Cool things invented in South Africa

My Grandad invented and patented the oasis holder.
Looks like a upside down metal brush that holds that green foam called an oasis that you stick flowers into.
 
Wasn't that Full Body X-ray thing in Greys Anatomy at some point?
 
..and my dad patented a microbial pesticide for use in industrial agriculture.

Sometimes I am less than incredibly proud of my family.:D
 
Someone invented this ...

The vuvuzela, that remarkable instrument of sport.

You could argue that we also invented modern guerilla warfare and concentration camps
And of course apartheid (an entirely original concept, never seen before or since)
 
Last edited:
cfilorux said:
You could argue that we also invented modern guerilla warfare and concentration camps
And of course apartheid (an entirely original concept, never seen before or since)
Click to expand...
All of these have been around for ages.
 
Talking about mobile payments. Another first for the world is a system called payD, which I'm involved in.

It allows people with a plain, vanilla, debit card to use their mobile phone (any phone, even the same nokia he was holding up in the video) to do card-not-present transactions (like buying stuff on the internet, buying airtime from your phone, electricity, etc), but with a PIN present.

So who uses MTN Easy Recharge to buy airtime with their card? (any card, not just debit). Hands up who uses Vodacom's Express Recharge to buy airtime with their card? Guess what, you are using the payD system. In these two examples users browse a USSD menu, until find the product they want. Select their payment method (card in this case). A secure WIG (wireless internet gateway) session is opened from the mobile operator to the users phone for PIN entry. At first purchase the user registers for the system (entering the card, date of birth, expiry, cvv (if its a credit card), and then PIN). The PIN (which is your normal bank PIN, is encrypted using the keys that are present on a sim card, and sent off to the payD switch. From here it gets router to your bank for authorization.

This is a first not only in this country, but in the world.
 
I think South Africans invented necklacing. Tyre, petrol, matches. That kind of necklacing. Hooray for freedom.
 
Skrilla said:
I think South Africans invented necklacing. Tyre, petrol, matches. That kind of necklacing. Hooray for freedom.
Click to expand...

oh, i thought you were referring to a 'pearl necklace' (check urban dictionary). That something completely different... and much more fun :D
 
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