Having launched with the main mission of inspiring the African commercial drone landscape to raise to the levels of the biggest markets in the world, the Africa Drone Summit has already changed the life of one young student with dreams of making his own drones one day.

It was revealed at the Summit – which took place last week in Cape Town – that South African specialist insurance services provider iTOO Special Risks had pledged to foot the bill for Thobani Gina’s Remote Pilot’s licence once he comes of age and is ready to acquire one.

Fifteen-year-old Gina is the whizzkid from Eswatini who recently made waves when he made a small quadcopter from a box of recycled scraps.

And having learned of what the Form 4 pupil at Ezindwendweni High School in Lavumisa, on the southwest tip of the country in the Shiselweni region, 172km from Mbabane – had achieved, iTOO invited Gina and his colleague and fellow student, Thandeka Maziya to attend the inaugural edition of the summit in Cape Town.

Maziya is also a Form 4 student at Somnjalose High School in Ezulwini, about eleven kilometres southwest of Mbabane.

At the event, Gina and Maziya had a chance to learn more about drone technology doing good for various industrial and humanitarian applications; meet fellow inventors and top minds in the African drone space, who included Dr Michael Scheibenreif (who helped found the African Drone & Data Academy in Malawi); Eno Umoh; the USA-based founder of the Global Air University; and Amit Ramdath, the founder and CEO of South African drone manufacturing start-up, Autonosky.

Gina even took the opportunity to present his amateur creation, to rousing appreciation from everyone who attended.

But nothing had prepared him for the pleasant surprise that awaited him when iTOO’s head of Drones, Kopano Tholo took to the stage on summit’s second day, to announce on the conclusion of his talk that his company would be taking Gina under their wing, in as far as getting his drone pilot’s licence was concerned.

“What Gina has achieved, with barely nothing to work with, should be inspiring to all young students out there, and we would like to play our part in his further development by sponsoring his Remote Pilot’s Licence when he turns eighteen,” Tholo said.

In response, Gina expressed his gratitude for the invaluable contribution that the insurance giant was making to his future.

“I would like to thank for iTOO for their kindness, support, and invaluable contributions which have an important impact and truly appreciate the Drone pilot license,” Gina said.

“I hope the organisation continues to support students like me who cannot afford much in life.”

Colani Nkambule, the director of Only God Knows Charity, the non-profit organisation that helped secure funding for Gina and Maziya’s transport to Cape Town, also reiterated his appreciation.

“As an organisation, we truly appreciate this opportunity presented to one of the many vulnerable children from Eswatini, whose future we are fighting for,” Nkambule said.

“Our time in Cape Town felt like heaven.”

While the Eswatini National Association of Teachers, which discovered Thobani’s genius during a visit to his area in May, was equally ecstatic.

“Congratulations to both Learners for this lifetime opportunity,” the organisation said.

We thank Mr. Colani Nkambule from Only God knows charity Organisation OGKCO for the assistance in the process and all stakeholders who donated to them to travel to Cape Town. We thank their Mentors (Teachers) for grooming them thus far.

“We wish the two learners all the best as they manoeuvre the world of innovation and technology.”

A pioneer in drone insurance, Hollard-owned iTOO has not looked back since it launched the first commercial drone insurance service in South Africa.

The company’s drone coverage offers a fully comprehensive package, in which it can insure against risks ranging from own damage and disappearance, to third party liability and personal accident.

“From the mining sector to construction, film, agriculture and any industry in between, if you use drones for business and operate with a commercial pilot’s licence, then iTOO’s Commercial Drone & Unmanned Aviation/iTOO’s Commercial Drone cover is just for you,” the company says.

“Our product covers every risk from own damage and disappearance, to third party liability and personal accident. Our cover includes anything up to R2 million and a weight of up to 30kg, with pay outs based on the full replacement value of your drone or equipment.”

Among others, iTOO offers cover for the following drone infrastructure and operations

• Hulls and spares
• Loss of or damage to your drone airframe including detachable payloads
• Specified camera and lenses forming part of the payload whilst in flight
• Disappearance of aerial hijacking or confiscation of your drone (theft/in transit)
• Payload and spares
• Theft and damage in transit and accident damage to spares
• Payload, spares, and hull are covered up to R4 million and a weight of up to 86kg
• Third party liability
• Accidental third-party injury or death, or accidental damage to property
• Damage to goods or products that form part of, or are used with your drone
• Damage to someone else’s drone while in your care

iTOO was a partner for this year’s summit, and Tholo said he was confident that the success of this event would spark dialogue among drone industry stakeholders that would chart the way forward in moving the African drone space from mostly a consumer of drone products into a more complete market, with its own developers, original equipment manufacturers and software service providers that would propel the African drone economy towards parity with the top markets in the world.