McLean Sibanda

Role of ICT in the digital economy and as a catalyst

for the support and growth of the SMMEs10th March 2016

Key ICT and Digital Society Trends

2

• Democratisation of technology (e.g. 3D printing, mobile apps & OTT)

• Innovation emerging at the edge (e.g. home-based care/ diagnosis)

• Creates opportunities for upstart entrepreneurs to use technology

and build new markets incrementally, at low up-front cost

Digital Business and Technologies3

Digital customer

experience more

important than

product or business

model innovation

Speed is displacing

cost as main criteria

for buying services

(and products)

Augmented human action/

decision-making is

mainstreamed

Digital Business

Strategic Predictions*

*Gartner (2014). Top 10 Strategic Predictions for 2015 and Beyond: Digital Business Is Driving 'Big Change'.

**McKinsey (2013). Disruptive technologies: Advances that will transform life, business, and the global economy

• Disruptive business

developed by an algorithm

• Digital assistants will be

trusted with decision-making

Cloud tech

3D

printing

Next-gen genomics

Internet of things

Automation of

knowledge work

Mobile internetEnabling Technologies/ Methods**

• Smart infrastructure

• Industry 4.0

• Preventative healthcare (e.g.

wearables)

• Hyper-customisation

(incl. location)

• Payments

anytime/where

• Personalised production

part of extended

manufacturing

Advanced

robotics

P2P, Social &

Blockchain

User Empathy• Design thinking

• Social innovation

• Anonymous / trustless

transactions

• Social economy

• Industry 4.0

• Assistive devices

• Democratising access to

supercomputing (e.g. AWS)

4

Healthcare Innovation: At the home5

6

Healthcare Innovation: Democratisation?

7

Mobile Will Continue to be Significant

Particularly in Developing Countries

• Mobile penetration is still relatively low in Africa

• Mobile solutions substitute for traditional services (e.g. in

banking)

• Mobile has low barrier to entry (cost, convenience) for

SMMEs using the technology, and for new app entrepreneurs

Untapped Mobile Opportunity8

GSMA (2015). Mobile Economy Report

Mobile Services in Developing Countries9

GSMA (2015). Mobile Economy Report

Mobile as

Substitute

for Formal

Banking in

Sub-Saharan

Africa

10

Township and Rural Connectivity111

Smart Infrastructure/ Utilities (IoT/M2M)122

M-Health: Low-Cost, Remote Diagnosis133

14

Connecting entrepreneurs to developers

and opportunities

• Traditional ICT companies want to understand emerging

problems/ opportunities in key verticals (e.g. agriculture, education

health)

• Open innovation initiatives connect diverse groups

• Entrepreneurs are engaging developers at hackathons and ICT

clusters to co-create solutions to opportunities they have

identified

15

Hackathons AcceleratorsHubs/

Incubators

▪ Open or closed

▪ Multiple temporary

roles (BA, developer,

designed)

▪ Rapid prototyping

Innovation

Enabler

Examples

Clusters/ Regions

▪ Cohort of 10-30

entrepreneurs

▪ Targeted training on

specific theme (e.g.

fintech)

▪ Exposure to investors

▪ Co-working space

▪ Specialised

professional services

(e.g. IP lawyers)

▪ Seed funding

▪ University, pvt or govt

▪ Industry and SMME

anchors in a region

▪ Close to skills:

universities/ colleges

▪ Work and live in same

area

Accelerators, Hubs and Clusters

Solution Exchange

Platform

Private

Companies

SOEs

Govt Depts

Universities

Research

Institutes

SMMEs

Publish innovation

challenges & respond

to tech offers

Submit innovation

responses & push

technology offers

Actively mediated

business transaction

Solution

Seekers

Solution

Providers

The Innovation HubOpen Innovation Solution Exchange (OpenIX): Building Linkages

The Innovation HubTraditional Incubators to Specialised Incubation / Ideation Spaces

In collaboration with WITS

University / JCSE1. digital and gaming

2. Validation and eGovernment

18

Soweto

Ga-Rankuwa

Tembisa

Sebokeng

Mohlakeng

Existing Planned 16/17

eKasi Lab township innovation/

incubation centres

The Innovation Hub eKasiLabs and CodeTribe programmes (in

collaboration with mLab) focusing on inclusive innovation within

the townships and supporting township based entrepreneurs and

SMME to access market opportunities. Three high potential

areas of engagement:

1. SELECTION

Build new township-based entrepreneurs

by investing in technology and business

development at eKasiLabs

3. INCUBATION

Treasury database of

7000+ township-based

entrepreneurs. The

Innovation Hub

database of 8000+

innovators, majority

are SMMEs

Unearth/ stimulate new entrepreneurs

through innovation competitions in

townships & universities

Search and select suitable candidates from

existing databases of tech entrepreneurs

2. SOURCINGGAP ICT innovation

competitions run

annually. R600k seed

funding awarded for

product/ business

development

Alexandra

www.theinnovationhub.com/gap

The Innovation HubeKasiLabs: supporting township Entrepreneurs and SMMEs

Thank You

19