October 3, 2019
THE WITNESS
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15
MOTORING
www.witness.co.za
Hyundai joins flying taxi race HYUNDAI on Monday announced it has staffed a new Urban Air Mobility division to design flying drones for the Korean vehicle builder. The division will be headed by Jaiwon Shin, an aeronautics engineer who worked on aviation research and development at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) for 30 years. Shin’s goal is to develop technologies that will enable Hyundai to lead in the potentially lucrative flying taxi segment. Shin said the segment could be worth $1,5 trillion within the next two decades. Shin’s expertise covers a diverse range of areas including airframe, power unit, safety, and air traffic management technologies. Just some of the projects he worked on at Nasa included the X-plan programmes, electrification of aircraft, air traffic management, and developing urban air mobility solutions. — WR.
Future mechanics will be required to maintain autonomous vehicles like this bio-fuelled, driverless truck from Scania, but SA still teaches a 1973 syllabus.
4IR: all hands on deck
TOYOTA-SUBARU’S NEW DEAL TOYOTA and Subaru have agreed on a new business and capital alliance to further develop and strengthen their long-term partnership. A 2005 business collaboration agreement between Toyota and Subaru included production by Subaru of Toyota vehicles and supply by Toyota of vehicles to Subaru, as well as joint development of the rear-wheel-drive Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ sports car models. The two companies in June this year disclosed they have agreed to jointly develop a platform dedicated to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and to jointly develop a BEV model, both of which will employ Subaru’s AWD technologies and Toyota’s vehicle electrification technologies. Toyota will increase its equity stake in Subaru and Subaru will acquire shares in Toyota. — WR.
Isuzu bakkie clocks up 1,7 million km Gerhard du Toit (74) has now clocked 1,7 million kilometres on his Isuzu bakkie, which he bought upon retirement over 15 years ago to start his Roadrunner courier business. The previous owner of the bakkie was his brother, who first bought ‘Roadrunner’ in 1997, as a demo model with 7 000 kilometres on the clock. He drives the ‘Roadrunner’ twice a day between Oudtshoorn and George through the scenic but treacherous Outeniqua Pass. But it is not the more than 300 km per day that ‘Roadrunner’ travels that makes this bakkie a true workhorse: “I stop and start the bakkie between 80 to 100 times per day. This is as I drop off the parcels or pick up parcels at my various clients in the two towns. I have had to replace my front seat covers twice already, but I think ‘Roadrunner’ may still outlive me one day,” Du Toit said. PHOTO: ISUZU
Reusing Msunduzi’s rusting rails Plan to adapt ‘bamboo trains’ idea for PMB only needs official backing ALWYN VILJOEN A PLAN to reuse Maritzburg’s rusting railways was among 11 ideas pitched to a panel of transport managers at the Smarter Mobility Africa competition held in Johannesburg yesterday. The Start-ups Pitch Competition aimed to support “green mobility” entrepreneurs in Africa. The ideas presented included solar-powered batteries for electric bicycles from Namibia, energy-efficient logistics from Zimbabwe and from Maritzburg, a plan to reuse the metro’s forgotten railways by adapting Cambodia’s infamous “bamboo trains” for Mzansi’s needs. I made the pitch not as a transport writer for The Witness, but as a member of the Cannabis Development Council of South Africa (CDCSA). The five judges were managers at the City of Tshwane, Innovation Hub, uYilo, the Industrial Development Council and Gautrain. I explained to them how our madein-Maritzburg idea was born during the start of ongoing taxi wars in Esigodini, a scenic township overlooking the Duzi river and the disused railway that follows the river’s eastern bank. Along with handyman Lucky
Cambodia’s ‘bamboo trains’ comprise a platform sitting on two loose axles, a fan belt and a small engine, with only gravity holding everything together. The loose assembly allows users to dismantle and carry the light carts past sections of rail that are too warped to traverse, or to allow heavier-laden carts to pass. PHOTO: WIKIPEDIA Mhlongo, we devised a plan to adapt the “bamboo trains” from Cambodia to serve local commuters. “Our valley is so beautiful, I think we will not just get commuters, but also tourists to ride on the wagon,” Mhlongo predicted. The plan goes much wider than merely riding old rails in a scenic valley, but scales up to use bio-diesel made lo-
cally from hemp seeds grown in Edendale. South Africa currently uses over a billion litres of fossil-fuel derived diesel per month, which is sold for over R14 a litre at the cheapest truck stops. Our aim to circulate a tiny percentage of these diesel billions in South Africa, instead of paying foreigners for fu-
el, is what ensured our humble Maritzburg dream made the Smarter Mobility Africa competition’s shortlist. The judges were impressed to hear that we have already planted the fuel for the lightweight carts on a hemp farm near Newcastle. Dr Jay Jamalodeen, chair of the CDCSA, contributed an explanation
Witness transport writer Alwyn Viljoen was one of 11 people who pitched their ‘green mobility’ ideas at the Smarter Mobility Africa competition held in Johannesburg yesterday. that hemp seeds are five times better than soy beans as a source of oils that can be turned into methyl esters and hence into bio-diesel. I told the judges: “If we can legalise monthly ‘weed dances’ that will see gogos sell their bales of hemp to the local biodiesel generator, instead of annual reed dances to deliver bundles of reeds to the queen’s kraals, we will capitalise development in our deep rural economies.” But the lack of any official in any department willing to permit us reusing the city’s forgotten and rusted railways is currently the main delay in getting the pilot project running. “I hope to be proven wrong, but it seems our city and rail bosses only worry about community-driven projects if there if is a big tender to eat from,” I told the panel. This lack of official support torpedoed our pitch, but Msunduzi citizens can rest assured, the plan continues at grass roots level. Citizens who want to get involved can contact me on the e-mail below. • alwyn.viljoen@witness.co.za
Bowls ‘youngsters’ ride in an HR-V
AT the recent Retail Motor Industry (RMI) Skills Summit held at Nasrec, all role-players discussed the industry’s way forward in the light of the recently promulgated National Skills Development Plan. RMI president Jeanne Esterhuizen said the industry is at a crossroads, with skills development falling behind, this without taking into account future skills needs. She said the key challenge is to discuss the issue of skills around the fourth industrial revolution and what kind of support will be needed. “The industry is changing rapidly, not only because of 4IR, but mainly to remain competitive in the motor industry, both on the technical and soft-skills sides. Our purpose is to find effective ways to grow skills and encourage innovation in the retail motor industry, and to encourage the growth of small, black-owned businesses,” she said. The challenge, as spelled out in the National Skills Development Plan, is that South Africa’s skills base is too low to support the country’s socioeconomic goals and the workforce is not keeping pace with the skills required to remain competitive in an increasingly knowledge-based economy. The average age of artisans in the motor industry is about 44, compared to the average population age of 19 in Africa. The motor industry has a niche set of skills requirements and is also a demanding industry, meaning it has to upskill itself rather than depend on formal education that is not geared to address its specific skills needs, Esterhuizen said. “We’re looking at critical thinking, problem solving, leadership, communication, work ethic and team work to cope with the fast-changing technologies, and for businesses to remain sustainable into the future. Even as a small business, if you don’t equip yourself with all of these components, you remain stuck on the shop floor instead of ... making yourself more competitive in a global market,” she said. Esterhuizen added that what South Africa does not need is a business graduate who studied a textbook written in 2016. Esterhuizen said the market requires “programmable graduates” with a mix of soft and technical skills. “The challenge for universities is getting that engagement with industry — they struggle to get that engagement even when they try. Universities are more than open to that level of collaboration and it is key to preparing the workforce for 4IR,” Esterhuizen said. Leon Beech, CEO of training provider Northlink College, said without a collective strategy the country’s economy will not be saved. He said that the syllabus under which he trained in 1973 is still the syllabus
of today. “What we are using for training in South Africa today are regarded as museum pieces in fellow developing countries like China, positioning us at least 10 years behind. We need to make a serious decision as to whether we are going to fool another generation of children with an invalid work skills set, or give them the necessary competences,” said Beech. “It’s not just about the equipment, but the staff who are teaching. Are they the appropriate people to be teaching, with the appropriate skills? There is no sign of any coherent collective approach to training the trainers. The collaboration needs to start in industry, and a college is the most appropriate venue for collaboration between industry and the Sector Education Training Authority (Setas) and the National Skills Fund, as we have all the structures for a centre of specialisation where nothing takes place without consultation with industry and potential employers.” Wimpie Lodewyk, DCES manager, Vocational Schools, for technical and agricultural schools in the Free State, said that the Free State Department of Education has adapted one of the educational streams for marketing purposes — technical occupational stream. From next year this stream is being introduced from Grade 8 to 9. “We will use this as a foundational phase for pupils continuing in Grade 10. It will offer practical training in the nine specialisation subjects to introduce pupils to technology streams,” said Lodewyk. NEXT STEPS • Industry should be incentivised to develop better relationships with public Technical and Vocational Education and Training colleges to develop curricula and supply equipment. Industry should put forward experts to assist TVETs in how to train facilitators who in turn are able to train in what the industry needs. • Identify future soft skills, technology and the development of curricula. This requires a collaboration between business and training providers. • The creation of a reskilling fund equivalent to the UIF. Such funds are available through some Setas. • Career guidance at school from a young age, utilising technology and industry experts as mentors and coaches. • Overhaul learning pathways and duration of learning through a blended approach from early learning. • Encourage corporates with skills to lecture in colleges and create interchangeable skills and trades. Industry is willing and able, and has the power and the expertise to do so. — WR.
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Fury Honda PMB supports the Natal Inland U30 lawn bowls team with a new HR-V. From left are Morné du Plessis, Shannon Anley and Duncan Parsons.
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