Making SA’s techentrepreneurs future ready
- Wits University
Why we should stop chasing the Silicon Valley dream and rethink what Africa needs, especially in the incubator space.
The technology startup ecosystem in South Africa is changing rapidly.
More young entrepreneurs, corporates and the incubators such as Wits University’s Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct, which helps propel entrepreneurs and grows the skills pipeline for the digital economy, have realised that accelerators and enterprise development programmes need to be more focused.
“Companies and corporates have to spend their enterprise development funding but they genuinely do not know what the intersection of software, hardware or content look like. At Tshimologong we have realised that too many incubators are trying to be too many things to too many people,” says Shaun David Randles, Enterprise Development Manager, Wits Tshimologong Precinct.
“That is why we design programmes such as the IBM Startup Bootcamp, that can quickly calibrate these young entrepreneurs into the tune of the demand of the market,” Randles adds.
Seven local and aspiring technology startups have been participating in the IBM Startup Bootcamp, a four-week programme designed to enable the development of Growth Stage Tech and Digital Startups.
The bootcamp also culminated in an investment proposal and pitch whereby the winning participants competed to win up to R800k in required products and services. The overall winning team was FIXXR – an online platform that connects car owners to mechanics through GPS to have their car serviced at client's preferred address.
And the winner is FIXXR!!! An online platform that removes the pain of going through time consuming & often expensive exercise of servicing one's car. The platform connects car owners to mechanics through GPS to have their car serviced at client's preffered address. #GEW2018 pic.twitter.com/rdxgTQj98G
— Tshimologong Precinct (@TshimologongIT) November 14, 2018
This is what the face of a half a million rand #winner looks like #IBMStartupBootcamp #EEIP @FixxrSa @Wits_News @IBM_SouthAfrica pic.twitter.com/OGeofhi4Os
— Kendal (@KMakgamathe) November 14, 2018
Why a bootcamp?
Randles has been very meticulous about the bootcamp’s design. He analysed some of the most successful incubators internationally, and then curated content and sessions to resonate with local startups and their needs.
“With this bootcamp, our aim is to help technology entrepreneurs accelerate their businesses quickly. The programme starts off by introducing the startups to their business model, and from the first day we pair each startup with a business coach and a technology coach. These two coaches then independently unpack, diagnose, evaluate, pick holes and hack the startups assumptions, their biggest constraints and risks,” Randles explains.
Adding public masterclasses facilitated by IBM staff, the