Africa Looks Forward

Lumkani: The little blue box that can save lives in slums

By Sophie Eastaugh, for CNN
4 minute read
Updated 12:36 PM EDT, Fri April 28, 2017
Lumkani is a fire alarm designed especially for informal settlements.
Lumkani is a fire alarm designed especially for informal settlements.
Courtesy Lumkani
The alarm is networked using radio frequency, so when a fire is detected nearby, it will sound to warn neighbors to help.
The alarm is networked using radio frequency, so when a fire is detected nearby, it will sound to warn neighbors to help.
Courtesy Lumkani
Fire spreads quickly in townships like Khayelitsha because the densely-packed houses are often made of cardboard, wood, and corrugated tin. Narrow alleyways also mean homes are difficult for fire services to access.
Fire spreads quickly in townships like Khayelitsha because the densely-packed houses are often made of cardboard, wood, and corrugated tin. Narrow alleyways also mean homes are difficult for fire services to access.
Juozas Cernius/American Red Cross
The Red Cross has worked with Lumkani in Khayelitsha to distribute hundreds of the devices.
The Red Cross has worked with Lumkani in Khayelitsha to distribute hundreds of the devices.
Juozas Cernius/American Red Cross
The system was engineered by a Cape Town university student, who teamed up with five co-founders to form the start up.
The system was engineered by a Cape Town university student, who teamed up with five co-founders to form the start up.
Courtesy Lumkani
The network of alarms is governed by a "mother" device connected to the internet. "The moment the network is triggered the mother device communicates via SIM card technology to take the GPS coordinates of where the fire took place," said Lumkani co-founder and managing director David Gluckman. Pictured, the township of Khayelitsha.
The network of alarms is governed by a "mother" device connected to the internet. "The moment the network is triggered the mother device communicates via SIM card technology to take the GPS coordinates of where the fire took place," said Lumkani co-founder and managing director David Gluckman. Pictured, the township of Khayelitsha.
Courtesy Lumkani
"Since we launched the technology a year and a half ago we've had more than ten fires that would have been significant incidents, where we've radically mitigated the loss of property," Gluckman continued.
"Since we launched the technology a year and a half ago we've had more than ten fires that would have been significant incidents, where we've radically mitigated the loss of property," Gluckman continued.
Courtesy Lumkani
With an estimated 1 billion people living in slums around the world, Lumkani hopes its devices will have an impact far beyond South Africa. Pictured, a child in a shanty house in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
With an estimated 1 billion people living in slums around the world, Lumkani hopes its devices will have an impact far beyond South Africa. Pictured, a child in a shanty house in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images
"We had to do an enormous amount of on the ground research to ensure that our features are aligned with the human experience of living in informal settlements," said Gluckman. Pictured, a mother and child in Wadala settlement, Mumbai.
"We had to do an enormous amount of on the ground research to ensure that our features are aligned with the human experience of living in informal settlements," said Gluckman. Pictured, a mother and child in Wadala settlement, Mumbai.
Courtesy Alexandra Birladianu
"Our goal is to have many million devices out there across the world, protecting our clients and what matters most," said Gluckman. Pictured, Alexandra township, South Africa.
"Our goal is to have many million devices out there across the world, protecting our clients and what matters most," said Gluckman. Pictured, Alexandra township, South Africa.
Johnny Miller
Lumkani: The little blue box that can save lives

Story highlights

Lumkani is networked heat detector designed to increase fire safety

Project aims to reduce fire deaths and damage in slums

Lumkani creators hope technology can be used worldwide

CNN  — 

On the first day of January 2013, as people around the world celebrated the New Year, a huge fire tore through one of South Africa’s largest slums.

Sparked by a cooking flame, the blaze in Khayelitsha burned down 800 shacks, leaving at least 4,000 people homeless. Local media reported that up to five people lost their lives.

The incident is not unique – 717 fires were recorded in Cape Town’s informal settlements between November 2015 and April 2016, according to local government figures, killing 32 people and damaging nearly 4,000 homes.

Lumkani co-founders Samuel Ginsberg, Francois Petousis, Paul Mesarcik, Emily Vining, Max Basler and David Gluckman.
Lumkani co-founders Samuel Ginsberg, Francois Petousis, Paul Mesarcik, Emily Vining, Max Basler and David Gluckman.
Courtesy Lumkani

With the the UN estimating that roughly 1 billion people live in slums or sub-standard housing globally, the issue extends far beyond the eastern Cape.

‘Be careful’

Responding to a brief from his professor, Cape Town University electrical engineering student Francois Petousis was determined to tackle this problem.

READ: The app that can call you an ambulance

Together with five co-founders, his solution was Lumkani –“the world’s first networked heat-detector designed specifically for a slum environment.” The word means “be careful” in Xhosa, the language of South Africa’s second largest ethnic group.

Swaziland's small size and a widespread perception that it is a difficult place to operate make it a surprising inclusion in Africa's top-10 for doing business. However, the country's close economic integration with its neighbors means that it scores disproportionately highly on the World Bank's 'Trading Across Borders' metric -- at 30th in the world. For start-ups, the cost of registering a business and in particularly getting connected to the electricity grid could be prohibitively high.<br /><br /><strong>Doing Business World Rank: 105</strong><br /><strong>Days to start a business: 30</strong><br /><strong>Days to get electricity: 137</strong><br /><strong>Days to register property: 21</strong>
10. Swaziland —
Swaziland's small size and a widespread perception that it is a difficult place to operate make it a surprising inclusion in Africa's top-10 for doing business. However, the country's close economic integration with its neighbors means that it scores disproportionately highly on the World Bank's 'Trading Across Borders' metric -- at 30th in the world. For start-ups, the cost of registering a business and in particularly getting connected to the electricity grid could be prohibitively high.

Doing Business World Rank: 105
Days to start a business: 30
Days to get electricity: 137
Days to register property: 21
AFP/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Namibia rarely features on investors' radars due to its comparatively small economy and close integration with South Africa, its much-larger neighbor. However, the country still offers opportunities for entrepreneurs due to the relative ease with which start-ups can access credit and power. However, some of the bureaucratic barriers -- such as the time-consuming process to register a business or property -- remain high.<br /><br /><strong>Doing Business World Rank: 101</strong><br /><strong>Days to start a business: 66</strong><br /><strong>Days to get electricity: 37</strong><br /><strong>Days to register property: 52</strong>
9. Namibia —
Namibia rarely features on investors' radars due to its comparatively small economy and close integration with South Africa, its much-larger neighbor. However, the country still offers opportunities for entrepreneurs due to the relative ease with which start-ups can access credit and power. However, some of the bureaucratic barriers -- such as the time-consuming process to register a business or property -- remain high.

Doing Business World Rank: 101
Days to start a business: 66
Days to get electricity: 37
Days to register property: 52
MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
With an ongoing economic crisis and a slumping currency, Zambians were urged to look to the heavens for respite in October, after the president called for a day of prayer and reflection to halt the slide. The country faces many challenges -- particularly a lack of power that has caused blackouts in the capital, Lusaka, for the first time in years. However, there are still some positives for Zambian entrepreneurs. The country is still a competitive environment for start-ups -- scoring higher on the 'Starting a Business' section of the World Bank's Doing Business ranking than South Africa, and in the global top-20 for getting credit.<br /><br /><strong>Doing Business World Rank: 97</strong><br /><strong>Days to start a business: 7.5</strong><br /><strong>Days to get electricity: 117</strong><br /><strong>Days to register property: 45</strong>
8. Zambia —
With an ongoing economic crisis and a slumping currency, Zambians were urged to look to the heavens for respite in October, after the president called for a day of prayer and reflection to halt the slide. The country faces many challenges -- particularly a lack of power that has caused blackouts in the capital, Lusaka, for the first time in years. However, there are still some positives for Zambian entrepreneurs. The country is still a competitive environment for start-ups -- scoring higher on the 'Starting a Business' section of the World Bank's Doing Business ranking than South Africa, and in the global top-20 for getting credit.

Doing Business World Rank: 97
Days to start a business: 7.5
Days to get electricity: 117
Days to register property: 45
GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Another small Indian Ocean island nation, the Seychelles has taken a similar approach to Mauritius and attempted to set itself up as a hub for investment and administration to complement its tourism business. The country has attracted an unfortunate reputation as a tax haven, and has prioritised the need to trade across borders and resolve disputes.<br /><br /><strong>Doing Business World Rank: 95</strong><br /><strong>Days to start a business: 32</strong><br /><strong>Days to get electricity: 137</strong><br /><strong>Days to register property: 33</strong>
7. Seychelles —
Another small Indian Ocean island nation, the Seychelles has taken a similar approach to Mauritius and attempted to set itself up as a hub for investment and administration to complement its tourism business. The country has attracted an unfortunate reputation as a tax haven, and has prioritised the need to trade across borders and resolve disputes.

Doing Business World Rank: 95
Days to start a business: 32
Days to get electricity: 137
Days to register property: 33
ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Although Morocco did not experience the same political upheaval as other North African economies during the 'Arab Spring' revolutions in 2010-12, the country felt many of the same social pressures of unemployment and economic inequality. The government has responded with reforms to the business environment, aimed at making it easier to start and grow enterprises. <br /><br /><strong>Doing Business World Rank: 75</strong><br /><strong>Days to start a business: 10</strong><br /><strong>Days to get electricity: 57</strong><br /><strong>Days to register property: 30</strong>
6. Morocco —
Although Morocco did not experience the same political upheaval as other North African economies during the 'Arab Spring' revolutions in 2010-12, the country felt many of the same social pressures of unemployment and economic inequality. The government has responded with reforms to the business environment, aimed at making it easier to start and grow enterprises.

Doing Business World Rank: 75
Days to start a business: 10
Days to get electricity: 57
Days to register property: 30
FADEL SENNA/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Before the turmoil of the 'Arab Spring', Tunisia had been building a modern economy, working to attract high technology manufacturing and outsourcing from Europe. The country's revolution, which unseated the autocratic regime of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011, led to a brief upheaval in the economy. Now the dust has settled, the young, highly-educated population that took to the streets to demand change is once again the country's greatest economic resource.<br /><br /><strong>Doing Business World Rank: 74</strong><br /><strong>Days to start a business: 11</strong><br /><strong>Days to get electricity: 65</strong><br /><strong>Days to register property: 39</strong>
5. Tunisia —
Before the turmoil of the 'Arab Spring', Tunisia had been building a modern economy, working to attract high technology manufacturing and outsourcing from Europe. The country's revolution, which unseated the autocratic regime of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011, led to a brief upheaval in the economy. Now the dust has settled, the young, highly-educated population that took to the streets to demand change is once again the country's greatest economic resource.

Doing Business World Rank: 74
Days to start a business: 11
Days to get electricity: 65
Days to register property: 39
FETHI BELAID/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Now eclipsed by Nigeria as the largest economy on the continent, South Africa is still home to the most sophisticated financial sector, which in turn feeds into a dynamic start-up scene -- alongside the big banks and the mining companies -- which still dominate the corporate world. However, despite its overall sophistication, start-ups face a number of challenges -- not least the well-publicised issues with power. <br /><br /><strong>Doing Business World Rank: 73</strong><br /><strong>Days to start a business: 46</strong><br /><strong>Days to get electricity: 226</strong><br /><strong>Days to register property: 23</strong>
4. South Africa —
Now eclipsed by Nigeria as the largest economy on the continent, South Africa is still home to the most sophisticated financial sector, which in turn feeds into a dynamic start-up scene -- alongside the big banks and the mining companies -- which still dominate the corporate world. However, despite its overall sophistication, start-ups face a number of challenges -- not least the well-publicised issues with power.

Doing Business World Rank: 73
Days to start a business: 46
Days to get electricity: 226
Days to register property: 23
GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
According to the global anti-graft watchdog Transparency International, Botswana is the least corrupt country in Africa -- an important factor for entrepreneurs and their investors, who need to be able to rely on their national institutions. The country, which has relied heavily on revenues from the diamond trade to fuel its growth over the last half-century, has also tried to make sure that the legacy of its mining industry will be a more competitive business environment.<br /><br /><strong>Doing Business World Rank: 72</strong><br /><strong>Days to start a business: 48</strong><br /><strong>Days to get electricity: 77</strong><br /><strong>Days to register property: 12</strong>
3. Botswana —
According to the global anti-graft watchdog Transparency International, Botswana is the least corrupt country in Africa -- an important factor for entrepreneurs and their investors, who need to be able to rely on their national institutions. The country, which has relied heavily on revenues from the diamond trade to fuel its growth over the last half-century, has also tried to make sure that the legacy of its mining industry will be a more competitive business environment.

Doing Business World Rank: 72
Days to start a business: 48
Days to get electricity: 77
Days to register property: 12
MONIRUL BHUIYAN/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Small and landlocked Rwanda has become an unlikely -- but compelling -- economic success story due to its relentless drive to break down the barriers for entrepreneurs. Over years of reform, the country has dramatically lowered the number of steps it takes to open a business and made it far easier to get credit.<br /><br /><strong>Doing Business World Rank: 62</strong><br /><strong>Days to start a business: 5.5</strong><br /><strong>Days to get electricity: 34</strong><br /><strong>Days to register property: 32</strong>
2. Rwanda —
Small and landlocked Rwanda has become an unlikely -- but compelling -- economic success story due to its relentless drive to break down the barriers for entrepreneurs. Over years of reform, the country has dramatically lowered the number of steps it takes to open a business and made it far easier to get credit.

Doing Business World Rank: 62
Days to start a business: 5.5
Days to get electricity: 34
Days to register property: 32
TONY KARUMBA/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Positioned in the Indian Ocean with strong cultural and commercial links to India, China and the east coast of Africa, Mauritius has used its geographical location and legacy as a trading waystation to become an investment hub. The country routinely tops African rankings for competitiveness and ease of doing business due to its liberal approach to regulation and taxation.<br /><br /><strong>Doing Business World Rank: 32</strong><br /><strong>Days to start a business: 6</strong><br /><strong>Days to get electricity: 81</strong><br /><strong>Days to register property: 14</strong>
1. Mauritius —
Positioned in the Indian Ocean with strong cultural and commercial links to India, China and the east coast of Africa, Mauritius has used its geographical location and legacy as a trading waystation to become an investment hub. The country routinely tops African rankings for competitiveness and ease of doing business due to its liberal approach to regulation and taxation.

Doing Business World Rank: 32
Days to start a business: 6
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