WATCH: Hearing aid firm faces big hurdle of load shedding
Power cuts and generator costs will impact on the company's commitment to keeping prices affordable, says CEO.
Dr Dirk Koekemoer created eMoyo and the KUDUwave boothless audiometer that was used to do the first transatlantic hearing test. Picture: Tracy Lee Stark
While a South African company attempts to break barriers by inventing the world’s first hearing testing machinery, feeding the demand for their product around the world has become a hassle as they currently face their biggest hurdle: load shedding.
With the use of a highly technical staff including engineers, designers and clinicians, the company eMoyo which was founded in 2008 with a primary focus on automated primary healthcare introduced the KUDUwave, a high frequency audiometer featuring booth-free operation and high frequency hearing testing.
Chief executive officer Dr Dirk Koekemoer said with the world’s growing population expected to be as high as 8.5 billion by 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion (according to a new UN DESA report), the company’s purpose was to “create a future where medical technology and the care it provides to humanity are merged into a ubiquitous system”.
While it continues to hold its company up to that standard, the company is not spared from the economic and social implications of load shedding.
In fact, while producing its products in its headquarters in Northcliff, Johannesburg, Koekemoer said electricity supply played a huge role in the manufacturing of their products.
“International markets don’t fully understand load shedding being the reason for delayed delivery. It results in losing confidence in our company to deliver on promised delivery dates. This is particularly true for the UK and the USA markets,” he said.
“Ours is the only device, worldwide that has the ability to test hearing of people to a diagnostic level outside a sound booth.”
Koekemoer said the only real solution he faced was having to buy a generator at massive cost which would meet his manufacturing needs.
“But unfortunately it will impact on our commitment to keeping the prices affordable to our customers in South Africa and around the world,” said Koekemoer.
– jenniffero@citizen.co.za
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