The Western Cape's Bandwidth Barn Khayelitsha facilitated tech skills training for over 900 residents in the 2016/17 financial year. This was revealed by the Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT).
Established to drive inclusive innovation within the Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain communities, the Barn focuses on developing and growing businesses through tech enablement, and the development of tech skills.
The facility is managed by the Cape IT Initiative and supported by DEDAT. It forms part of the broader Western Cape Broadband Initiative, which aims to support businesses and citizens with digital adoption.
In a statement, the department says 976 people completed training courses at Barn Khayelitsha during the 2016/17 financial year.
The courses included the use of mobile technologies to improve business processes, business fundamentals, coding and basic computer skills development.
According to the statement, there was also a specific focus on women in business in the areas of business and technology skills. The Barn also provided support and incubation services to 71 registered tenants.
Alan Winde, minister of economic opportunities in the Western Cape, says entrepreneurs are responding to the challenges they are seeing in their own communities.
"I want to see the Barn becoming a profit centre, and I am encouraged that we are on the right track. Many of the entrepreneurs are also working on businesses in our Project Khulisa sectors, specifically in tourism and agri-processing.
"We selected expanding Internet access as a key priority because we know that technology connects people to markets and opportunities. The entrepreneurs at the Barn are excellent examples of this."
Commenting on his experience, Vuyolwethu Rubusana, founder of the Tree Tech Academy, says there is a lack of technology skills in previously disadvantaged communities, and this drove him to start his business which teaches computer skills.
Rubusana notes his company has trained over 100 people in the past two years.
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