Lumkani fire detectors are simply unbeatable!

19 Dec 2014
19 Dec 2014

It has been a very successful year in creating brand awareness for Lumkani (“be alert”) – the low-cost fire detector that has been designed to provide early warning of fires in informal settlements – hopefully avoiding the significant loss of life and property that occurs with staggering frequency.  Starting off as the South African SeedStars World Finalist after competing in Switzerland in February and having received the People’s Choice Award at the Global Social Venture Competition in Berkley California during April, Lumkanis wheel of success has continued to turn.

 

The list of Lumkanis achievements this year include:

  • The Launch Lab prize sponsored by Deloitte and Alchemy;
  • The best start-up in the GIST Competition in Morocco sponsored by the US Department of State and organised this year by the American Association for the Advancement of Science;
  • The best student entrepreneur - Western Cape Premier's Entrepreneurship awards;
  • The Comfortable Home category in the Better Living Challenge, organised by WC Provincial Government and the Cape Craft and Design Institute (CCDI);
  • Nomination for a Shuttleworth Foundation "Flash Grant" which Lumkani received in November.

Lumkani aims to make a measurable social impact by mitigating the loss of life and property caused by shack fires with an integrated, low cost, early warning fire detection device and system. The device was designed for township environments in South Africa and across the globe.