BranSystems will graduate from the Seda Nelson Mandela Bay Information Communication Technology Incubator (SNII) this year.
The software developer is one of 31 small ICT businesses that form part of the incubator, which generated R6 million in turnover and created a combined 95 direct and indirect jobs during the past financial year.
Managing member of BranSystems, Jacob Abraham, says the firm was responsible for at least two of the new jobs.
The SNII serves as a hub for entrepreneurs in the ICT sector, helping them to grow and create more jobs. "Between its establishment in 2008 and the 2011/12 financial year, SNII incubates have generated a total turnover of about R24.5 million, while funding in the same period amounted to some R12 million. A total of 117 jobs have been created by the small businesses in this period," says SNII head Sipelo Lupondwana in a statement.
Abraham says the SNII programme offers support to different companies at different times of their development. "Often one has an entrepreneur that has the technical skills to do business but might not have the office skills to carry it out. The programme offers certain interventions that starting businesses or entrepreneurs might not have in the beginning stages, like financing, affordable office space, bookkeeping and marketing strategies."
In its specific field, BranSystems has also benefitted from the SNII granting it access to some of Microsoft's technologies.
BranSystems has been operating since 2009, and offers IT and automation systems focusing on the automotive industry. The company has implemented ICT systems for tracking and plant automation at Volkswagen South Africa, General Motors South Africa, and Ford South Africa.
It also services other industries, including the mining, fruit and beverage sectors, as well as the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality in the company's home town.
The company has partnered with various big players in the ICT industry, like IBM, Oracle, SAP and Siemens, to help execute core business systems. "We are a small company, so we have to partner with the big players to bring the best possible products and service to our customers. It helps us to bring a bigger and better solution to the table," adds Abraham.
Looking ahead past graduation, Abraham says BranSystems plans to further expand its client base. "Currently, we have key customers that we service and we want to broaden that. Marketing strategies will be a big initiative as we look and plan for the next five years."
"We are pleased that this year three of the businesses, BranSystems (software development), Shoot 97 (film) and Rockstar Media (video production) will be graduating from the programme," says Lupondwana. "The three businesses have been with SNII for about three years, creating a combined 18 jobs.
"Before they can graduate, businesses must demonstrate a solid understanding of the business, a growth plan, as well as a good pipeline of business. They must show a stable turnover and create jobs. The three graduating business will also go through the six-month SNII post-incubation programme which focuses on strategy, quality and financial management," Lupondwana explains.
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