Mpumelelo Mahlangu, an orphan that was raised by his grandparents, is on the path to develop the first-ever entry-level laptop in South Africa. The young entrepreneur from Soshanguve spent three years researching how this could be done, managed to find a backer and mentor, and is planning to launch the DTC400 – which will be priced at R4,999. Mahlangu not only wants to disrupt the laptop market in South Africa, but to build an electronics company that will be competitive against foreign-owned brands. This is not the only passion and flair that Mahlangu has – growing up in the township, he was the go-to-guy when people discovered snakes in their houses. He told BizNews what prompted this leap into technology. – Linda van Tilburg
[LISTEN] South Africa has its First Laptop Brand, DTC-400 Made in Soshanguve
May 19, 2021
A 27-year-old man from Soshanguve north of Pretoria has created his own affordable entry-level laptop and a company, Dot Connect Electronics.
Mpumelelo Mahlangu was speaking to Radio Islam on Wednesday about his laptop and that dreams do come true, if you put enough time and hard work into your ideas.
Mahlangu says he allowed his creative juices to flow and created the laptop during lockdown.
“When I was still in school, for me to get a laptop, it was a luxury. So, I was at that point where I saw that because of this pandemic, a lot of people will be doing things online and it’s time for me to create something which is going to be affordable for them to buy. I know a lot of people, it’s going to be hard for them to buy these expensive laptops.”
SA has its first laptop brand, made in kasi 17 May 2021
With the lockdown enforced on the country and most of the world due to the outbreak of Covid-19, so many creative ideas were conceived in all sectors of the economy. Included in this process is Mpumelelo Mahlangu, who thought of finding a solution for a growing need for laptops as more and more people started working from home, while students had to continue with their studies from home as well.
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