South African tech initiative, Silicon Cape has launched its new strategic plan, as well as a new membership model to enable the accelerated inclusion of tech start-ups and grow the dynamism of the local ecosystem.
The new strategy is to connect stakeholders, amplify stories of the continent’s tech innovators, advocate on behalf of the ecosystem, build networks for student entrepreneurs and build connections with other hubs across the continent.
The first Africa 2021 Strategic Plan unveiled by Silicon Cape comes with a new membership model for those seeking to connect with the local and global tech scene.
Silicon Cape’s new membership model offers different plans. They start at R500 and provide local and global innovation stakeholders curated access to the ecosystem, access to resources and marketing opportunities on the organisation’s platform.
Membership also incorporates bespoke tech tours to highlight what key start-ups and innovation spaces are doing in the ecosystem.
Also See: 5 Strategic Social Media Platforms You Can Use To Boost Your Business
There is also a strong focus on building networks for student entrepreneurship in order to capitalise on and, accelerate the rising number of student ventures.
Silicon Cape has created a model that benchmarks itself against international best practice and has been effectively used to achieve financial independence and sustainability.
The shift away from a single source of corporate or government donor funding aligns to the strategic goal of simulating inclusivity and ensuring long-term financial sustainability for the same reason. Critically, the new model allows Silicon Cape to hold a closer working relationship with a wider range of stakeholders through clearly articulated relationships.
“Silicon Cape’s new Africa-first membership model launch gave them an opportunity to update their members on what they are doing in helping us create this amazing ecosystem, this tech innovative space, where we can do things in Africa for Africa,” said, the Western Cape minister of economic opportunities, Alan Winde.
He continued “What stood out for me from the launch is how they’ve come up with an innovative model where no one member can take an overbearing role in the organisation and I believe that in itself will be an innovative way in which business chambers and other sector bodies are going to look at the way they fund themselves. This is the most amazing way for government to become a member of an organisation like Silicon Cape.”
