DigiOutreach makes a difference at Intaka Island with a new smart weather station
Team photo from Left to Right: Zintle Nkomo (Technical Platform Owner), Luke Paulsen (Graphic Designer), Nicholas Van Wyk (Safety Officer), Louise de Roubaix (Environmental, Horticulture & Sporting Codes Manager – Century City Property Owners’ Association), Kim Cloete (Internal Communications and Events Manager), Alison Ling (Team Lead Office Support), Aidan Davis (Internal Communications and Events Business Partner)
DigiOutreach makes a difference at Intaka Island with a new smart weather station
As Intaka Island marks 30 years of environmental conservation, education and community engagement, we are pleased to announce a generous donation from DigiOutreach, part of Super Group. The R65,000 contribution will fund a METOS 5 smart weather station on the island, giving our team and our visitors access to real-time, site-specific environmental data from the heart of Century City.
A donation raised through colleagues
The funds were raised through Splash for Cash, a global initiative run by Super Group Cares. Colleagues came together for a day of friendly competition, purchasing throws for the chance to dunk members of the leadership team in a dunk tank. Each throw added to the fundraising total, and the result is a donation with lasting practical value for the island.
We extend our sincere thanks to every colleague who took part, and to the leadership team members who took their seats in the tank for the cause.
Why Super Group chose Intaka
Super Group told us they selected Intaka Island because of our contribution to environmental conservation, biodiversity protection, environmental education and community engagement within Cape Town. They noted that our work shows how natural ecosystems can be preserved while creating awareness and learning opportunities for the communities around us. Our commitment to protecting local wetlands and promoting sustainability also fits their belief that responsible environmental stewardship benefits both present and future generations.
It is a meaningful endorsement for our team. Caring for a wetland in the middle of a major city is long-term work, and it relies on partners who understand its value.
A shared view of long-term value
The donation reflects a broader approach at Super Group. As they explain it, long-term value creation extends beyond financial performance and includes a contribution to environmental and social wellbeing. By supporting organisations that deliver positive environmental impact within their own communities, they aim to strengthen their commitment to responsible corporate citizenship and to shared value across economic, environmental and social dimensions.
Super Group summarised their view on partnerships between business and conservation organisations as follows:
“Strong partnerships between business and environmental organisations create shared value by combining resources, expertise and purpose. Together, we can protect natural ecosystems, strengthen communities, and build a more sustainable future for generations to come.”
We share that view. Conservation organisations bring local knowledge, ecological expertise and a direct connection to the communities we serve. Businesses bring resources and the ability to act quickly. When the two work together, an idea can become something installed and in use.
The METOS 5 smart weather station
The station is a METOS 5, manufactured by Pessl Instruments. It is a professional monitoring tool that records conditions at the exact location where it is installed, rather than relying on regional forecasts. It is powered by a solar panel for continuous, independent operation, and its data logger collects, stores and sends readings in real time.
The station measures:
- Air temperature
- Relative humidity
- Rainfall
- Wind speed and direction
- Leaf wetness, which helps predict plant disease risk
- Solar radiation
It also calculates dew point, vapour pressure deficit (VPD), Delta T and evapotranspiration (ET0). These figures are useful for understanding water demand, plant health and ecosystem resilience. All data is stored and analysed in FieldClimate, the manufacturer’s online platform.
What it means for Intaka and Century City
The station will serve four purposes.
Education. Real local data brings science to life for school groups and the public. Learners can see the weather on the island measured as it happens and connect it to the wetland around them.
Sustainable management. The readings will support water-wise irrigation, landscaping and informed precinct management, so decisions about water use on the island are based on measured conditions.
Research. Over time, the station will build a long-term record that helps identify changing environmental and climate trends in this part of Cape Town.
Resilience. The data will help with event planning, severe-weather preparedness and disaster management.
Looking ahead
We are grateful to DigiOutreach, Super Group and everyone who took part in Splash for Cash. The station will help us understand the island in far greater detail, and it will give the many learners and visitors who come through Intaka a hands-on way to engage with the environment. We look forward to sharing updates as the first data comes in.
More about the station is available at metos.global.
Read the article by DigiOutreach here.
Shanely Alexander
