Author: Fast Company SA

10.30.17

ANA News Wire Launches in Kampala

BY Fast Company SA 2 MINUTE READ

The African News Agency (ANA) on Friday announced the launch of its new public-facing ANA News Wire as the single most comprehensive platform for African news to inform, enlighten and connect the continent and the rest of the world.

The new ANA News Wire was revealed at the 2017 African Summit on Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ASENTI) in Kampala, Uganda, on Friday.

The new ANA News Wire website can be found at https://africannewsagency.com.
ANA Chief Executive officer (CEO) Grant Fredericks said that the “ANA News Wire is committed to telling our continent’s story with accuracy and balance, while providing the African perspective”.

“We will forge alliances with the strongest African news organisations and build a united African media powerhouse.”
ANA, Africa’s first news syndication service, descended from the now defunct South African Press Association (SAPA), and since launch in March 2015 has fast established itself as Africa’s leading news platform.

Up until now, the service was visible only to subscribers but the new ANA News Wire gives the general public access to news, pictures and videos from ANA’s own African correspondents.

The ANA News Wire also publishes content from trusted African media partners in Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Namibia and Fredericks confirmed that the ANA News Wire will be publishing news from partners in Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda by the end of the year. He added that ANA aims at publishing news from 15 African countries by mid-2018.

ANA Global Head of News and Content Melanie Cheary said Africa has so many untold stories that should be heard and so many investment opportunities that should be shared.

“The rapid expansion of ANA News Wire is testimony to the spirit of African innovation and entrepreneurship,” Cheary said. “Africa is aspiration and Africa is rising.”

ANA News Wire also has syndicated content sharing agreements with international news organisations such as Xinhua, AP and DPA, to mention a few.

“We provide comprehensive news diaries, text reports, pictures and videos on our state-of-the-art digital platforms, designed specifically to speedily share large quantities of content. We produce our own unique copy, according to international best practice reporting standards, and we also offer you syndicated news from a range of government and independent sources.”

The new News Wire complements the ANA PR Wire information service which was launched in August and allows businesses, organisations and individuals to share their news releases instantaneously with millions around the world.

That platform can be accessed at https://africannewsagency.com/

The easy-to-use and cloud-based ANA PR Wire is a free and visible public facing site where one can access, view and use press releases. Anyone can register and receive the information they are interested in at no cost.

The service is affordable to all businesses and organisations who want to publish their information. The technology enables subscribers to upload their own news, pictures and data effectively, providing them with global brand exposure via ANA’s African and international news partnerships.

The launch of the new ANA News Wire took place in the Ugandan capital which is hosting ASENTI, which brings together small and medium sized enterprises from across the continent and links them with top leaders in business.

Focusing on Africa’s aspirational youth, ASENTI aims to promote a culture of entrepreneurship in Africa and to create a wider network for potential trade and partnership across the continent and its far-flung global diaspora.

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10.20.17

SqwidNet launches their IoT Entrepreneurship Programme (IoT)E

BY Fast Company SA 2 MINUTE READ

SqwidNet, the licensed Sigfox IoT network operator in South Africa, today announced the launch of its entrepreneurship programme, (IoT)E – IoT to the power E. This programme is aimed to empower entrepreneurs who would like to develop their skills and knowledge to become established players in the IoT ecosystem nationally and internationally.

According to the Worldwide and Regional Internet of Things 2010-2014 Forecast by IDC, the IoT market opportunity for the Middle East and Africa region is poised to grow by 10% CAGR, from $85.1 billion in 2017 to $114.4 billion by 2020. These statistics highlight the massive untapped potential for IoT in the region, including Africa; and with the (IoT)E programme, SqwidNet will ensure the necessary skills and knowledge to operate in this industry are imparted to all who are interested.

“The next wave of entrepreneurship and innovation for Africa must come from within the continent itself. Over the years we have seen our continent’s engineers and entrepreneurs have great ideas, but often lack the means and sometimes even the tools to convert these ideas into viable businesses. Our programme is designed to not only provide the necessary tools, but also give guidance to enable these brilliant minds to take their products to market,” says Reshaad Sha, CEO SqwidNet.

 

The (IoT)E programme will focus on three key development areas during a three-day workshop:

• Device Development – During the first day of the workshop, SqwidNet and its device ecosystem partners will facilitate a makers workshop. The participants will be given development kits and taken through the process of building a device with sensors to solve real-world sensing and monitoring problems.
• Software and Analytics – On the second day, participants will be introduced to IoT software platforms, giving them the opportunity to create basic dashboards to analyse the high-level data being collected in the device they developed.
• Business Skills – The third and final day of the workshop will focus on providing participants with a high level of business acumen skills.

The workshop will be followed by a weekly webinar over a period of six weeks where participants will be afforded the opportunity to interact with and learn from experts in device development, platform development and entrepreneurship.

Potential participants should submit their motivations on twitter using the hashtag #iotep or tagging @sqwidnet in their tweet. Alternatively, those interested in participating can send an email to [email protected]. 25 individuals will be selected as the first round of participants, and will start their programme in January 2018.

In order to deliver significant value to successful participants who manage to build working prototypes, SqwidNet, with its channel and ecosystem partners, will make available a funding pool that could be accessed by the participants to enable entrepreneurs to go from prototype to production.
SqwidNet IoT solutions focus across a number of industry verticals ranging from security notification solutions, to asset tracking, tamper detection and environmental monitoring, as well as exciting projects in the water metering space. The IoT ecosystem is vast and the possibilities are endless for individuals or even small businesses to participate in it and come up with their own unique solutions to real world African problems.

Sigfox, a global IoT network, has established an ecosystem reaching 36 countries. Through SqwidNet, the network currently reaches 64% of the population in South Africa. Their proposition comprises low-cost, long-range, low-power modules and devices that serve up IoT data in a secure and cost-efficient manner to application and service providers.

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10.13.17

MTN Business App of the Year crowns Winner for 2017

BY Fast Company SA 6 MINUTE READ

The sixth edition of the MTN Business App of the Year Awards concluded last night with the announcement of an overall winner, as well as various category winners. The gala event hosted in Johannesburg was attended by dignitaries from the public and private sector, members of the app development community, and other related stakeholders.

This app development competition is the biggest and most prestigious in South Africa. The reason for this being that the initiative serves as an equal opportunity platform. The MTN Business App of the Year Awards sees both small businesses and large corporates converging, and working together for the greater good of society. It also sees revolutionary solutions being developed and presented by people from a diverse range of socio-economic backgrounds. It’s all about connecting people who can provide real solutions to the real-life challenges cutting across society.

Furthermore, this year’s edition focused on expanding the judging panel to nine members. The panel was made up of business leaders and experts in their respective fields. All were well equipped to provide inspiration and guidance to the entrants, with the ultimate aim being to enable them to enter, participate and succeed in the world of business.

Shyft was named as the overall winner of this year’s MTN Business App of the Year Awards. Shyft was created for Standard Bank with the aim of completely transforming customer experience. The app allows customers to handle all their forex needs from their phone, with no need to visit the bank. Customers are able to purchase and store forex (USD, GBP, EUR, AUSD), transfer funds overseas, order multi-currency physical travel cards, and create virtual cards that can be used for international online shopping, all from a mobile device.

Category winners were:

• Best Enterprise Solution: TransUnion 1Check
For years, TransUnion’s printed Autodealer Guide has been a trusted source of vehicle and driver information for vehicle dealers, equipping them with invaluable data for making vehicle trading and risk decisions. However, given the move towards mobile, escalating printing costs and the changing business environment, TransUnion identified a need in the market for a low cost, real-time, easy-to-use mobile management tool which not only reduced high printing costs, but closed the gap between fluctuating market values and monthly publishing lead time of their book. In addition, the software provides the financial industry and insurance providers with real time, up-to-date data for vehicle and insurance decisions via web services or via the app.

• Best Consumer Solution: OrderIN
OrderIn is a food delivery app. Users are able to order meals via the app, and have their meals delivered in minutes. They can also order ahead and collect or pay in person.

• Best Incubated Solution: EcoSlips
EcoSlips converts ordinary paper slips into digital advertisements that pop up on consumer cell phones. Retailers are able to link their point-of-sale systems to EcoSlips and send transaction slips digitally from any pay point to consumer cell phones. Paper slip waste is reduced and a new advertising platform provides opportunities to grow any business in the retail sector.

• Most Innovative Solution: InterGreatMe
InterGreatMe is an identity management platform, providing users with control of their identities across financial services, telecomunications, insurance and credit providing companies. The platform also allows businesses to comply with FICA, RICA, NCA and POPI laws.

• Best Breakthrough Developer: Zulzi
An on-demand delivery platform for anything around the consumer’s area. Zulzi is an online digital mall which links the consumer up with a personal shopper who will deliver to the customer within an hour. Lunch, dinner, groceries, pharmaceuticals or anything else can be ordered.

• Best South African App: Hey Jude
Hey Jude is a real human assistant that lives on your smartphone. Whatever you need, Jude is there to assist you, be it booking restaurants, organising tradesmen or finding information – you name it, Hey Jude does it.

Mandisa Ntloko, General Manager of Enterprise Marketing: MTN Business SA, congratulated the grand prize winner and thanked the other developers who participated this year. MTN Business and its partners are looking forward to collaborating with this year’s winners to meet their strategic objectives.

“The MTN Business App of the Year Awards gives expression to our quest to contribute meaningfully to the search for innovative digital solutions that will help address some of the socio-economic challenges we are facing. As a leading telecommunications company, we are always mindful of how technology can foster entrepreneurship, drive economic growth and be leveraged as an enabler for myriad industries,” says Ntloko.

“We are proud of the strides the initiative has made in profiling the winning apps and transforming them into thriving and sustainable businesses.”

This year, new categories were introduced in line with the evolving technology landscape. The inaugural winners and those recognised in these categories were:

• ‘Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)’ Solution

Two apps and the women responsible for developing them were recognised in this category.

The ORU Social solution is a multi-purpose social network platform tailored for SMEs with great professional appeal. It allows users to make new connections, share videos and updates, advertise on the platform, and includes a feature to create groups. There is also and on-line conferencing facility, and it allows a group to access the same presentations and videos, and more.

TouchSA is all about connecting SMEs with opportunities locally and internationally. With Trade and Industry alliances in international countries, the app is a great platform for South Africa’s small unknown businesses.

MTN Business realised the need to recognise the strides being made by phenomenal women operating in technical professions. Further to entering a primarily male-dominated environment, these women are nurturers, innovators and community builders.

To honour these women, MTN and the judging panel committed to provide the exceptional women responsible for these apps with guidance and mentorship, all with the aim of assisting them to take their apps to the next level.

• Best Gaming Solution: Pick ‘n Pay’s Super Animals 2
This solution allows users to meet the all new South African Super Animals, brought to you by Pick n Pay! Gamers can keep track of their South African Super Animals cards, unlock new badges and earn new rewards as their collections grow. Users can also watch the animals come to life with movement and sound. Fun for animal-lovers of any age.

• Best Agriculture Solution: The TreeApp South Africa
Trees are a central component of virtually every ecological niche in our country, as well as being a life force in our cities and in our own gardens. But sadly, trees are not as easy to get to know as other natural species like birds and mammals. Botany is complicated, but TheTreeApp has found ways of utilising simple English and straight forward visible attributes that anyone can use as search criteria.

• Best Health Solution: WatIf Health Portal
This portal is a new and inventive way of delivering healthcare to the man on the street. A disease management solution designed for ordinary people, it requires input of basic clinical data from patients, and then processes it through an interactive medical knowledge system that is a part of WatIf artificial intelligence.

• Best Education Solution: Awethu Project
The Awethu Project App is a mobile business tool aimed at educating one million people in developing economies on how to start and grow a business. The primary objective is to stimulate job creation through entrepreneurship.

• Best Financial Solution: Shyft for Standard Bank
Named as the overall winner of the MTN Business App of the Year Awards (please see details above).

Furthermore, this year more than 48 000 votes were cast in the People’s Choice category. South Africa’s favourite app is Zulzi.

“The MTN Business App of the Year Awards gives local app developers the opportunity to tap into this exponential growth market, which is seen as the next driver of economic growth in the future.”

Ntloko’s positive outlook is not unfounded. Since its inception, the MTN Business App of the Year Awards has profiled a number of apps that are commonly used today. These include SnapScan, the payment app that emerged as the overall winner in 2013; WumDrop, an on-demand delivery start-up that scooped the Best Enterprise App and was the Best Overall App in 2015; LIVE Inspect, the app that allows the insurance industry to digitally scan a vehicle’s disc to trace its full history, accident history, and overall condition before it is on-boarded by an insurance company; and last year’s winner, Domestly, an app that makes it easier to browse, book and pay a cleaner, in addition to enabling the cleaner to manage bookings, money and directions to bookings. Domestly created 600 sustainable jobs in the first six months of going live.

For more information about the Awards, the overall winner and the winners in each of the 12 categories, go to appoftheyear.co.za, or MTNBusinessZA on Twitter and follow #MTNAppAwards.
FOR MORE MEDIA INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Bridget Bhengu: Senior Manager – PR and Communications, MTN SA
Cell: 083 212 1964 / E-mail: [email protected]
Mamello Raborifi: PR Manager, MTN SA
Cell: 083 214 5681 / E-mail: [email protected]
ABOUT MTN GROUP
Launched in 1994, the MTN Group is a multinational telecommunications group, operating in 22 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The MTN Group is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange in South Africa under the share code: “MTN.” As of 30 June 2017, MTN recorded 231,8m, million subscribers across its operations in Afghanistan, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Cyprus, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Republic, Iran, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo (Congo Brazzaville), Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, South Sudan Swaziland, Syria, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia. Visit us at www.mtn.com and www.mtn.co.za
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10.03.17

Drones for humanity

BY Fast Company SA < 1 MINUTE READ

A project that will make use of unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, has been launched by Unicef and the Malawian government to carry out humanitarian efforts in the country and eventually the rest of the world.

First piloted in 2016, the first-of-its-kind air corridor is based at the Kasungu Aerodrome in central Malawi and provides a controlled platform for the private sector, universities and other partners to explore how drones can be used to help deliver services that will benefit communities.

The Humanitarian UAV Testing Corridor will run for at least one year, until June 2018.

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09.23.17

Heritage Collection: Pinnacle of Boschendal Wines

BY Fast Company SA 3 MINUTE READ

Wine estate Boschendal proudly marked Heritage Day 2017 with the unveiling of its new Heritage Collection, two limited edition reds which the estate describes as the pinnacle of its incredible collection of premium wines. Both wines in the collection were tasted on Sunday, 24 September at the iconic Boschendal Long Table Feast on the sprawling, historic estate established over 330 years ago in the Drakenstein Valley near Franschhoek.

Boschendal’s Marketing Manager Shirley van Wyk says the release of the collection on Heritage Day is a nod from the estate both to its own history and to the history of the region. “Boschendal has been a pioneer in South African wine-making for three centuries. We are proud of our roots as one of the country’s original estates and we are honouredto have remained relevant in local and international wine circles to this day. To celebrate all that is Boschendal and all that is premium South African wine-making, we have released some of our most exceptional wines in our journey to date.”

The collection by Boschendal’s resident red winemaker Richard Duckitt, comprises a limited edition Boschendal Grande Syrah 2014 and Black Angus 2014.

For Duckitt, the collection is the culmination of years of hard work and testimony to the estate’s ongoing commitment to Shiraz, “Shiraz is often under-appreciated. It’s an exceptional varietal that offers rich possibilities for experimentation andsubtle layers of complexity. It’s also a special part of our history and something we hope to continue making for generations to come.”

Heritage Collection: The Grande Syrah 2014
The Grande Syrah is all about style. Often called the work horse red variety in the Boschendal range, the Grande Syrah elevates the varietal to another level. With premium grapes handpicked from a unique vineyard situated on the south-facing slopes of the Helderberg Mountains, the wine was made with specially-selected Rhône-style yeast, and aged for 15 months. Each bottle of The Grande Syrah 2014 is individually numbered, with only 10 barrels of the wine produced in total.

Its brilliant dark crimson colour with enticing spice and exotic fruit notes ignite the senses from the outset. Delicious oak spice and a typical cool-climate Syrah pepper persist onto the palate, which is young and lively, combining juicy Shiraz purity of fruit with restrained Old World elegance. A seamless integration of oak spice and oak tannin adds depth and complexity to the wine, rounding off a truly impressive drinking experience.

Heritage Collection: Black Angus 2014
While the superlative Syrah emanates sophistication, the Black Angus 2014 epitomises the estate’s history. As well as its wines, Boschendal is also famed for its ethically reared Angus cattle. The Black Angus is named in homage to the cattle, and has a 66% Shiraz base, rounded off by Petit Verdot (12%), Cabernet Sauvignon (11%) and Cabernet Franc (11%). This is the original ‘estate blend’ of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon that Boschendal launched in the 1980s under the Grand Reserve label.

Duckitt added more complexity and intricacy to the blend with the addition of Petit Verdot for richness and the Cabernet Franc for style and sophistication (neither of which were available on the estate in the 1980s). This has add a rounded complexity to the wine. All four varieties were separately vinified, malolactic fermented and barrel matured for 18 months, before being blended and bottled in the new Boschendal Heritage Bottle in July 2016.

The wine, with each bottle also individually numbered, mesmerizes with a beautiful ruby colour, and first impression of berry and plum aromas layered with winter spice and roast cacao bean complexity. The entry is smooth and rich leading to sumptuous ripe mulberry, black cherry and cassis flavours etched with black pepper and oak spice on the palate. The finish is long and moreish, with tremendous texture and lingering fruit concentration. It is a taste immersion worth savouring, and returning to.

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09.22.17

James Wilkinson scoops top prize in the SAICA Top 35 under 35 CA(SA) competition

BY Fast Company SA 4 MINUTE READ

The Top 35-under-35 competition is a competition launched by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) in 2014 to recognise its young CA(SA) achievers. It has proved to be a huge success in recognizing and exposing young CAs(SA) under the age of 35 who are not just achieving extraordinary results in their professional capacity, but also having an immense impact on society.

Ayanda Kanana (35), Managing Executive at Metropolitan Trading Company (SOC) Ltd, won the award in the public sector category, while Francois Herbst (30), MD of House of Growth (Pty) Ltd, won the entrepreneur category. Due to the high standard of the candidates in the competition, two additional awards were also announced. Robert Zwane (34), Director: Education & Transformation at the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors, won the special award for power of professional thinking: education, and Tyron Barnard (31), Head of Audit Training at KPMG, won the special award for out of the ordinary.

The winners are considered the cream of the crop among this year’s under 35 CAs(SA), who have shed blood, sweat and tears to achieve their career aspirations. Indeed, all 35 finalists are individuals who have not only successfully pursued their career dreams, but who have excelled and moved swiftly through the ranks to lead operations within notable organisations.

Being the first recipient of the very first PwC CEO Innovation Award, when James moved on to Distell he of course took along his innovative spirit. At Distell, James is Group General Manager for Business Improvement with a team of about 20 professionals within Group Corporate Finance.

James Wilkinson not only understands the issues affecting our country but is very determined to do his part to making South Africa succeed. Those who know him well, say he is one of those rare individuals who understands that leadership and service are inextricably linked.

Public sector category winner, Ayanda Kanana, is resilient and motivated by challenges. Post articles, Ayanda joined the Deloitte Learning Team and through that role, he influenced professional lives of trainees as a learning manager and also developed a keen interest in the public sector.

‘My journey in the public sector began in 2010 when I became a member of Municipal Owned Entities’ Audit Committees,’ says Ayanda. ‘There was a drive by the National Government to ensure that all government entities and departments were to achieve clean audits by year 2014, an initiative formulated by the late Sicelo Shiceka, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, in 2009. I took this Operation Clean Audit 2014 initiative as my opportunity to make a difference in the public sector. This marked the beginning of my career in government.’

Entrepreneur category winner, Francois Herbst, an experienced serial entrepreneur, was born with one serious entrepreneurial spirit. He is a life optimist and strategic-minded business man who has learned that networking and building strong relationships are the bridge between education and success.

Francois is the founder and Managing Director of the business advisory and consulting firm House of Growth. He is super-skilled in leveraging strong entrepreneurial expertise in corporate and financial transactions while pioneering, establishing and directing start-up companies and investment projects. To date, Francois has successfully secured R40 million in investment capital to finance start-up companies and investment projects.

‘As a business consultant for small and medium enterprises, I get to assist numerous entrepreneurs with the design and implementation of their financial structures, as well as their strategic planning. I see first-hand the growth of these individuals and their businesses. I am fortunate to find myself in an environment where I keep on learning, keep on challenging myself, and keep on growing as an individual and professional. To achieve this has been one of my career highlights,’ says Francois.

The SAICA Chief Executive Officer, Terence Nombembe, congratulated all the participants and especially the award winners. ‘It is indeed gratifying to see that our young CAs(SA) are committed to responsible leadership when the profession is under scrutiny for purported unethical behaviour by a minority of CAs(SA) who have not embraced the principle of doing the right thing even while no one is looking,” says Terence. “Our young CAs(SA) are a beacon of light and hope that points to the fact that our economy is in good hands, led by responsible young CA(SA) business leaders who through their commitment engender trust in the profession.”

With a panel of seven prestigious judges which included Dineshrie Pillay CA(SA) – Chairperson of the judging panel, Business Consultant and Public Speaker, Andile Khumalo CA(SA) – Presenter of Power Business on Power98.7 and Chief Investment Officer of MSG Afrika Investment Holdings, Brent Tromp CA(SA) – Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Discovery Health, Gugu Mtetwa CA(SA) – Non-executive Director, Sanjay Galal CA(SA) – CFO of Syspro, Njabulo Nyawo CA(SA) – Financial Insights Lead at Standard Bank and Michael Mchugh – Team Leader: Investec Private Bank, each finalist was interviewed personally where an overall winner is selected along with three category winners: entrepreneur, corporate and public sector and two special award winners: power of professional thinking – education, and out of the ordinary.

Speaking of the three category winners, one of the judges – Andile Khumalo said: ‘James Wilkinson is an all-round top candidate. Confident, ambitious and has already achieved so much at his age. Francois Herbst is nothing short of brilliant. His story and his focus are something special. Ayanda Kanana is a humble yet steadfast young man who has taken the road less travelled and put his career firmly on the line to ensure government does the right things and serves its people.’

The competition’s proud sponsors are Investec, PPS and Syspro who have recognised the value of the competition as it provides a platform to recognise young CAs(SA), both nationally and internationally, who are bringing about a valuable contribution to the economy of South Africa.

About SAICA

The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), South Africa’s pre-eminent accountancy body, is widely recognised as one of the world’s leading accounting institutes. The Institute provides a wide range of support services to more than 42 000 members and associates who are chartered accountants [CAs(SA)], as well as AGAs(SA) and ATs(SA), who hold positions as CEOs, MDs, board directors, business owners, chief financial officers, auditors and leaders in every sphere of commerce and industry, and who play a significant role in the nation’s highly dynamic business sector and economic development.

SAICA Media Contact:

Kulani Chauke
Communication Coordinator: Corporate
SAICA Brand Division
011 479 0698
[email protected]
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The Growth Academy community grows by 1,000 entrepreneurs in just one week

BY Fast Company SA 2 MINUTE READ

Over 1,000 entrepreneurs flocked to The Growth Academy last week, to access the podcast and workshop series that claims to offer entrepreneurs the exact guidance they need to ‘move from idea to business in just 90 days’. The company aims to fill the gap around entrepreneurship education in South Africa, and rapidly increase the rate of entrepreneurs, which has declined 3% from 2015 to 2016 (GEM, 2017).

Lauren Davies, Founder of virtual business incubator The Growth Academy will be running a series of workshops throughout October, called ‘Start your business right’, starting in Cape Town October 3rd. These workshops and supporting online programs will provide step-by-step content for entrepreneurs, focused on business strategy, getting started online, finding and acquiring customers, and managing and scaling a profitable business.

Davies says this initiative came about after finding that it is not enthusiasm holding South Africans back from entrepreneurial activity, but rather a gap in entrepreneurship education at all levels.

“There’s a lot of chat and countless incubator programs, but I’m not seeing anything out there that truly supports the little guy – the first-time entrepreneur who just needs a hand to get started,” she says.

This is supported by the 2016/2017 GEM Report, finding that while Africa has the highest level of entrepreneurial intention at 42%, just 6.9% of the South African population engaged in entrepreneurial activity last year (putting the country at 51st out of the 64 countries surveyed).

This same report also details expert ratings of the South African entrepreneurial ecosystem rating it’s entrepreneurship education at post-school stage at 57 out of the 65 countries surveyed.

Davies says “as a first-time entrepreneur, it can be near impossible to know where to find information, and how best to invest your limited time and money – and this is where I want to help”.

“For example, I’ve heard countless stories about entrepreneurs who have paid R15000 or more having a website built by a supposed ‘expert’, only to find they can’t use it, edit it and/or it doesn’t meet their business needs. This is absurd when anyone can build their own website in just a few short days, provided they have the right guidance.”

This workshop series comes off the back of the huge traction gained by ‘The First 90 days’ podcast, launched just 10 days ago – a collaboration between The Growth Academy and US-based venture builder WotWot Ventures.

This podcast follows the 90-day journey of building startup ‘Upski’, a website performance monitoring tool. It shares conversations between Davies and Berman, co-founder of WotWot Ventures, as well as free templates of the exact documents they’re using to start and grow the business.

“We are overwhelmed by the response to the podcast so far – it makes it clear there is a need for this type of content and education in the market. We were initially hoping to reach 3,000 entrepreneurs in three months, but have now upped our target to 10,000!” says Davies.

Davies explains that the workshop series will build on the concepts discussed in the podcast, allowing entrepreneurs to start their own journey ‘from idea to business in 90 days.’ The plan after this initial workshop series is to roll out their scalable virtual incubator model, providing online content, access to expert mentors, and a private community of ’90 day’ entrepreneurs.

The Cape Town workshop is scheduled for October 3rd at Rise in Woodstock, tickets available here:
https://www.quicket.co.za/events/35122-start-your-business-right-i-with-lauren-davies-i-the-growth-academy/

Other locations will be announced in the coming weeks through The Growth Academy Facebook page.

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09.04.17

SA Most Creative People: Maria Pienaar

BY Fast Company SA 3 MINUTE READ

With two decades of experience in the San Francisco and Silicon Valley tech industry under her belt—a thriving period in which she launched over 30 successful wireless and Internet applications — Maria Pienaar is the perfect person to usher in the next generation of world-changing small businesses from South Africa.

After starting her career in the data network stem of Telkom, helping to shape the country’s communications market,
she was part of the team that launched Vodacom—now one of the most successful arms of Vodafone’s international network. To add to an already impressive CV, Pienaar also had a notable stint at Cell C as CIO. Despite many challenges, she helped launch the first Wi-Fi Calling service in Africa, and initiated innovative partnerships with the likes of Facebook.
At the end of last year, Blue Label Telecoms and Blue Pencil Management launched a boutique business accelerator programme, Blue Label Ventures, and it was no surprise when Pienaar was called upon to join as founding director. She works closely with co-founder and long- term business partner Tallies Taljaard, who has been commercialising, coaching and mentoring scale-up technology businesses for more than a decade.
Given Pienaar’s in-depth knowledge of the telecoms and technology ecosystem, she is an “invaluable” talent to have on board, says Taljaard, in identifying early- growth companies in which to invest. Though Pienaar adds, “My tech background is not the most important factor in deciding where to invest, but it does help us in evaluating the product and market when we make technology investments. It’s important to have a diverse investment team with business, financial and technology expertise when assessing tech investments.”
The investment process is extensive and involves assessing market value, guaranteeing market demand, and exhaustively understanding the technology platform — with one eye always on international and scalable growth. “We get involved in the global strategy with the management teams of the companies in which we invest,” says Pienaar. “It’s important to bring a ‘think big’ approach to accelerating scale-up businesses—and having enterprise experience and exposure doesn’t hurt.”
The accelerator aims to invest in up to 10 companies over the next three years,in diverse markets ranging from enterprise security and business process automation, to machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Pienaar is well aware of industry barriers that stif le innovation and creativity, bemoaning the “not- invented-here syndrome” in particular for holding back South African tech development. It refers to the problematic resistance of open innovation by large and small organisations seeking to sustain a competitive edge. Those afflicted suffer by looking the other way when ideas or technology, intrinsically valuable to their own endeavours, emerge. “We also need to get corporates closer to the incubation phase of tech. Their input, validation and feedback is critical to enable startups to execute on the com- mercialisation of their business,” she adds.
A self-proclaimed “life- long learner”, Pienaar diligently keeps up to date with the insights of thought leaders in the world of business, technology and a number of other diverse sectors—educating herself and her peers by bringing innovative and opposing perspectives to the table.

“I’m a personal coach to early-stage entrepreneurs and am passionate about the personal development of people. To create successful companies, we need motivated, creative and innovated leaders.”

Driving communication between colleagues throughout all stages of development, she adds, is indispensable to the creative and productive enterprise.“According to a Stanford Research Institute study done in the 2000s, 80% of the way we learn is through collaboration and discussions with peers in our networks. [Harvard Business School professor] Clay Christensen says two of the skills in the DNA of an innovator are questioning and collaboration.”

While the entrepreneurial community here has creativity in abundance, they “lack the financial and other key support structures to grow and scale”. “We need to look at separate support structures to grow and scale lifestyle-type entrepreneurs — who will create the majority of jobs in the country—and technology entrepreneurs, who are looking at scaling globally.”
With Maria Pienaar in the driving seat, Blue Label Ventures is sure to deliver on its promise of providing a much-needed platform for developing innovative, fast- growing tech businesses into globally competitive companies.
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Yes, you can be a tech entrepreneur!

BY Fast Company SA 2 MINUTE READ

So, you have an idea for a product. A beauty. Nothing complicated like a cure for cancer or a drip-free milk jug, but a unique idea solving a real problem. And you believe there are enough real people with the problem to present a decent market.

And make you some money.

Casually searching the Internet, you quickly realise this path is long and hard, starting with intimidating terms like patenting, prototyping, business models and many more casually thrown about. And you realise this is not a cheap dream, either—it will require funding. Lots of it.

But how to start? Really start, and not just talk about it? Even if you had the funding, what do you know about fundraising, proto-typing, product design, manufacturing and compliance testing? Even more distressing, what do you know about starting a business? Do you even want to be an entrepreneur?

Enter Resolution Circle. Yes, it may have an interesting name, but it plays an interesting game — your game. Resolution Circle will take your product idea, help to get the funding, design and manufacture it, and help you take it to market. That simple. It’s called the Idea- to-BarcodeTM process.

This one-of-a-kind commercial company was started in 2012, and is owned by the University of Johannesburg. It is the culmination of two years of international scouting to address unique problems in South Africa. After borrowing the best bits of advice and experience from around the world, Resolution Circle was started with over R380 million in investment. Five years later, and commercialising more than 80 products,

Resolution Circle (now with an army of 500 people) is in a unique position to help technology entrepreneurs commercialise their products. Including yours.

It starts with a discussion of your idea, usually after signing an NDA (a document where we promise not to tell others about your idea). If there is a patenting opportunity, this will be done by the resident patent attorney (it’s handy to have one close by). Your idea will then be developed from both a technical and business perspective to end in a funding application. You will obviously also receive some technology- based entrepreneurial training; you must start and drive a business, after all.

After receiving funding and surviving the celebration, the hard work begins. A detailed project plan is developed with you, and the engines are started. This includes technical issues like design, prototyping (amazingly, Resolution Circle has 12 different types of these), engineering, industrialisation, small- scale manufacturing and even marketing. Resolution Circle only stops when you have enough product to make your first R1 million. Depending on the deal, the company may even help you sell the product through its own network of partners.

All the way, you will have access to experts, advice, training and support to help you through the tough times.

That’s Resolution Circle.

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08.29.17

4 Common Cybersecurity Mistakes to Avoid

BY Fast Company SA < 1 MINUTE READ

While many business owners say that they are aware of cyber- crime, many still make the same mistakes. Here are four tips on how to make your business less vulnerable:



[dropcap size=small]1[/dropcap] – Connect with a secure service provider
The points of entry into a business network have increased due to Bring @ Your Own Device (BYOD) business decisions,
migration to cloud-based systems, and moving to wireless access as primary means of connectivity. Effective IT security must include strong IT governance and the right partner or technology selections.
[dropcap size=small]2[/dropcap] – Always have a firewall
Over 75% of cybercrime targets small businesses—don’t be a statistic. Protect your business with The Virtual Firewall. This cost-effective alternative for low-bandwidth network links or hosting environments offers a dedicated firewall— including firewall configuration, administration, monitoring and support—to protect corporate data and systems in a round-the- clock managed solution hosted in South Africa by MTN Business.
[dropcap size=small]3[/dropcap] – Don’t click on unsafe links
Clicking on links in emails, on social media platforms and in online advertising is a common way to compromise your
device. MTN Email Security Suite helps protect against malicious email spam and phishing attempts, and provides a means of recovering emails in the event of mail accounts or a computer being compromised by malware.
[dropcap size=small]4[/dropcap] – Stay updated
Keeping your security software and operating system current is the best defence against online threats. Symantec Endpoint Protection hosted by MTN provides intrusion protection, proactive threat protection and anti-virus protection against viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, bots and adware.
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