Johannesburg - The commercial drone industry has enormous economic potential, but cumbersome new regulations could soon clip the industry’s wings.
In South Africa, drones (small remote-controlled planes or helicopters) are already used for a range of applications in agriculture, mining, construction and the film and broadcast industry.
Drones can also be used for sea rescue operations, crime fighting, prevention of poaching and veld fires, as well as delivering essential medicines or even consumer items.
The local industry directly contributes an estimated R480 million and about 2 200 jobs for highly skilled individuals to the economy annually.
This is according to an economic impact study by the Commercial Unmanned Aircraft Association of Southern Africa (Cuaasa), which was conducted by Roelof Botha, economic adviser for PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Botha says the total contribution to the economy could be more than R1 billion annually if the indirect impact (individuals in the industry who spend on other services and products) is included.
“South Africa has the opportunity to be a leader in the global drone industry and government should be giving the industry incentives,” he says.
However, drones cause obvious safety risks and regulations have to protect the safety of vehicles, buildings, people and animals.
The new regulations stipulate that drone operators must have a certificate in radiotelephony, a fourth-class medical certificate and professional proficiency in English.
Operators will also have to get special permission if they want to fly at night, outside the line of sight, within 50 metres of people or buildings and higher than 120m.
In some instance, operators will want to fly higher or lower if they have to, for example, do air mapping or deliveries.
Role players in the industry support the need for safety regulations, but feel the new regulations that came into effect on July 1 are excessive.
“The regulations are overkill,” says Louis Nel, technical director at Potchefstroom company Haevic, which operates drones mostly for agricultural applications in Africa.
Most local commercial operators are already operating their drones responsibly, he adds.
Cuaasa president Hennie Kieser says one of the major problems with the new regulations is the accompanying expensive registration process.
He says prospective operators will have to fork out between R10 000 and R20 000 for licences.
Kieser says some of these licences have to be renewed every two years.
This will prove to be unaffordable for most individuals and smaller businesses, and will hamper a promising industry.
“It’s amazing how often South Africa is in the news for innovations in the drone industry,” says Kieser.
Skunk drones from his company, Desert Wolf, are known all over the world and have sold for R500 000 each overseas.