Forge Academy, South Africa’s first fully inclusive 4IR lab, will host an SMME Showcase for small and medium-sized tech businesses and tech start-ups. The event will be hosted at The Gantry in Fourways, Gauteng on Wednesday, 30 June 2021.
Forge Academy, situated at The Gantry in Gauteng, is offering a unique opportunity for tech SMMEs and tech start-ups to present their businesses to a panel of judges at the showcase event. The top six businesses selected will win a place to exhibit their business and products at the Forge Academy Digital Street Festival, taking place on 18th of November 2021 at Montecasino in Fourways, Gauteng.
“We are on a drive to assist small and medium sized micro-enterprises operating in the tech sector to gain exposure and to grow their businesses. The Showcase will select some of the most forward-thinking and innovative tech start-ups and secure them a place to exhibit their businesses at the Digital Street Festival later in the year. The Festival will offer great exposure to potential investors who may be interested in injecting some capital to accelerate their growth,” says Arthur Wade Anderson, CEO of Forge Academy.
Forge Academy has partnered with Nokia and the ICT SMME Chamber to host the SMME Showcase in June. The showcase aims to highlight the incredible development and growth of the SMME tech sector in South Africa and provide a platform for tech SMMEs that are creating employment and training opportunities, especially for youth.
“The ever-increasing rate of unemployment in South Africa, particularly amongst the youth has long been one of the most pressing socio-economic problems and should represent a dire warning to us all. We can ignore this warning at our own peril. More so, some young work-seekers are not sufficiently educated and do not have the skillsets that employers and the marketplace demand. Therefore, if entrepreneurs are encouraged and supported, like with the SMME Showcase opportunity, each tech startup can then be positioned to become successful and resolve the joblessness problem for a number of young people,”said Muzi Makhaye, Executive Chairperson of the ICT SMME Chamber.
Forge Academy is calling for those tech entrepreneurs who have a passion to be a part of the growth of the South African economy to enter the SMME showcase. The best presentations must offer responses to current national imperatives including education, connectivity, transport, municipal services and employment.
The judging process will entail presentations and pitches from entrants at Forge Academy’s premises at The Gantry in Fourways, Gauteng. The top six selected will win a space to exhibit their company at the Forge Academy Digital Street Festival on the 18th of November 2021, an event taking place at Montecasino in Gauteng.
The SMME’s will follow the below framework when presenting:
– 3 min pitch
– 7 min Q & A
– 5 min reset before next pitch
In addition to exhibiting at the Digital Street Festival, winners will also receive the below accolades:
– Coaching and Incubation Sessions hosted at Forge Academy
– Digital Marketing Consultations
– Purchase order Funding
– Opportunity to network with potential investors
A primary goal of Forge Academy is to create exposure for small tech companies for investment and growth opportunities, to raise their brand awareness and reputation for recognition and potential investment. With Forge Academy implementing these types of projects on a consistent basis, they have managed to position themselves as the leader in equipping South African youth and the SMME tech sector for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
If you would like to enter your business into the SMME showcase click here.
education, health and communications.
