Military equipment became a key export when sanctions were lifted in 1991 after the government repealed its apartheid laws and released Nelson Mandela, who went on to win the 1994 elections as leader of the African National Congress. Mr Graham stayed with Grinaker until 2000, when he left to set up Natcom Electronics, which specialised in a range of defence and security communication products and software applications targeting the industrial and military market.
As with most companies in South Africa, Natcom began to feel the effects of the ANC government's Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) affirmative action programme, which began to be implemented in 2003 and was modified and widened in 2007. Some critics blamed the programme for contributing to the brain drain of skilled white South Africans.
Natcom grew to a staff of 70, but Mr Graham decided his family - with children now aged 9 and 12 - needed a safer environment. After weighing up the UK and New Zealand, opted for the latter where his brother had been a long-term resident.
"The violence was getting really bad and we had young kids," he said.
After exploring various options in New Zealand, he decided to set up Multifid Technology International in Tauranga. He initially retained a shareholding in Natcom and did research and design work for the South African company, drawing on New Zealand engineering talent.
But under BEE, Natcom changed hands and the decision was made to completely split the association, with Mr Graham relinquishing his shares in Natcom and the South African shareholders exiting MultiFid in 2012.
By then, Multifid had begun to work on its SonaSafe product.
"We have been focusing on SonaSafe pretty much exclusively," said Mr Graham. "We do some R&D work for other companies, but SonaSafe is our main product."
Mr Graham said military equipment was complex, with a high requirement for reliability, so the same kind of R&D thinking worked well when developing other new hi-tech applications.
Andrew Coker, chief executive of Tauranga economic development agency Priority One, said it had been a pleasure working with Mr Graham when he was assessing Tauranga as a location.
"He reflects exactly the sort of entrepreneur we are working to attract here.
"He's extremely innovative and was quick to lock on to local resources such as the engineering graduates out of Waikato University. James gives back, and he has often been a reference point for other entrepreneurs considering locating here. He's also worked with secondary school students through our Instep programme and has advocated for positive growth of the city."
Proximity alarm boosts safety
Multifid Technology remains very much in start-up mode with all of the challenges inherent in finding a market for a new high-tech product. Developer James Graham says its SonaSafe proximity alarm system is unique in the New Zealand market and utilises a different technological approach to other applications being used internationally.
SonaSafe works by fitting special detection sensors to vehicles, with staff wearing a unique identification unit. When a worker enters a high-risk area, the driver receives an audio alarm specifying the name of the worker and their exact location, relative to the vehicle.
Mr Graham said the application could be used to manage safety around forklifts, logging trucks, heavy plant and machinery, as well as providing access control to secure areas. Potential markets included warehouses, packing houses, and the forestry and quarrying sectors, but the initial marketing efforts have been focused on the port sector.
"We have received an order from Napier Port and we are currently installing the system there," he said.
"Our focus is on Napier to make sure everything is really sweet because they are going to become our reference port when we implement the system in other ports.
"We're adding more features."
Mark Babbington, Napier Port's general cargo manager, who has responsibility for the project, said SonaSafe was clever technology.
Napier Port was initially installing 23 SonaSafe systems and was working through the project in stages, said Mr Babbington. After the first installation, the port would look at developing policy and procedures around those departments.
"Once we're satisfied with that we'll expand out into the rest of the business," he said.
The port had been going through an exceptionally busy period and Mr Babbington, who formerly worked in Tauranga and was most recently at PrimePort Timaru, recently joined as part of a restructuring of operations.
The project was going fine, he said.
"It's early days, but we're getting there. We're hoping to see some real benefits from our business around health and safety."
Mr Graham said Multifid Technology was expecting to begin a trial at CentrePort Wellington within the next couple of months, and had also been discussing SonaSafe with Port of Tauranga..
He said an average port would need approximately 40 to 50 SonaSafe systems with about 200 identified people.
"The big thing is workers on the system can go on to any SonaSafe site and they will be recognised," he said, noting that ports often had staff from a number of different companies working in the same location.
The company has a seven-to-eight person team in Greerton focused largely on research and development, with manufacturing handled by a number of subcontractors.
Gliding to get away
To relax, James Graham likes to get away from it all by getting his head up in the clouds. He has been a qualified glider pilot since his time in South Africa.
A member of the Tauranga Gliding Club, based at Tauranga Airport, he is now the club's chief flying instructor.
Gliding was a popular sport in Tauranga, said Mr Graham.
"I try and get up at least twice a month," he said. "But now I'm doing the instruction stuff, I spend most of my time doing that rather than flying myself."
James Graham
*Role - managing director, Multifid Technology International (since 2008)
*Born - Johannesburg
*Age - 56
*First job - radio and telecoms engineer
*Recently read - Soul seeker by Keith McCarthy
