The City of Johannesburg’s new administration has recently announced that it will continue to support the recently launched Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct as well as other information and communications technology-related programmes in Braamfontein.
This announcement came from the newly-appointed MMC for finance, Rabalani Dagada, who stated that the City’s political leadership will continue to support these programmes and also planned to build on the many successes that have been recorded as a result of the city’s clear focus on these areas.
The precinct aims to promote the creation of start-up digital technology companies by young entrepreneurs and to provide skills development.
Speaking of the City’s partnership on the precinct plan was executive director of economic development for the City, Ravi Naidoo, who emphasised the role it would play in the growth of the city.
“Johannesburg is responsible for 40 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and for 10 per cent of the African continent’s GDP; these facts will ensure that the Tshimologong Precinct becomes the digital hub of our new smart city – and the Silicon Valley of the African continent,” said Naidoo.
Adding to this was Barry Dwolatzky, chief executive officer of the Joburg Centre for Software Engineering, who highlighted the necessity of the partnership and support from the City. “A task of this magnitude would be impossible without the reinforcement of the City and government backing and policy support,” he said.
The Tshimologong partnership integrates the University of the Witwatersrand, City of Joburg administration and major ICT-related corporates and forms part of the City’s goal to ensure it becomes a Smart City by 2020.
The City has been a partner from the outset in the development of the precinct, including having co-founded the Wits-based JCSE in 2005, and since 2014, has intensified its partnership with the university and invested in the installation of an extension of its B-Wired fibre network to enable seamless connectivity.
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