In August 2020, Joash launched the DIGI Smart Bench – which is the first local made electronically and mobile app controlled bench in SA. This bench is disabled-friendly and it has already helped revolutionise the way people enjoy fitness and exercising at home, or for those trying to survive the mental and physical fatigue of the pandemic.
Born in Howick in Kwazulu-Natal, entrepreneur Joash Perumal has always had a passion and deep love for business, technology and the entertainment industry.
The 36-year-old businessman, who was raised in Port Shepstone and currently lives in Pietermartizburg, heads up the leading technological and fitness solutions company: JDP Corp.
Having matriculated from Evangel Christian School in 2003, Joash pursued a B.Comm degree at Varsity College in Pietermaritzburg. Prior to becoming a respected and successful businessman, Joash developed a passion for music and ventured into recording and producing.
By 2009, Joash produced his first number one hit “Club on Fire. His follow-up single, “Falling in Love” went into the hands of Omar Grant, who was the creative A&R for Roc Nation at the time, while his song was marketed by EAE Radio – owned by superstar Missy Elliot.
The single received international acclaim and was playlisted in South Africa, Europe, the USA and Germany, while he was signed to Dee Management in the United Kingdom.
For Joash, being an entrepreneur was going to be inevitable. He grew up in a home with a father that mastered a successful insurance brokerage business, which laid the foundation for Joash’s business instinct and entrepreneurial skills.
Having become worn out by the usual, 9-5 work day, and also seeking a different challenge within the music industry, Joash pursued the prospect of running his own business and ventured into starting his own full service entertainment company in 2015: J Magic Entertainment.
The natural flair and passion for music, events, production and all round services within the industry, helped Joash develop a successful network of suppliers and consumers.
By 2020, Joash was looking for a new challenge and the idea to start JDP Corp was born to bring lifestyle and fitness innovation to SA consumers, through the company’s product offerings and solutions.
In August 2020, Joash launched the DIGI Smart Bench – which is the first local made electronically and mobile app controlled bench in SA.
So what is Joash’s ultimate vision for himself and the business? “I would love to see people enjoying my inventions. They are a labour of love and I want to encourage more people out there to appreciate technology in a fun and innovative way,” he shares.
2021 will see JDP Corp expanding their products and services to their customer base. Joash and his team are currently producing a new app, Executive Dating, which will focus on a safer way for businessmen and women to find their true love. If that’s not all, he has expanded into property development as well.
The sky’s the limit for this passionate serial entrepreneur.
HOW THE DIGI SMART BENCH IS A FITNESS GAME CHANGER
- Fitness is a big part of people’s lives and during the pandemic
- It has impacted their daily gym routines. Most individuals are training at home.
- An exercise bench is a necessity for people to train different body parts by adjusting the bench manually using a removable steel piece which is placed on different parts of the bench to adjust. This is problematic to people who are disabled, suffering from sports injuries and the elderly who experience back problems.
- The new Digi-Smart electronic gym bench which is the first electronically controlled gym bench Manufactured in South Africa not only has the means to move the backrest electronically but also has its own mobile app and voice recognition system to move the backrest on the bench.
- JDP CORP CEO, Joash Perumal, says he is proud to see this bench being enjoyed by people who are disabled after their recent visit to Wheelin Wheels – a disabled school based in KZN Durban that represents our national team in basketball.
- During the pandemic many people were forced to find alternate ways to be creative as this had a huge impact on local businesses.
WHAT IS THE DIGI SMART BENCH?
- Manufactured and fitted with command buttons and a voice activation system for easy movements to the back rest such as Backwards, Forwards and Stop.
- With weight racks at either side of the bench, you can now reduce any back strains because there’s no need to continuously be picking up weights off the floor.
- The Digi-Smart Fitness bench is App enabled (completely free to download and is user friendly).
- The App is available on Google Play and the App store. Simply connect via bluetooth to the Fitness Bench to access complete control.
Tell us about your journey in the world of fitness and entertainment?
I have been going to the gym since I was in high school and over the years I have familiarised myself with the different kinds of gym equipment. In the entertainment industry I established myself as a songwriter/musician and enjoyed having number 1 songs on radio, to working with international companies abroad. I have also had the opportunity to work on tour with celebrities I grew up listening to such as Karen White and All 4 One.
Why did you make the decision to explore the mobile/tech space in SA by launching this unique product?
During the pandemic a lot of people were training at home due to the gyms being closed and when it did open a lot of people were still reluctant to go back to the gym which presented the opportunity for me to develop this bench. Whilst developing this bench I wanted to tailor this bench to make it as unique as possible while still satisfying the needs of people who are also disabled and suffering from sports injuries.
Why and how did Digi Smart Bench become a first for SA?
The current gym benches that are being sold are either built without being able adjustable and the others that are built to be adjustable are not electronic or technologically tailor made.
Our gym bench is not only unique for its electronic feature but also its app enabled bluetooth feature and voice recognition feature where you can move the backrest of the bench with our mobile app or voice command feature.
What has it been like focusing on your very interesting entrepreneurial journey?
It has opened my mind up to be creative and explore new opportunities in the market.
Having the ability to use my creativity to create and satisfy the needs of people to enjoy a better lifestyle and social experience in an era of technology.
You see yourself and your company as creative and technological experts but also life-changing visionaries who hope to make a difference in the information and communication technology (ICT) space. Could you tell us more about these solutions and what tech solutions the company is working on for 2021?
We are currently working on a social app called “Letz Chat” which was created to be an all in one social app having features such as discover me which allows you to communicate with other users who are not on your current contact list as well as a location based tracker to send to your loved ones who can monitor your movements whilst travelling without having to call you all the time to check up on you. This is a long term project which will have many other features incorporated in it to make it the all in one social app without having to navigate to different apps for features.
How is your bench changing lives for those who are disabled, and how will the bench be able to facilitate their needs?
With the technology that is available we are able to use this in our developments to create a gym bench which does not require you to get off the bench after each set to be adjusted. Besides the disabled who would have a challenge in doing this , the elderly folk would have to also have to get up and bend over to adjust the removable steel structure that is on the current gym benches that are available which could cause back strain which is a common problem in their old age.
Do you have any words of wisdom or advice for young entrepreneurs who would like to follow in your very own footsteps?
Always do your market research before investing in a business venture. Educate yourself in whatever field you are pursuing because it helps you take your business to new heights.
Prioritise investing because investment assets take time to grow and create an income. It is extremely important that young people get started early. If you take care of the foundational elements later on you can have a great life.