MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES’ VISIT TO THE INNOVATION HUB MET WITH SUCCESS

Tshwane, 03 February 2020. In recognition of the need for partnership in addressing South Africa’s
challenges regarding economic development, job creation and innovation, The
Innovation Hub recently had the honour of hosting the Minister of
Communications and Digital Technologies, Ms Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams. The visit,
which took place on 24 January in the presence of key role players from The
Innovation Hub (TIH), was arranged to showcase TIH’s capabilities in business
incubation and technological development focused on skills development, in
order to determine areas of common interest and collaboration between the
Department and The Innovation Hub.

Advocate Pieter Holl, The Innovation Hub CEO and
Mr Tsietsi Maleho, General Manager for Partnerships, provided the Minister with
insights into the various enterprise and skills development initiatives which
help local entrepreneurs address social, technological and environmental
challenges through sustainable business development. One such offering is the The
Innovation Hub’s eKasiLabs initiative, which offers business development
support, advice, infrastructure and networking and funding opportunities to
start-ups in various townships. “It is vital for us to not just focus on the
start-ups on our precinct here in Tshwane, but to leverage our resources to the
wider community to ensure that they don’t get left behind in the Fourth
Industrial Revolution (4IR). There are many business opportunities out there,
and we want to empower people with an entrepreneurial mindset to develop in a
way that is sustainable and far-reaching,” said Mr Tsietsi Maleho.

Aside from this focus on the township
economy, The Innovation Hub also has programmes helping companies in the key
sectors of smart industries (including ICT and advanced manufacturing), Bio-economy
and the Green economy. The myriad ways in which The Innovation Hub contributes
to South Africa’s economic development while taking into account the country’s
urgent need for skills and technological development was not lost on Minister
Ndabeni-Abrahams. Her address to the The Innovation Hub team was inspiring and
encouraging.

“To really address our country’s challenges,
we don’t just need entrepreneurs, we need innovators. Everything you have said
to me this morning – your emphasis on solution-driven work and helping entrepreneurs
with an evidence-based approach to the challenges we are faced with – this is
just what we need,” said the Minister. “As government, and through our work
with SITA, we need to stop producing resellers of other people’s technology and
products. We need to give more South Africans the opportunities to develop the
capabilities and products we need here, and I see this is exactly what you as
The Innovation Hub are doing.”

Minister Ndabeni-Abrahams spoke about the state
of innovation that is currently lacking in the country, stating that new
solutions should be embraced. “We need to look at the wider innovative
solutions being presented to us, and not reject what we do not know. We do not
know everything, and looking at locally-developed solutions to local challenges
is the way forward. We are entirely too dependent on foreign technology.”
Recognising that good ideas need time and space to grow, the Minister
highlighted the importance of strong incubation and business development
programmes.

“We have the solutions you need, Minister,”
said MEC for Economic Development, Agriculture and Environment, Ms Morakane
Mosupyoe. “When you learn more about the depth of our plans, you will realise
we need to get married,” she jokes. “Proposal accepted”, laughed the Minister.

The visit concluded with a tour of various
tenants of The Innovation Hub, which provided the Minister with a first-hand
view of the solutions being developed and the services offered to start-ups.  Entrepreneurs had the opportunity to pitch to
the Minister, who had sound advice to offer.

The Innovation Hub- “#We guide today so that you can
build tomorrow”.

Ends

Visit:

www.theinnovationhub.com

For more information, please contact:

Linah Nematandani

Communication and
Marketing Manager

lnematandani@theinnovationhub.com

(+27) 12 844 0030/ (+27) 71 673 9964

Twitter: @InnovHub

Facebook: InnovhubZA

About GGDA                                          

The Gauteng Growth and
Development Agency (GGDA), is an agency of the Gauteng Department of Economic
Development (GDED). GGDA is the implementing arm of the GDED and assists the
department in leading, facilitating and managing sustainable job creation and
inclusive economic growth and development in the Gauteng City Region.

About
The Innovation Hub

The Innovation Hub, a
subsidiary of the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GGDA) is the
innovation agency of the Gauteng province and is responsible for managing Africa’s
first internationally accredited Science and Technology Park of the same name,
and is a full member of the International Association of Science Parks (IASP). Strategically
located in Tshwane, South Africa’s executive capital in the ‘smart’ province of
Gauteng, The Innovation Hub implements initiatives identified in the Gauteng
Innovation Strategy and Green Economy strategy to advance the economic
development and growth of the Province through innovation.  The Innovation Hub has created unique spaces,
in Tshwane and the rest of the Gauteng province, for high-tech entrepreneurs,
world-class businesses, academics, researchers and venture capitalists to meet,
network and prosper.

For more information visit www.theinnovationhub.com