U N I P L AT E
UNIPLATE
Never Underestimate
the Power of the Number Plate PRODUCTION: William Denstone
Number plates have never known such importance in South Africa, and Uniplate has been the market leading license plate company south of the equator in Africa for the past 58 years. Its solutions have recently been bolstered in a big way, too, with both Falcon Signage Solutions and iPlate joining the Group’s development and manufacture of securitised tracking technology. www.enterprise-africa.net / 3
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Number plates are one of those products which are so ubiquitous, so indispensable, that they have become almost invisible; everyone knows they need one, and most recognise their importance. All vehicles are required to have two number plates, except for motor cycles which only require a single plate at the back, and the fines for motorists not complying with this rule can be extremely costly. All South African motorists will also soon be proudly sporting a brand-new set of plates, as part of the Department of Transport’s strategy to standardise number plates in the country. The rollout and associated laws will form part of the National Road Traffic Act as well as the South African National
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Standard for number plates. On the rationale behind this overhaul, The Department of Transport commented that, “the security features of the number plates are part of the broad road safety strategy, which will ensure that we have the right vehicles on our roads.” UNIQUE OFFERINGS This spells good news for Uniplate, the largest securitised licence plate company in Southern Africa, headquartered in Johannesburg and with its factory in Pretoria. Established in 1957, Uniplate has been the market leader for the past 58 years, offering customers customised solutions to enable the licence plate to be the one true defining, instantly identifiable feature
of South African cars. Uniplate has long prided itself on being an example of an innovative player in the industry, capable of offering the industry a comprehensive and professional service, which was only furthered by a 2009 merger with Utsch Toennjes International Group (UTI). This is a company operative in over 100 countries, one which sets out to revolutionise vehicle registrations on a global scale and is able to do so; it has more than 20 locations across five continents, and a management cohort drawing on many decades of global market knowledge. The partnership enables Uniplate to continue to be the leader in security licence plates, while giving rise to new business segments
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www.rennicks.com such as vehicle registration services and identification solutions, two increasingly lucrative segments of this market. Since the coming together, Devandran Naicker, Uniplate Managing Director, describes how the company has been able to set itself even further apart. “Driving the industry forward as we do, with many technological advancements relating to security and crime prevention, we pride ourselves on being ‘outside the box’ thinkers, offering the industry a truly professional service.
// OUR UNIQUE POSITION IN THE INDUSTRY IS THAT WE ARE AN INTEGRATOR OF SOLUTIONS //
“Our unique position in the industry is that we are an integrator of solutions,” Naicker continues. “We have taken a stance on number plates that is very different from other companies out there.” Uniplate’s modern factory in Pretoria has given it the infrastructure to be a world class manufacturing facility capable of producing acrylic, PET and aluminium blanks for use in assembling a completed license plate. MORE THAN A PIECE OF METAL Uniplate offers a broad and evergrowing portfolio of identification and securitisation products, among them Radio-frequency identification (RFID) enabled number plates and wind shield label solutions, as well as verification options for smartphones based on digitally encrypted QR codes. Such products are then employed in
a range of applications; for tracing fleet vehicles, access control or even automated toll road services. “It’s a very different and more dynamic type of product offering than simply a number plate industry,” describes Naicker, as he goes on to outline how Uniplate is changing the global perception of the number plate as a piece of metal or plastic. “We are rebranding it - especially in the African context - as a passport for your vehicle, to such an extent that you can secure, manage and control it in accordance with the relevant Government control and security behind it.” The description of a vehicle’s license plate as its ‘passport’ is wholly apt: it is an official document and acts as the primary regulatory identifier of a vehicle. According to the Number Plate Association of South Africa (NAZA),
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“number plates play a key role in identifying vehicles in South Africa,� and the most recent crime statistics released by the South African Police Service speak even more loudly as to this importance. Again among the headline figures was the persistent danger for road users when it comes to the threat of hijacking. While an overall 12% drop in vehicle-related crime points to some improvement, car and truck hijacking nonetheless continues to be a major scourge on South African roads with 16,325 carjackings and 1,202 truck hijackings reported for a total of 17,527 in the period recorded. STRONG ACQUISITIONS The type of advice put forth by the likes of wheels24 can offer a good
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// NUMBER PLATES PLAY A KEY ROLE IN IDENTIFYING VEHICLES IN SOUTH AFRICA // starting point in avoiding becoming a victim of these crimes; placing all valuable items out of sight, ensuring windows and doors are closed and locked before leaving and carefully planning the route before departure can all help prevent the ordeal. However, the figures show that sometimes even the most careful preparation may not be enough, and companies like Uniplate, and its recently acquired subsidiaries Falcon Signage Supplies and iPlate, are becoming more and more vital in keeping South African motorists safe and secure. iPlate was founded in 2016 and,
like Uniplate, has partnered with UTI as both companies seek to improve service and expand industry reach. Its goal is to bring customers unique high-quality technology and security solutions for the management, tracking and improved security of movable assets. Falcon completes the Uniplate Holdings trio, and boasts the most comprehensive range of quality signage supplies in the Southern African region. It has gained renown for bringing new and inventive products to its evergrowing base of customers. Individually the three companies each offer their own strengths as
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// IT IS ONLY THROUGH INNOVATIONS SUCH AS LPR THAT WE ARE ABLE TO STAY ONE STEP AHEAD OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY WITHIN OUR FOOTPRINT // leaders of their particular niche, and combine to keep up with the growing number of vehicles on South African roads, and the requirements that have to be met by registration and identification systems as a result. Secure and unique identification of vehicles makes automated traffic surveillance possible, and has a
key role in preventing criminal offences such as theft and hi-jacking. Fidelity ADT was in the news for its implementation of one of foremost safety methods to feature in the coming years, with state-of-the-art Licence Plate Recognition (LPR) cameras in the Mariannhill Park community geared toward ensuring the safety of the public. “The LPR cameras make use of smart analytics by collecting and analysing data. The insightful system gathers knowledge of its environment by analysing behaviour that occurs in its viewing,” explained Fidelity ADT district community development manager, Rian Buys, to News24. “This information is then matched to the SAPS national database to detect suspicious or
stolen vehicles.” Mariannhill Park Neighbourhood Watch chairman Brian Mills summed up the impact this initiative will have, both locally and more widely. “It is only through innovations such as LPR that we are able to stay one step ahead of criminal activity within our footprint. I would like to encourage all residents to support the service provider as these LPR cameras can make a huge difference to the safety of our community.”
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Published by CMB Media Group Chris Bolderstone – General Manager E. chris@cmb-media.co.uk Sackville Place, 44-48 Magdalen Street, Norwich, NR3 1JU T. +44 (0) 20 8123 7859 E. info@cmb-media.co.uk www.cmb-media.co.uk CMB Media Group does not accept responsibility for omissions or errors. The points of view expressed in articles by attributing writers and/ or in advertisements included in this magazine do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained within this magazine, no legal responsibility will be accepted by the publishers for loss arising from use of information published. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in a retrievable system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher. Š CMB Media Group Ltd 2018
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