The MeerKAT sub-systems employ a number of novel technologies which were in the mainstream of SKA development. The MeerKAT design process would provide important deliverables for the SKA South Africa Project, as expected from the precursor instruments. In addition to the pioneering use of composite materials for the dish reflector surfaces and structural components (KAT-7 was the world's first radio telescope with dishes made of fibre glass), design challenges include the development of very wide band waveguide feeds and receivers, low-cost cryogenic systems for cooling the receivers, direct digital sampling systems, high speed digital signal processing systems, algorithms for astronomy data processing, high performance computing platforms that match the algorithms, and very fast data transport networks.