Masego & Matlhogonolo Mphahlele

Category
Editor's Choice

Age
21

Organisation / Company
Masego: FlySafair Matlhogonolo:Flyfofa Aviation Training; Twin X Innovation (Pty) Ltd
Website

Profile

Twins Masego and Matlhogonolo Mphahlele had a vision after they saw a teammate injured during a soccer game, who had to wait at the hospital for an X-ray.

This was the moment the idea of digital X-ray glasses was born. “We knew that there must be a quicker and more portable solution than traditional X-ray machines. Just think, after a tough tackle in a rugby match, the medic could take a digital X-ray there and then and secure the player’s safety,” they told Red Bull.

Masego and Matlhogonolo worked alongside students from the University of Johannesburg to create the prototype of the digital X-ray glasses. The twins were runner-up finalists in the Red Bull Basement Global Final held in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2022.

Twin X Innovation manufactures the Digital X-ray Glasses that perform the functions of an X-ray machine. They told AfroTech, “The camera can only take infrared images to a mobile device. We want to do more research to better our idea. In the future, we want the product to be able to work without using radiation … and to be able to distribute it to different local hospitals and clinics.”

Masego is working as a flight attendant on FlySafair and Matlhogonolo is a student pilot at Flyfofa Aviation Training.

List your educational background - qualifications and institutions?

• Masego: 
• Matric, Sikhululekile High School
• Cabin crew licence, EPT Aviation Training 
• Matlhogonolo: 
• Matric, Sikhululekile High School
• Student pilot, Flyfofa Aviation Training (current)

Any awards or achievements in your field?

• SA winner of Redbull Basement, 2021
• Runner-up global finalists Redbull Basements, 2022
• Spotlight speakers at Forbes Women Summit, 2023

One childhood memory that has spurred you to such levels of achievement?

We used to watch a cartoon show called Phineas and Ferb a lot while growing up and we were inspired by how they would always come up with innovations. We thought to ourselves that one day we will also develop a product that will change the world.

Advice to your younger self?

Always believe in your dreams and remember that your surroundings do not determine your future.

What would you like South Africa to look like in five years?

We want South Africa to be one of the global giants of innovation and manufacturing.