Visi – July 2019

NO

9

PORTRAIT

COR LANGENBERG

PHOTO

ELIZMA HAYMAN

WORDS

CELESTE JACOBS

FULL STEAM AHEAD

Ebert Otto’s copper-and-glass kettle was nominated for the Most Beautiful Object

in South Africa 2019 award by VISI editor-in-chief Sumien Brink.

Ebert Otto
is a man
of many
trades.
First, he put
his BCom
Entre pre­
neur ship degree to use by
starting a hazardous­waste­
management business,
then he obtained a diploma
in motor mechanics,
and then he became an
industrial engineer.
Late one night, while
juggling his business,
his fifth child on the
way and completing his
engineering degree, Ebert
needed coffee – but the
power was out. “While
waiting 12 minutes for the
kettle to boil on the gas hob

• an electric kettle takes 4 minutes –
  I decided to see if I could at least
  improve the boiling time.”
  Thanks to the support of Innovus,
  a company responsible for entre­
  preneurial support and innovation
  at Stellenbosch University, and the

Technology Innovation Agency, Ebert

spent the next four years working on

a proto type and success fully produced

his first copper­and­glass kettle.

“When you work so closely with

a piece, you need

to take a step

back to admire it

afresh in order to

truly appreciate

it,” he says. “I was

pleasantly surprised

when Sumien Brink

and Annemarie

Meintjes felt the

kettle was worthy of

the nomination.”

While the patent

is pending, Ebert is

working on refining the

manufacturing process.

Once this is in place,

the kettle will become

available commercially.

Where to get your

hands on one? “At the

moment, the best thing

would be to send me an

email so I can put you on the pre­

order list.”

And new inventions we can expect?

“I have a great idea for a smart dustbin

that supports household­waste sorting,

but I’m still looking for an investor...”

[email protected]

visi.co.za JUNE/JULY 2019

�ISI REASONS

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