Report from the first Silicon Cape Steering Committee Meeting

On the 10th of February the first Silicon Cape steering committee meeting took place in Cape Town. This was the first opportunity for the recently elected committee members to get together to discuss the path forward for the initiative and a lot of progress was made.

Discussions on the table ranged from the vision and strategy, structure and organisation of the initiative, the proposed management structure, networking events for the community and regulatory reform.

In addition to discussions various members of the committee also offered their services to key portfolios and have taken on the responsibility to define the strategy, prepare budgets, evaluate requirements and source volunteers for their respective portfolios.

The portfolios (and their owners) have been defined as follows:

Website and Online Communications: Justin Hartman, Dave Duarte

Meetings and Engagement: CPT: Andrea Bohmert, Rob Stokes, Matthew Buckland, Henk Kleynhans. JHB: Arthur Goldstuck. US: Vinny Lingham

Marketing, Awareness, Promotion and Branding: Arthur Goldstuck

Silicon Cape networking events & other events: Matthew Buckland, assisted by Henk Kleynhans

Tax, Investment Incentives, Regulatory, Legal and Environmental: Henk Kleynhans, Laurie Olivier, assisted by Andrew Thomas-Woolf

There is lots of work ahead for the committee and we’d like to formally ask the community to assist us in our mission. We have a very diverse and talented community and without your help we can’t realise the true potential of Silicon Cape. So, if you want to be a part of any of the portfolios above please let us know by sending us an email at committee@siliconcape.com, telling us what portfolio you'd like to be involved in, and we’ll get in touch with more info.

You can download the agenda and minutes from the meeting by clicking on the links below:

Silicon_Cape_First_Steering_Committee_Agenda.pdf

Silicon Cape Interim Steering Committee-Minutes 2010-02-10.pdf

Tags: cape, committee, meeting, silicon, steering

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Comment by Ian Anderson on April 24, 2010 at 10:47am: Hi Guys, I would like to see where my "Energise Africa" initiative could fit with Silicon Cape in terms of:

I am running the incentive under my company name of CyberAfrica.

CyberAfrica is a vision and now a B2B dedicated to transformation and developement of enabling technologies for Africa as a whole, and an offspin would be for the developing world. We research, channel and implement local enabling technologies, where required, throughout Africa, as Africa has the fastest developing consumer market in the world. . (Ref: “How Africa is Becoming the New Asia” - By Jerry Guo | NEWSWEEK Published Feb 19, 2010.From the magazine issue dated Mar 1, 2010)

The vision is two-fold:
1. To use and provide South Africa technology partners, for fulfillment of human needs in Africa, where technology has left them behind, and ultimately provide reach and accessibility to practical and enabling technologies.
2. To research and implement technologies which would "soften" the rigid structures and workflows that 1st world technologies have created. For e.g. where microloan structures,credit card and debit orders are the norm in our banking structures, and a "softer" system approach, could help breach and allow to reach the critical mass.

The heart of the business is fulfillment of basic human needs using technologies, to stimulate economies by equipping entrepeneurs with much needed usefull and practical technologies , and ultimately providing a platform for society to develop in Africa.

The aim to leverage local African Information technology knowledge and inputs with the expertise and experience of global partners to foster local solutions to African problems, while delivering real value and producing commensurate returns for the risks involved. This in turn will assist in stimulating our local technology industry and assist in developing the rest of Africa and developing world.

It seeks and introduces technologies which would enhance a large proportion of the developing world's population (the BoP or "Base of the Pyramid")

By providing simple platforms and products with collaboration, adding third-party services, will potentially unleash enormous wealth in the developing world, specifically as a first phase and strategy; in Africa.

Embracing the true needs of the people is the key, thereby enabling entrepreneurship, empowering its people and communities. All technologies must have a direct & positive influence on people, and do not necessarily need to be cutting edge. We seek simple, practical and effective solutions.

To continually develop strategic and synergistic partners with the best of breed ethical personalities and products, seeking common grounds with all parties involved, to minimise barriers of entry into markets and communities.

All the above will be a catalyst in enabling Africa to provide a platform to realise and unleash its full potential.

At present, it is committed to Technology Development in Africa within the following sectors:
Telecoms
Technology (Including Machine 2 Machine, IP, Internet, Mobile Solutions)
Health & Welfare
Education
Transformation and Development

I have personaly been involved as a CEO with a Nigerian and South African partnership, where we implemented ITC projects in Nigeria in 2003 till 2005 where we breached the "Digital Divide", and the impact can be measured. This has led to the next level in the commercial technology sectors. We are involved in various sectors of the software, mobile, media entertainment and healthcare industries in Nigeria. This was after revisiting Nigeria between January and February 2010 and re-establishing all our principal contacts there, who have a direct influence on National ICT decisions, and roll outs for their country. (Governement and private sector)

My problem is that it has reached a stage, where there is a huge amount of interest from a lot of the leading SA technology companies, but capital and resources are required to fullfill this very real and rewarding incentive. It would definately provide a win-win, where it would reward the businesses with further market expansion, and the people who it reaches, and of course the people who would like to get involved.

If you would like CyberAfrica's portfolio, please email me on ian@cyberafrica.co.za

CyberAfrica promotes and is a signatory of the Constitution of Unashamedly Ethical (www.unashamedlyethical.com), by committing ourselves and or our organizations to clean and ethical living and practices. We encourage our associates to join.

Comment by Justin Hartman on March 2, 2010 at 3:20pm: Hi Claudine - Can you send us an email at committee@siliconcape.com with contact details and more info about yourself? We're collating a list of volunteers and will get back to people in due course.

Comment by Claudine J Wheeler on March 2, 2010 at 3:07pm: Hi guys, I would love to assist with any events and functions as I have some experience in that field and am very happy to assist wherever I can.

Comment by Marcel Boast on February 26, 2010 at 11:25am: I would love to help with the marketing, awareness, promotion & branding Arthur

Comment by Roger Norton on February 25, 2010 at 11:18am: Hey, I would like to get involved with the networking and other events portfolio. I feel I would habve the most to offer in that area. Sent a message to Matthew but will shoot off an email to the comm. as well.

Regards, Roger

Comment by Jacques du Preez on February 24, 2010 at 11:26am: Okay, I volunteer to assist in any of the following portfolios Tax, Investment Incentives, Regulatory, Legal and Environmental. Henk, Laurie and Adrew I sent you guys friend requests, so that we can chat as to how I can assist. Thanks!

Comment by Justin Hartman on February 24, 2010 at 11:18am: Hi Guys - if you'd like to offer your services please send us an email at committee@siliconcape.com and tell us what portfolio you'd like to be involved in.
Thanks

Comment by Rob MacMahon on February 24, 2010 at 10:59am: Hi Henk,
I am interested in understanding the investment incentives portfolio. I have sent you a friend request where I hope we can discuss supporting and incentivising the inititative appropriately.
Regards
Rob.

Comment by Justin Beswick on February 24, 2010 at 10:43am: Hey guys, I would love to get involved where ever possible...Think I could be of most help with Events due to my past experience, so Mathew and Henk if you need some assistance, please don't hesitate to let me know. I'm sure I could also be of assistance with the marketing, awareness, promotion and branding (Arthur's portfolio) if needed..

Thanks for sharing the minutes..

Comment by Justin Hartman on February 24, 2010 at 10:37am: Jacques - absolutely. If something excites you and you want to be a part of it please feel free to offer your assistance.