When Saul Kabali and Messach Luminsa co-founded SafeBangle Technologies, they knew building a hardware company in Africa would be tough. What they didn’t envision was to what extent.
“We do this not because it is easy, but because we thought it would be easy,” Kabali reflects.
Their perseverance, however, is paying off. SafeBangle has been named a World Summit Awards (WSA) Winner, placing it among the world’s top technology solutions for social impact.
In April 2025, the startup will present at the WSA Global Congress in Hyderabad, India, a platform that celebrates innovations addressing UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
SafeBangle’s IoT-enabled wearable is designed to keep individuals safe when traditional solutions fail.
With a simple tap, users—especially women, students, and workers in vulnerable situations—can send emergency alerts and share real-time locations with trusted contacts, even in areas with limited connectivity.
Luminsa explains, “You need to be good at electrical engineering, firmware engineering, and software engineering. That’s what makes hardware companies hard to build.”
SafeBangle’s team embraced a hands-on, trial-and-error approach, even deliberately destroying prototypes to refine the product.
Their effort has resulted in a market-ready product, now available in three tiers: Basic $30 (Shs110,000) for individuals, Professional $60 (Shs230,000) for organisations, and Bespoke $200 (Shs735,000) for enterprise solutions.
With personal security concerns rising globally, SafeBangle is eyeing regional expansion across East Africa and beyond.
Kabali sees a bright future for hardware startups, drawing comparisons to Apple, Tesla, and SpaceX.
“In five to 10 years, the most valuable companies will be hardware companies.”