Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/952929
58 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I MARCH 2018 electronics engineering and manufacturing services, using local and global manufactur- ers. Many companies don't have the expertise or the resources in-house to do full electron- ics development, so that's where we come in. We look after the full development and supply chain so that clients can focus on their core business. Matties: And you're selling the tools as well? Naicker: Yes, so we have been a reseller for Altium in South Africa for many years. Altium is the most widely used PCB tool in South Africa. Since we have also used Altium Designer to design exception- ally complex designs, our understanding of the tool is of the highest level so that we can quickly assist our custom- ers with support. Matties: My understanding is that the Chinese bring a lot of investment and infrastructure into this region as well, such as highways. Is that the case? Naicker: Yes. Africa is rich in minerals, so copper is a big commodity along with other sought-after minerals. The Chinese investors have purchased entire mineral mines in parts of Africa, like Botswana. In exchange, they may build roads and put up some infrastructure. Matties: You've been doing design for many years. What sort of design changes have you seen over the years that surprised you? Naicker: EDA has been designing and manufac- turing multilayer PCBs of 12 layers and above for over 15 years now, so this is nothing new. I would say that the technology that intrigued me most recently was the need for embedded copper coin technology. Due to high power demands in electronic systems like RF designs, there's a big need for embedded copper in the PCB to handle the heat distribution and large currents. So, manufacturers mill out a piece of the PCB, insert precisely crafted copper in the cavity, plate over it, and the result is one of the best thermal conductivity solution available on PCBs. Matties: How big is the electronics market in SA? Naicker: The market is large. As I mentioned, electronics makes up 12.5% of our GDP. For a country that's rich in miner- als, agriculture and tourism, 12.5% is a fair chunk. Matties: Is it domestic or mostly international work that is coming your way? Naicker: Most of our work is from our domestic market. South Africa has a large elec- tronics industry with lots of electronics graduates every year, so we've got a rich pool of skills. We have several multinational companies in South Africa like BAE Systems and Siemens, so many locally designed products are then shipped overseas to Europe and USA. Matties: What's the advantage of doing busi- ness in South Africa? Naicker: The big advantage is that we've got a very skilled engineering base who are multi- talented. In some countries engineers are assigned just a piece of a project. But in South Africa, engineers can do the entire project, from the power electronics to the high speed, to the RF and so on. So that's one advantage of using engineering services from South Africa. The other benefit is that our labor cost is lower than Europe or the States. Matties: By what degree, do you think? Naicker: It depends really, but in some cases, we can be around 30% cheaper. Nechan Naicker