereby Dusky Kob will be farmed for I&J.  The proposed farm will consist of 6 individual units each owned by a separate investor, with a combined annual harvest of 100 - 200 tons.  The project has been two years in the planning and approval stage.  Aquaculture is the future, as wild stocks of fish are now all but depleted and this sector is sure to boom, hence the desirability of getting into it early.

There are 2 units still available at a cost of R100 000 each for a 1/6 share of the permit.  Capital costs of R500k-R600k per investor thereafter are required and working capital for 18 months to the first harvest will also be needed.

AQUAPONICS IN ZIMBABWE

I believe that the time is now right to start making tentative moves into Zimbabwe and we have the ideal product to address the ravaged agricultural sector.  Aquaponics, the integration of fish and vegetable farming, could well be the means whereby small rural communities are uplifted and taught how to produce their own food.  We would like to introduce the concept of Aquaponics to the Department of Agriculture in Zimbabwe as well as the World Bank for funding for poverty alleviation.  We have numerous pilot sites successfully running in the Knysna area to show them and believe that if we move quickly enough, we could find ourselves installing hundreds, if not thousands, of these systems in Zimbabwe.  I need R100 000 for travel and accommodation, further research and development and compiling a professional business plan to submit to potential funders.  In return I would transfer a portion of the equity of this venture to the investor.

Enquiries are invited from potential investors in any of these proposed projects on;

software@knysna.sa.com

or

aquaculture@knysna.sa.com

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