From left to right Tsietsi Maleho, Manager, Corporate Affairs, The Innovation Hub, Marcia Glenn, Senior Advisor, USAID, Angela Abrahams, Programs Manager, Youth Development Trust, Ref, US Embassy Representative and Ntutule Tshenye, CEO, Youth Development Trust. - - - - - Photographs below: Students taking part in the SmartCity Project at The Innovation Hub

Turning Tshwane into a smart city

A group of unemployed tertiary graduates from Tshwane is being groomed to become high-tech entrepreneurs to the overall benefit of the City of Tshwane. The group is participating in the SmartCity Project, a joint initiative by the Youth Development Trust, The Innovation Hub and Tshwane Metropolitan Council. The technology support for the project is being provided by Khanyisa Real Systems, while USAID has supplied the funding.

"Grooming young black entrepreneurs to actively participate in the high-tech sector is important to help increase the skills pools in this vitally important domain. The SmartCity Project is a tangible response to this challenge and has resulted from the relationships we have built with our key stakeholders," says Tsietsi Maleho, Corporate Affairs Manager at The Innovation Hub.

The group of students started their intensive training at The Innovation Hub in March this year. The training focuses on life skills, project management, entrepreneurship and the development of technical skills with an emphasis on SMS technology. The ultimate goal of the project is to establish a company that can apply SMS technology to provide the Tshwane Municipality with messaging services and billing alerts. This will greatly enhance the Municipality's ability to communicate with residents regarding issues that affect them, such as rates and taxes, municipal services and important announcements.

"This project is an opportunity for young people to grow and make something of themselves. We are privileged to be the first group in the project and are determined to make it a success," says Jay-Jay Tswai, one of the students in the project.

The training is scheduled for a period of three months, followed by a stringent selection process to identify the students that will take the start-up company into the pre-incubation programme at the Hub's maxum Business Incubator. The deliverables of the pre-incubation phase include a viable business plan, market research and pricing structures. Office space and a dedicated mentor forms part of the pre-incubation process to support the young entrepreneurs in growing their business. This phase will be sponsored by the Finnish Embassy with the intention of linking up with a company in Finland that provides a similar service.

"The project is of great potential benefit to the City of Tshwane, while also helping young black entrepreneurs to grow and participate gainfully in the economy," says fellow student Phumudzo Silimela.

And according to Marcia Glenn, Senior Advisor of the Africa Regional Urban Programmes at USAID, who visited The Innovation Hub in April this year to meet the SmartCity Project candidates, "The project is addressing the problem of unemployment and encouraging the spirit of entrepreneurship. Locating the project at The Innovation Hub will also enable the students to interact and share ideas with tenants at maxum."

The SmartCity Project will be officially launched on 14 June 2005 at The Innovation Hub. For more information, contact Tsietsi Maleho on tel +27 12 844 0023.

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