Anti-theft device to help car owners

By Matšeliso Phulane

Limpho Masiu is an inventor who has stood out from the crowd by creating a prototype of car anti-theft system.

Car anti-theft is a system that provides car owners added security and convenience; it gives them full control of their vehicles.

Masiu told theReporter in an interview this week that the system is installed on a vehicle to perform functions such as calling it to turn it on, and vice versa if you want to turn it off.

However, when turning it off it means that even if the car was accelerating at high speed, once the call is through to turn it off, it will gradually decelerate to a gentle stop.

It then proceeds to give the owner the location of where the car is.

“For instance, in a case where a person is hijacked, the victim can give the key to the hijackers with no hesitation and when the owner is in a safe place, they can make that call to the car, which will activate his/her commands,” he noted.

Masiu said he has not yet registered his invention and it is not yet operational, but he is in the process of registering a company soon.

“It has always been one of my desires to be part of problem solvers. The increasing numbers of car hijackings remains a major problem and I tried to mitigate it by developing this car anti-theft system.

“Our technicians install the system and what is required is the client’s car for installation,” he indicated.

Masiu related that his enthusiasm started way back in primary school, as he used to disassemble things out of curiosity to understand how they worked.

He would then reassemble them in his own my way. In high school he started fixing simple electrical appliances as well doing small science projects.

Later in tertiary, Masiu would fix laptops and phones and worked on how to manipulate technology within such devices, so it was now easy to think of an idea and execute it because of that.

“The product is gaining very great attraction. I receive endless calls from people who want to get the product, so this says once it gets in the market it will definitely do great.

“I was solo at first, but thanks to National University of Lesotho (NUL) Research and Innovations, now I have investors who are willing to enter into a partnership with me.

“I have two projects that are bigger than this one and soon they will also be published and be on the market,” he assured.

Twenty-five-year-old Masiu is currently a fourth year student studying Practical Philosophy and Applied Ethics at the NUL. He originates from Mantšonyane in Thaba-Tseka district.

All he wishes is to see this business penetrating the global market in the next few years.

“So, from an innovator’s perspective, first remember that failure is often part of success and many of the most successful entrepreneurs have experienced failure at some point, but they did not let it stop them from pursuing their dreams.

“Again, surround yourself with people who are optimistic, people who believe in you and your vision. It can be hard to take risks and show your creativity when you are feeling alone, but having a supportive network can make all the difference.

“I am very blessed and fortunate to have parents and friends who are very supportive. Remember, consistency and perseverance are key. Take full advantage of this era we’re living in where one can learn any skill from YouTube, and make mistakes when you are still young,” he urged.

Finally, innovation should be enjoyable, Masiu added.

People can contact him on +266 57221043 for both calls and WhatsApp, or they can visit him on Facebook as Dimpho Masiu.