South Africa’s Internet of Things (IoT) rollout is gathering steam, says LNX Solutions, a custom IT solutions firm that operates SA’s biggest Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN).

South Africa already leads the world in daily internet usage with We Are Social finding last year that local web users spend an average of 9.5 hours online every day.

While our world IoT ranking is currently low, South Africa is the fastest-growing IoT market in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, with adoption rapidly accelerating across key sectors, according to International Data Corp (IDC).

The country’s rollout of enabling technologies has been key to this uptake. While both 5G/6G and LoRaWAN power IoT, it is the latter that is very well-suited to the vastness of South Africa.

“IoT powered by LNX Solution’s LoRaWAN technology is helping to bridge the country’s urban / rural divide where towns and cities have advanced infrastructure, but rural connectivity lags,” says Matt Feinstein, LNX Solutions CEO.

IoT is where physical devices are embedded with sensors and use the internet to connect to other devices and networks. It is critical for boosting the efficiency of resource-constrained sectors like healthcare and agriculture in developing countries like South Africa.

Globally, LoRaWAN is the dominant, low-power standard for long-range, battery-operated, IoT applications.

Sweden, South Korea, and the United States are among the leaders in IoT devices per 100 inhabitants, despite South Africa having a relatively large population and the advantage of being amongst the first countries outside Europe to adopt digital mobile technology.

IoT is one of the most important trends in the digital transformation of business. Research in 2019 entitled “The Internet of Things and economic growth in a panel of countries” shows that a 10% increase in IoT connections per inhabitant translates to a 0.23% increase in TFP (Total Factor Productivity), a measure of efficiency.

“When it comes to SA climbing up the IoT rankings, there’s anecdotal evidence of talent returning to a country getting its house in order, while the strengthening rand should help deal with the high cost of imported devices. What remains is a need for our leaders to better evangelise and understand IoT rollout. When it comes to the latter, LoRaWAN and mobile technologies are together the best means to the IoT end,” explains Feinstein.

“In business and government, there’s much talk of AI, which is great, but little appreciation that it’s IoT-generated data (powered by LoRaWAN and cellular) analysed to acquire insights into developmental challenges,” he says.

Another plus is that only unique device identities – not SIM cards – are required to connect IoT devices to LoRaWAN infrastructure. LNX Solutions can also provide reliable and consistent coverage in SA’s topographically-challenging environments where GSM cellular technologies do not perform well.

“Let’s evangelise IoT and recognise that this growth-boosting technology is, in South Africa, well-suited to LoRaWAN networks,” concludes Feinstein.

LNX Solutions was founded in 2017 by two entrepreneurs who came together to address a client’s needs and ended up collaborating long-term to provide self-hosted infrastructure and solutions to resolve IT problems creatively and effectively.

More info: info@lnx-solutions.com and www.lnx-solutions.com