To make integrating digital technology into daily life even simpler, new technologies are being developed on a near-daily basis. The Amazon Alexa smart speaker is one such innovation. The PEBL computer, invented by Namibian Vincent van Wyk, is one of these promising technologies.
Check out this interview with Vincent Van Wyk to learn more about how he came up with PEBL and how he plans to use it to change Namibia's digital landscape.
"A high-tech central processing unit" is how Van Wyk describes PEBL. PEBL, according to him, is not only compact but also fashionable and featherweight. It was in Africa that the first pan-African computer brand was created and produced.
As stated by Van Wyk, PEBL aims to become a household name synonymous with African culture by manufacturing creative PEBL products that appeal to the unique demands of Africa's young people.
In August 2016, Paratus Telecom, the company's most important partner, introduced PEBL to the public at the mybroadband.co.za conference in South Africa and the Namibian ICT Summit in Windhoek. October of the prior year, PEBL made its Namibian debut.
As part of our pilot, we sold 120 units in Windhoek, Namibia, at a rate of one every two days.
With a zero percent product return rate and a recent income of one million Namibian dollars, we have achieved considerable progress. PEBL has also been supplied in Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa, according to him. It was when Van Wyk's mother purchased him an old personal computer as a child that his life took an unexpected turn. "It opened my eyes to a universe I had never seen before."
As a result, he asserted, this was the deciding factor in his subsequent academic and career success. Because of the skills he obtained, this made him more productive and competitive, according to him.
PEBL's goal is to help the many Africans who have become increasingly dependent on technology, as well as global markets that see technological innovation primarily in terms of what it can do for a company's customers. For each one of their clients and organizations, Van Wyk and his team devise custom plans. In addition to providing businesses with bulk amounts based on pre-defined criteria, we provide individual customers a chance to customize their purchases.
An important part of PEBL's strategy is to establish a new hardware firm in Namibia that would serve the continent's growing need for information technology. Although Africa has a thriving software industry, most African enterprises lack access to hardware, according to him.
"We feel that our activity gives rise to a potential to develop a successful business case study that can be used as a reference activity to bring additional hardware experience and expertise to Namibia," says Van Wyk. It is our belief that a successful business case study may be developed via our work.
As far as Van Wyk is concerned, this was the most challenging assignment he's ever worked on. On the other hand, the project's main goal is to create an African international brand and product, which has been the most thrilling for him.
Although there has been an increase in the number of people beginning their own enterprises in Namibia and Africa as a whole, "being a start-up" has its own set of hurdles and barriers. Until recently, Namibia didn't have a strong culture of invention within its borders.
EcoRobotics is super excited to be partnering with PEBL as a proud Namibian firm, and according to Teaan van Staden: "We are enthusiastic about entrepreneurship and innovation is at the heart of what we do but above all EcoRobotics believe in making distinctly Namibian brands available to everyone."
Click here to check out PEBL computers and accessories!