The SABTIA Africa Tech Conference, in partnership with the City of Eukurhuleni and Monash SA, has kicked off with Minister Lindiwe Zulu addressing key priorities for re-energising business incubation programmes in South Africa.

[City of Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, September 25] International industry experts are in attendance at the First Africa Tech Conference, hosted by the Southern Africa Business and Technology Incubation Association (SABTIA) in partnership with the City of Ekurhuleni and Monash SA.  The two-day conference, held at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg, is focusing on innovation in business incubation and acceleration, repositioning the sector to prepare and sustain the entrepreneurship ecosystem for the future.   

Speaking at the event, Minister Lindiwe Zulu, highlighted the critical need to reduce the crippling effects of government bureaucracy on small business growth.    “Africa is no longer playing catch up with the rest of the world, we are competing with it.  And we are competing in a digital economy with a rate of change faster than the world has seen for the last 300 years.  Through SEDA and initiatives like the SABTIA Tech Conference, we can unlock the economic potential of South African Entrepreneurs, enabling them to access high quality and innovative business support.  We also have to ensure that we are driven by local realities and ensure that our support mechanisms are relevant to the South African realities of rural and township economies.” 

Other key debates coming out of the conference include: The launch of the South Africa Business Incubation Conference in November. Integrating the new skills sets, required for Industry 4.0 and the knowledge era, into our education institutions. Ensuring the implementation of cross-departmental (transversal) agreements inside Government (i.e agreements between DSB and DST) which will support inclusive innovation and development. How to localise critical global content and best practice.

Tiro Matjiu, Founder of Uhuru shop and accelerator platform Uhuru Group, explains the biggest challenge in his sector as market access.  “Marketing in an economic downturn is tough, even more so when your industry requires a shift in consumer mindset.  Buying local is at the core of Uhuru’s SMME clients and without bold and innovative marketing strategies we will fall behind.  Industry 4.0 is a huge opportunity for growth – but it requires knowledge, mentorship and training.”   “Incubators, traditionally designed as support systems, are developing into growth acceleration mechanisms, critical to the improvement of the SMME success rate.  SABTIA aims to build a more inclusive incubation and acceleration system which will better serve small businesses and start-ups, including those in the informal sector – a sector that has largely been ignored by incubation programmes in the past,” says SABTIA Chairperson, Zaid Mohidin. 

Southern Africa Business and Technology Incubation Association (SABTIA) is an independent and private association formed to promote and coordinate business incubation in Southern Africa. SABTIA was set up to serve as the industry standard practitioner and members association, by providing the dissemination of knowledge, skills, training and expertise to the ecosystem nationally, continentally and internationally through partnerships with SEDA, DSBN, EBN as well as INBIA. 

With the industry entering a new cycle we see more and more countries not only consolidating their ecosystems but more importantly also ensuring that appropriate local models are developed in alignment with global standards. The push to cross-pollinate and to collaborate to develop effective ecosystems – with best practices and standards – is fast becoming a priority. SABTIA has been reformed to address this priority. 

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### If you would like more information about this topic or for any interview requests, please call Nicola Brown at 071 883 5584, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Spintelligent, in partnership with the Department of Basic Education and other sponsors, is hosting EduWeek Africa in Johannesburg on 15 and 16 June 2018. EduWeek is the largest and most recognised live education event in Sub-Saharan Africa. Here 170 global brands will exhibit their products and services to over 5 500 key decision makers made up of education professionals, government, resellers, distributors, NGO’s, and industry consultants.       

This year, exhibitors and guest speakers will tackle issues and solutions surrounding “Education 4.0 for Industry 4.0”. Content will address how increased automation and data exchange in most industries will put 65% of children entering primary school today in completely new job types that don’t exist yet. The onus now rests on our education system to advance and evolve in order to best empower educators and prepare our students for these new ways of working.      EduWeek Africa visitors can expect a hands-on-experience of education’s latest innovations from a strong line-up of partners which include: Microsoft, Pearson South Africa, Edit Microsystems, Epson, Clevertouch (IAS AV), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Assessment International Education and Vivlia Publishers.    

Some exciting product launches include:

• Edit Microsystems’ eSight glasses, which enables the visually impaired to see
• OverDrive’s professionally narrated audio Read-Along Audio Books, which aid in learning to read
• Retrain’s all-inclusive differentiated-learning-techniques assessment and training instrument that allows educators to tailor their teaching-style to suit their students  

Media are invited to attend the event:

• Date: 15-16 June Venue: Ticketpro Dome, Johannesburg
• Register as media: http://www.educationweek.co.za/Registrations/Step2Single/53218?code=media_kim by 15 June.
• Register as a visitor: http://www.educationweek.co.za/Registrations/Step2Single/53218?code=visi_kim by 15 June.

Attendance is free of charge.

Some of the highlights on our discussion panels include: Kenneth Kayser, co-founder and VP of Barclays Rise Open Innovation; Dr John Volmin, chairperson of Umalusi Council; Shaun Swartz, CEO of Strive Software International; Lennox Tempera, training facilitator at Brain boosters; Jeanette Viljoen, professional development manager at Think Ahead Education Solutions and many others.

To request additional information and interviews, please contact Elsa de Witt on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 072 368 0438.