Trade, Industry and Competition hosts workshops to bring essential services closer to Northern Cape entrepreneurs, innovators and business, 18 to 20 Feb

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), in collaboration with the Northern Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism, the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (SEDFA), and the Phokwane Regional Innovation Networking Platform (PRINP), will host a series of workshops aimed at bringing essential services closer to entrepreneurs, innovators, and the broader business community, including companies interested in procuring locally developed innovative products.

According to the Deputy Director-General of Investment and Spatial Industrial Development  at the dtic, Mr Yunis Hoosen, the purpose of the series of thes grassroots innovation workshops is to unearth technologies from underdeveloped communities and townships, create networking platforms for technology development and commercialisation, focused technology development and innovative thinking at grassroots levels.

“This is a series of workshops setup to form partnerships and gain better understanding of the needs of innovators to enable the development or adjustment of existing instruments to meet their needs. The workshops will be held in at two other rural provinces after its successful implementation in the Northern Cape,” says Hoosen.

He adds that the dtic will also present the Khoebo Innovation Promotion Programme (KIPP) initiative aimed at aiding Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) and start-ups to stimulate the township and rural economies through providing both financial and non-financial support, for market entry of locally developed innovative products and services, across all sectors of the economy.

“KIPP’s objective is to enable early-stage innovative SMME’s to penetrate the market with their locally developed innovations resulting in a more competitive economic environment and thereby facilitating economic growth in the South African Economy.The programme was formed in 2020 and has to-date funded more than 42 projects from a wide range of economic sectors with R160 million committed,” he says.

Hoosen also points out that grassroots Innovators from the various districts including students from Sol Plaatje University, Northern Cape Further Education and Training (FET),  and Kathu FET will participate in the workshops.

The details of the workshops are as follows: 

Media enquiries and interview requests:
Bongani Lukhele – Director: Media Relations
Tel: (012) 394 1643
Mobile: 079 5083 457
WhatsApp: 074 2998 512
E-mail: BLukhele@thedtic.gov.za

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