Wireless26.02.2025

The South African who revolutionised antenna design

By Jan Vermeulen

Poynting Antennas founder and CEO Andre Fourie is not only an entrepreneur and former Wits University professor; he and his team are arguably the top antenna engineers in the world.

Poynting has over 50 patents and registered trademarks, including 12 registered patent families consisting of 26 registered patents, and 41 registered designs.

Fourie has 38 years of experience in electromagnetics and antenna design, dating back to his time as a lecturer and researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) from 1987 to 2003.

He went to high school in Bloemfontein, after which he studied B.Sc Electrical Engineering at Wits between 1982 and 1985. He then enrolled for a Masters and Ph.D.

During his academic career, he published over fifty academic papers and four books, led an electromagnetics research group, and supervised numerous Masters and Ph.D candidates.

His move into business began in 1990, when he co-founded a consultancy specialising in antenna design with Ofer Givati.

Fourie founded Poynting Innovations in 1996 and Poynting Antennas in 2001.

After growing Poynting Antennas to over 150 employees, they listed on the JSE AltX in June 2008, with Fourie serving as CEO of Poynting Holdings.

Poynting’s market capitalisation grew from R20 million to R450 million in 2010. However, Fourie and the corporate life were not on the same wavelength.

He bought out Poynting Antennas, while the listed company retained their highly profitable defence antenna division and rebranded to Alaris. Fourie remained a significant shareholder in the company.

Fourie has said that the split allowed Poynting Antennas to continue designing, manufacturing, and selling innovative antennas and wireless consumer products unhindered by public company constraints.

“My aim in life is also the company motto: ‘Beyond a Connected Life,'” he says.

“I am passionate about using African ingenuity and experience to build products which benefit the continent and are of sufficient value to export to the rest of the world.”

Poynting’s success is due to the excellent people Fourie and his team have attracted over the years. The company’s employees include graduates and engineers with doctorate-level knowledge of antenna technology.

Fourie says his aim is to turn Poynting into a world class company and to create products and solutions that make a real difference to Africa and the rest of the world.

“I am inspired by the development of clever and cool products and technology. I love daring entrepreneurial efforts which turn such technology into commercial success.”

A good example of Poynting’s international leadership in the field was its selection as the antenna supplier for Norway’s rescue services.

Robust and reliable antennas were needed for weather stations which were spread around the mountains and rural areas of Norway, and Poynting Antennas’ products were a logical choice.

The company was also the official supplier of antennas for the German Olympic sailing team and the Bloodhound Supersonic Car project.

In a 2022 interview with RF Shop, Fourie said that another major contributor to their success was that his prediction that fixed-wireless cellular services would require outdoor antennas had started to become true.

This was thanks to the advent of Long Term Evolution (LTE) and 5G technology.

Fourie explained that previously, when voice services were the main feature on cellphone networks, people only started looking into exterior antennas if the service didn’t work at all.

However, as cellular data started taking off, the benefits of a good antenna became more apparent as it allowed users to achieve higher Internet speeds.

Poynting’s expertise has also allowed it to rise head and shoulders above its competitors as antennas have needed to become more complex to operate across multiple bands, and allow devices to benefit from technologies like MIMO.

As mobile broadband continues to flourish and more industries start requiring robust wireless for various applications, Poynting is perfectly positioned for global growth.

It has already opened an office in the U.S. in Texas to capitalise on the growing demand for Poynting products in the country.

Fourie also announced in 2022 that Poynting had invested heavily in its research and development capabilities and switched virtually all their marketing online.

He said they bought fast prototyping machines for laser cutting, PCB cutting and printing, and plastic growing. They also invested in increased computational power for R&D and hired more engineers, industrial designers, and other R&D staff.

Fourie said this was contrary to the conservative approach adopted by most companies, as they had benefited from the 4G and 5G boom.