DURING this time of crisis and uncertainty, caused by the global pandemic and the resultant economic recession, there are increasing levels of provincial unemployment cited to be as high as 48.9%.
However, amid the gloom, Propella Business Incubator believes that there is an opportunity for economic transformation through accelerating support to the SMME sector, specifically the use of ICT and innovation to build the local economy.
Through a partnership with the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda), Propella Business Incubator is expanding its incubation footprint into the townships of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, by establishing a satellite ICT and digital technology incubator as a catalyst for township transformation and job creation.
Propella board member, Dr Ricardo Dames, said that the aim was to ensure that incubation services were brought closer to local communities. “It is also to ensure that aspiring and emerging entrepreneurs have access to services that will help them become part of the local and mainstream ICT economy.”
Situated in the Neave Township Industrial Park, the facility is perfectly located for easy accessibility to the surrounding communities and direct links to market opportunities within local industries, especially those in the proximity of the innovation precinct.
The Propella Satellite Incubator will offer a range of incubation and business development support services to mitigate the risk of failure for emerging entrepreneurs in the early stages of start-up.
Through on-site or virtual ICT support services and a development platform, Propella Satellite Incubator will offer aspiring entrepreneurs with viable digital or technology ideas, the opportunity to transform their ideas into viable businesses.
Local branch manager of Seda, Andile Yengeni, said that through leveraging diverse partnerships, the Propella Satellite Incubator would identify possible links for incubatees to access market opportunities and offer ICT-related products, services and solutions linked to the demands of the market.
“We aim to bring about a new generation and next level youth innovators and developers that can bring tech solutions to address the challenges we all face through increased use of information, communication and technology,” Yengeni added.
As it is aligned to the main Propella Business Incubator, the Propella Satellite Incubator will focus on four key areas of new venture development, namely, enterprise development, product or technology development, customer validation and entrepreneurial development.
The facility will offer incubatees access to co-working space, a fully equipped auditorium, meeting rooms, a boardroom and a maker-space lab for design thinking and product development.
Incubatees will have access to a team of experienced mentors and coaches to guide them through their business development journey and participate in a series of training workshops, boot camps and webinars.
Propella is in the process of screening, selecting, and recruiting aspiring Tech/ICT entrepreneurs to apply to join the first cohort of incubatees for the new Propella Satellite Incubator.
To join the incubation programme, all you need is an innovative business idea within the ICT/Technology/4IR space.
Propella Satellite Incubator as a satellite branch of the Propella main hub is the go-to hub where township, technology and transformation meet to bring new ideas in the ICT and digital sector to realisation.
