Tendekayi Katsiga

Deaftronics (Pty) Ltd

Deaftronics manufactured the first solar-powered hearing aid unit called Solar Ear. The Solar Ear unit includes a digital rechargeable hearing aid, a solar battery charger and four rechargeable hearing aid batteries. The batteries can also be used in 80% of hearing aids currently present in the market. In direct sunlight, the solar charger is able to charge three batteries simultaneously, in only two to three hours. The batteries last a week, have a lifespan between two to three years, and are versatile, as they can also be charged via a household light or a cell phone charger. This presents significant value for Deaftronics' customers, as they are able to save money that would otherwise have been spent on replacing batteries on a weekly basis.Deaftronics aims to empower the hearing impaired by creating employment opportunities and helping them better integrate into the deaf community. The company achieves this objective by providing training to and employing young, hearing impaired individuals to design its products. As a result, a sense of loyalty and pride is established amongst the deaf community, as the company contributes towards social upliftment of the hearing impaired. Deaftronics has also partnered with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and government bodies so that it is able to supply hearing aids to a segment of the population that cannot afford to pay the $100 reduced fee. The uniqueness of Deaftronics' hearing aid unit and its cost effectiveness sit well with customers, which has led to the successful global commercial adoption of the product. The company has sold over 50,000 units in over 40 countries across Africa, Brazil, China, India and Singapore.