Water Angel CEO Hennie Stander doesn't expect any problems with demand for his product once it is launched in October. He already has the enthusiastic support of the major banks and insurance companies for the revolutionary device, which detects a leaking geyser and switches off the water supply, thus preventing thousands of rands' damage, and the attendant headaches.
"When we made our presentation to the Da Vinci Institute - which promotes learning and innovation - they were very interested because they had had a burst geyser the week before," says Stander.
"A geyser is a ticking time bomb in your home," he says. "Insurance agencies are overwhelmed by claims. Standard Bank estimates that 300-400 geysers are replaced per month, running into millions of rand each year."
Water Angel came about when Stander, together with a number of electrical design engineers, put their heads together to come up with a solution to the burst geyser problem. The design of the product, which operates with a moisture sensor mat and alarm system, took four years to complete.
Today Water Angel is a patented brand. The company is made up of three units and has 14 shareholders.
Training forms a large part of the operation and the company's training institute has 5 000 plumbers and electricians enrolled. All qualified tradesmen, they are training to become accredited Water Angel installers.
"We are planning to create 5 000 new jobs over the next two years," says Stander. "We are working with the labour department and the department of trade & industry on that project."
Water Angel is a black economic empowerment-structured company, with Herbert Nkozi, a former director of the national schools inspectorate as executive director; Duzi Ifezulike as vice-chairman; Graeme Shippers as marketing director; and Henry MacKenzie as electrical design engineer. The company is entirely self-funded and, after its launch, will be debt-free, says Stander.
When it came to naming the company and designing a logo and advertising campaign, it was a family affair. Stander's son, also Hennie, is a copywriter.
