DELMAS – What began with discarded electronics collected from scrap yards has grown into a robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) venture for 23-year-old Fana Obrie Shabane, whose first named robot, MJ Guardian, was inspired by his grandmother.
The electrical engineering student and founder of MJ Robotics Industries has spent years experimenting with old electronics, plastic bottles and other discarded materials to develop his ideas.
Shabane, from Hlamalani in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, attended Nduma Primary School and Ndlamakhosi Secondary School before pursuing electrical engineering at Ehlanzeni TVET College’s Mapulaneng Campus.
While his formal education has provided technical knowledge, much of his practical experience has come through self-learning and experimentation.
Inspired by technology and futuristic machines, Shabane began turning discarded materials into projects. His ideas were not always understood by those around him, but his grandmother encouraged him and eventually allowed him to use her garage as a workspace.
Her support later inspired the development of MJ Guardian.
A robot inspired by care
As his grandmother grew older, Shabane became concerned about her wellbeing, particularly when he was away from home. He began exploring how technology could help him stay connected to her and provide assistance in his absence.
The idea developed into MJ Guardian, a robot he envisions providing medication reminders, indicating whether reminders have been acknowledged and monitoring activity or movement for unusual patterns.
Shabane said the technology was intended to give families additional support and peace of mind rather than replace human care.
“In many ways, MJ started as my way of saying thank you,” he said. “So when people ask me where MJ came from, the answer is very simple: MJ started with my grandmother.”
MJ Guardian remains under development, with some proposed functions still goals rather than established commercial features. Shabane continues to build, test, identify problems and improve the design.
A door opened through mentorship
His journey took another turn when Nokulunga Mashele, who had written about him and his work for The Youth Voice, introduced him to businessman and mentor Thabo Motau.
Mashele helped arrange a meeting where Shabane presented his projects and shared his vision for MJ Robotics Industries.
Motau, whom Shabane describes as his godfather, was impressed and provided equipment, including 3D-printing resources, along with mentorship and guidance. This gave Shabane access to resources that had previously been difficult to obtain.
“Sometimes your work only needs one person to see the potential in it and help open the next door,” he said.
Looking beyond one robot
Shabane’s ambitions extend beyond MJ Guardian. He wants MJ Robotics Industries to develop practical robotics and AI solutions for homes, businesses and other environments.
His ideas include household assistance, medication reminders, scheduling, monitoring and customer interaction. He also sees opportunities in security, where cameras and sensors could provide additional monitoring and alert people to unusual activity.
He does not see robots replacing people or physically confronting criminals. Instead, he believes technology can work alongside people by handling repetitive tasks, providing information and helping users respond to problems.
Shabane also wants South Africa to play a greater role in developing robotics and AI, giving young people opportunities to gain technical skills while contributing to job creation, businesses and locally developed technology.
Building with what he has
Limited funding, equipment, technical expertise and access to mentorship have slowed parts of his work. At times, he has worked part-time and saved for months to buy components.
He has continued recycling materials and finding alternatives when specialised equipment is beyond his reach.
Shabane recognises that turning a prototype into a reliable product requires repeated testing, attention to safety and a team capable of supporting development and maintenance.
His long-term ambition is to build MJ Robotics Industries into a South African robotics and AI company that addresses local problems and eventually competes beyond the country’s borders.
For now, he continues to balance his studies, business responsibilities and robotics work.
His advice to young innovators reflects his journey: “Start with what you have. Learn what you don’t know. Build what you can. Fail, improve and keep going.”
For Shabane, MJ Guardian represents more than a project that began in his grandmother’s garage. It shows how innovation can begin with curiosity, discarded materials, a small workspace and someone who believes in you.
