Entrepreneurism highlights Western Cape as centre of innovation!

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The Western Cape Minister of Economic Opportunities Alan Winde presented 12 entrepreneurs in the province with Design Innovation Seed Fund monies earlier this week, R6,5 million in total.

A joint venture between the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism and the Technology Innovation Agency, the project is co-ordinated by the Cape Craft and Design Institute (CCDI). Minister Winde said that the recipients were ‘creating solutions for the world’, and that they are ‘building the brand of the Western Cape as a centre of innovation’. ‘You are showing the world that the entrepreneurs at the tip of the continent are smart, they have great ideas and that this is an exciting space to take ideas to action’, he added.

Minister Winde highlighted South African entrepreneurs who have created a name for themselves internationally: ‘We see South Africans like Mark Shuttleworth and Elon Musk who are changing the world because they invested in their ideas. Seeing the ideas of the entrepreneurs here today, I’m confident that South Africa’s next big innovator will come from the Design Park’.

The Western Cape Design sector contributes R14 billion to the National GDP, with the potential to grow to R20 million, and has created 14000 employment opportunities.

The 12 entrepreneur funding recipient companies are:

Pro Project Engineering, based in Kuils River – Automatic bag packing machine for use in several industries, including food and beverage
PURIS, based in Paarl – Method of increasing production of Soloton, a natural aroma chemical
Sea Monster, based in Gardens – Production of digital content and animation which can be integrated into school curriculum
Go Metro, based in Tygervalley – A back-end analytics tool that measures the performance of all modes of transport
ASHTECH, based in Ottery – Reporting and monitoring system for food safety industry, which can be used on smartphones and tablets
iMobiMaMa, based in Claremont – Interactive health services platform, using mobile technology to connect with pregnant women
Forge Technologies, based in Woodstock – Rewards-based mathematics and physical science game aimed at high school pupils in Grade 10 -12
Nervedata, based in Cape Town CBD – Smart devices to track key operational data, including assets and staff, for businesses
Ajax Manufacturing, based in Paarden Eiland – High-resistant aluminium pole climbing shoes for professionals working on electrical or phone lines
Stroketech, based in Vredenburg – Waterproof headsets for swimmers and extreme watersport athletes, allowing real time communication and audio
Ecoequilibrium, based in Landsdowne – Solar-powered pool cleaner
Sinemac, based in Maitland – Solar disconnector