Bridging Potential With Opportunity
An educated and highly skilled South Africa and Africa, now!
We supply science mini labs, specifically designed for under-resourced and rural schools, at a fraction of the cost. It currently cost in excess of R1 million rand to equip one school with a science laboratory, through this product, it is possible to equip thirty schools for the same rand value. This lab was independently piloted by the Western Cape Education Department, where it proved to increase learner results in Grades eight and nine up to 34% over only two months. The MEC for Education in the Western expressly endorsed this product, along with the National Deputy Minister for Education, who offered to evaluate this product in its entirety over a full school year.
We are targeting 30% of the SA market equivalent to eight thousand schools, and 2.5% of the 600 000 thousand schools in Africa. Over five years, it is possible to reach a minimum of fifty thousand teachers and four million learners. This is conservative. Not only the supply of equipment to promote hands on learning, but also the provision of teacher mentorship to bring about permanent improvements and achieve an adequately trained teaching workforce.
Through injection molding it is possible to reduce the cost of the science mini lab up to 15%, and keep it consistent over the entire five years. Currently, the value for money is commended. All cost saving benefits are transfered to the end user. Over this period, R550 million will flow through the global economy, R30 million net profit donated to General Education and Training, Further Education and Training, and Higher Education. This is in the form of units, donations, and bursaries. Over and above this, a minimum number of sixty employment opportunities are created. The main benefit derived from this is the social and economic upliftment through education in our under-resourced and rural communities.
The Business
South Africa has a wealth of potential scientists; majorities of them are untapped due to the natural limits imposed upon rural areas and other limitations imposed upon under-resourced schools. Teachers, trainers, educators, and facilitators are burning with the desire to grow and develop and, frustrated by bleak provision of adequate training and resources. The reality for SA Education is unlimited needs and limited resources. Teacher training, provision of textbooks, stationery and many other factors, feature in it’s’ priority listing. Schools follow priority guidelines from departments and, equipment, although essential, does not always make this list. This is contrary to the existing needs of the National Department that formulated a strategy to overcome the limitations and promote the study of Mathematics, Science, and Technology, important to socioeconomic improvement and success of this country and its’ people.
Teachers not adequately trained to teach results in learners being unable to grasp scientific concepts that result in low pass through rates, and demotivation for both the teacher and learner. Science then becomes inaccessible and fewer learners are able to continue in this field of study through to grade ten and on to tertiary levels. To accelerate the achievements of its objectives, the DOE implemented the Dinaledi Schools focusing specifically on the promotion and pursuit of mathematics and science. The impact is however limited to four hundred schools only. Our 2005 matriculation results indicate that it is indeed crucial for learners to receive adequate teaching from as early as possible to ensure success in grades ten to twelve.
Our product sets economic progress in motion at an accelerated pace by stimulating and supporting mathematical, scientific, technological and robotic potential. By transforming teachers and learners, great leaps in ensuring renewal of our human scientific capital development are attainable. Providing an affordable comprehensive scientific concept, at the right stage in learner development, through the practical demonstration of complex scientific concepts, will ensure successful bridging from GET to FET to HE phase.
The SML, designed for grades 8 and 9, yet effectively used in Grades 4-7 as well, is one of the solutions accepted by department of education that meets the dire need of providing rural and under-resourced schools with scientific learner support material. It is independent of electricity, is comprehensive, compact, light, durable, user friendly and supported with printed and electronic manuals. Equipped with the six kits spanning Electricity; Chemical; Light; Force and Pressure; Biology; and Accessory.
This product is effective. It reduces the need for the science teacher to draw the apparatus on the black board, and provides an opportunity for both the teacher and the learner to experience science, as they should, through the senses of sight, sound, touch, smell, and thought. The high quality components thoroughly checked for performance and durability comes out tops in the opinion of ministers, teachers, and other role-players, who inspected it as they immediately gauge its capability.
In South Africa, nine provinces have more than twenty four thousand schools, three hundred thousand teachers, and ten million learners in the GET public ordinary schools (POS) band. These are primary, secondary, and combined school. The total market comprises 70% rural, under-resourced, and under-developed schools.
The need for this concept extends beyond the SA borders into the rest of the African Continent. Over the next five years, it is possible to reach fifteen thousand public ordinary schools, more than fifty thousand teachers and, four million learners in eight countries, through the supply of one hundred thousand units.
Our customers range from corporates, parastatals, non-profit, schools, and education departments and colleges. Corporates, parastatals and non-profit organizations purchase SML for sponsorship and competition. They are able to equip one school with adequate and sufficient scientific equipment at a fraction of the cost of erecting and equipping a laboratory at one school. In so doing, they fulfill their social corporate responsibility to invest in education, specifically promoting mathematics and science, to ensure an adequate replenishment of human resources in SA. Parastatals motivated by the same need are active in the promotion of mathematics and science.
The SML is mobile, compact, durable, light, independent of electricity, comprehensive, spans six kits, user-friendly, SABS approved and supported with manuals. It places science in the hands of the learners. With a teacher learner ratio of 1:36, six labs are adequate to service one school. It cost 143 000 euro and more erect and equip one school with laboratory facilities, yet for the same rand value it is possible to equip thirty schools.
Break-even is attainable in the first quarter of year three, at thirty two thousand units.The sale of 100 000 science mini lab to under-resourced and rural schools, over a period of five years, in SA and Africa.
The market-penetration pricing strategy opened up the market. Initially the unit-selling price was 571 euro and increased to 900 euro. All who inspect and/or purchase are highly satisfied with the value for money and affordability. Through injection molding, it is possible to reduce this selling price by 15% per unit later this year and after five years, have a selling price of 765 euro per unit. This results in a cost increase of 10% and selling price increase of 5%.
There is no competition for this product. The impact we have on companies providing schools with scientific equipment is minimal. This is product marketing. Through the submission of proposals, endorsements and presentations to the various customers, we are able to tap into the market effortlessly.
This is a patented product and currently no competition exists for this product. We have budget to secure international patency rights, and are exploring cost saving benefits to keep the selling price at a minimum, through molding and imports. All other suppliers in SA provide components and not wholistic concepts that are piloted and proven. This is the only product endorsed by the SA Education Department.
Isaac Johnson, the sole owner of BIP523 has entrepreneurial flair, exceptional marketing skills and is a great humanitarian. He dedicated the past four and a half years to bringing this product to the children. After a year and a half of negotiations with Western Cape Education Department, he succeeded in piloting this product. The results were phenomenal. He then approached corporates for sponsorships, and concluded his first contract with Shell SA in June 2004. He set up the finance, suppliers, production, assembly, distribution and, delivered the first order of eight SML in August 2004. In October 2004, he obtained a written endorsement from MEC Cameron Dugmore, Western Cape Education Department. In April 2005, an opportunity to have the SML evaluated over a full school year by National Deputy Minister of Education, Enver Surety. Single-handedly he gave substance to a product dormant since its patent registration in 1997 and, concluded contracts with Eskom Foundation, Zennex Foundation, and Telkom Foundation. Over and above all of this, he too took personal care of the patent holder for two years. This man, a teacher from the Eastern Cape, got no support for his product, hence, earned no income. Isaac housed, fed, clothed, and nursed him to recovery for more than three years. Together all of the above earned him the sole mandate to market, sell, manufacture and distribute this product and, ensure that learners in this country get the opportunity to explore their creative and innovative faculties, with ease.
Other funders who share our values of building people and communities have been approached to support this initiative through the provision of finance. Hence the Business Partners participation at this stage. Positive responses are being awaited from other potential funders as well.
Development
Over the next five years, we will provide fifteen thousand public ordinary schools, more than fifty thousand teachers and, four million learners in eight African countries with one hundred thousand science mini labs. Create employment for a minimum of sixty persons to the value of R85, million. Utilise R9 million towards the acquisition of assets. Circulate R320, million in direct costs through the local and international economies, and R80, million in overheads. Generate R500, million turn over and 20% net profit equivalent to R100, million. Thirty percent of the net profits reinvested at the GET level through units, at the FET level through donations to Academies for Mathematics, Science, and Technology throughout SA, and for bursaries for these learners at a HE level. Performance will determine next five-year continuity. Cost of Sales and overheads are 70% of turnover.
Up to ten years:
From year six, conversion to a non profit organisation is intended. By this year it is projected that unit sales of 100 000 will be achieved, and the conversion effected. All profits generated from this point onward will be ploughed back proportionally into the participating African countries.
Up to 70% of the twenty five thousand schools in SA are rural and under-resourced. A great need exist for the provision of scientific, technology and robotics, learner support material at a GET level, to ensure a greater output of matriculants with Mathematics and Science on higher grade. An accelerated contribution to a highly skilled workforce is critical to economic sustainability and growth, yet our output of scientific graduates is slow in materializing.
The science mini lab is able to reach a minimum of 20% of these rural and under-resourced schools over the next five years. It is the most comprehensive science mini lab ever presented to education, spanning the four natural science spheres. Learner grades improve at GET level up to 34%. Teacher knowledge, skills and experience is enhanced and expanded. These are the results of the independent pilot conducted by the Western Cape Education Department. Test results are available on www.wced.wcape.gov.za.
