The Proteas, South Africa’s men’s national cricket team, may wear homegrown Khoi Tech smart watches when they compete at the ICC One Day International World Cup.
“We are close to finalising a deal to provide Cricket South Africa with our innovative Afriwatch1,” says Seati Moloi, CEO and Founder of Khoi Tech. “What impressed the Proteas’ Technical team is not only the ability to collect and report on group training data, but also sleeping data. This kind of information is critical for players’ recovery during tournaments.”
Having only launched in October last year, a vote of confidence like this from the Protea’s is a major step forward for Khoi Tech – a company that differentiates itself from competing multinational smart-watch brands by being innovative.
This approach is exemplified by the Soweto-based tech startup’s work to develop a software application that merges multiple devices in a single database – enabling the provision of programmes for sports team training, employee wellness, doctor to patient remote monitoring and more.
The unique and tailored offering for corporates has resulted in increased interest from various SA companies, government departments and sports teams.
The watch provides real-time information on vital health metrics, including heart rate, body temperature, blood oxygen saturation (spo2), stress levels and sleep patterns. This can result in the early detection and management of potential diseases like fevers, heart attacks, or strokes.
Another important feature is the smart watch’s ability to enable real-time alerts to the wearers’ family members and employers in the case of emergencies. This has the potential to save lives.
“With this data at your wrist, quick life-saving interventions become possible, revolutionising personal healthcare,” adds Moloi.
Khoi Afriwatch1 has remarkable battery life, lasting up to four days on a single charge while continuously monitoring vital health data. It supports 12 sports modes, music control, alarm clock, call rejection, message alerts, and even remote phone-camera access.
Khoi Afriwatch smart-watches use open-source apps for individual usage which are compatible to Android, IOS and Huawei operating systems. The open-source apps also easily integrate with other sports and heath applications including Strava, Apple health, Samsung Fit etc.
Supporting local innovation
Khoi Tech created the Afriwatch1 smart-watch in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company then approached Telkom with the concept. After a thorough evaluation, R500 000 was granted through the Telkom FutureMakers Programme for further research and development. With the financial and resources support provided by Telkom, Khoi Tech has been able to complete its research and development as well as refine the technology.
Khoi Tech conducted clinical trials with a leading Soweto private clinic, Vilakazi Health Care. The trials were to validate Khoi smart watches’ health data against their clinical machines’ data. The data that was tested and validated includes heart rate, body temperature, spo2 and blood pressure with the results of 94% accuracy rate on average.
Khoi Tech is a member of Proudly South Africa and Khoi Afriwatch1 is tested and approved by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA). Khoi Afriwatch2, which also includes a blood pressure monitoring feature, will be launched by the end of 2023, as well as other consumer tech products including smart glasses and wireless earphones.
“What Khoi Tech has achieved is a testament to Africa’s potential to develop world-class tech solutions that cater to humanity’s needs not just locally, but globally as well,” says Telkom’s Group Executive for Innovation and Transformation, Dr Mmaki Jantjies. “We are proud to support and invest in local innovation.”