As South Africans celebrate Heritage Month, much of the focus turns to culture, food, and tradition. But the country also has a legacy of innovation that has left a mark on the world, from medical breakthroughs to everyday household tools. Here are five inventions that were proudly developed on South African soil.
One of the most recognisable is the Kreepy Krauly, the automatic pool cleaner that became a household name worldwide. It was designed in 1974 by Ferdinand Chauvier, a hydraulics engineer from Springs. Today, it remains one of South Africa’s most successful exports.
Another is Pratley Putty, a strong adhesive invented in the 1960s by George Montague Pratley. Its durability was so trusted that NASA used it on the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, making it the only South African product to travel to the moon.
Sports fans may be familiar with the speed gun, a device that measures how fast a ball is bowled, pitched, or served.
It was invented by Henri Johnson in 1992 for use in cricket, but quickly became a fixture in tennis, baseball, and other international sports.
Along South Africa’s coastlines, an invention born out of necessity became a global solution. Dolosse, the massive, interlocking concrete blocks, were designed in East London in the 1960s to protect harbour walls and breakwaters from strong waves. The design has since been adopted worldwide.
The most significant of all is the CAT scan, a medical imaging tool co-invented by South African physicist Allan Cormack. His pioneering work earned him a Nobel Prize in 1979, and CAT scans are now indispensable in modern hospitals across the globe.
These innovations highlight a different side of South Africa’s heritage, one of creativity, problem-solving, and global impact. As the country reflects on its history this month, it is also a reminder that ingenuity is part of the nation’s identity.