IT company Lidonga Technology will give out 10 bursaries to young technology inventors.
“We want to encourage young people to be inventors,” says Constance Nkosi, executive chairperson of Lidonga Group.
South Africans aged between 18 and 35 will have the chance to win one of 10 bursaries worth R20 000 each.
“The ideal is to put them into reputable institutions to let them build on what they have. We don't want green people obviously,” says Nkosi.
The competition closes on 30 October and winners will be announced in November so they can start the new year at an institution like Wits University, according to Nkosi.
Identifying innovation
Nkosi explains that firstly one must be able to implement the inventions in businesses and they must also be economical.
"We are looking for technical innovation of interest to the corporate sector. So they must be able to implement it into a business tomorrow and it must be able to make money.”
The competitors have to demonstrate their inventions to a panel of judges who will then decide on winning entries, says Nkosi.
Economy driver
Further explaining the rationale for the awards, Nkosi says: “It is common knowledge that information technology is a key driver of a country's economy. Notably, countries like China and India with their double-digit economic growth have ensured their youth learn technology at an early stage. It is against this backdrop that we want to be a catalyst for young South African inventors."
She says, for example, that Lidonga is the service provider for the national lottery's PlaySA lottery system, which enables participants to use the Internet and SMS as access channels. These are the types of corporate technologies that will be looked for.
Being a mobile and system technology company that develops solutions and supports a range of software products for mobile payment and switching systems, Lidonga is attempting to encourage and gather young technological talent, according to Nkosi.
"We have a specific focus on providing impetus to the mobile commerce revolution and our long-term vision includes the grouping of highly competent technologists and specialists,” says Roan Murray, CTO of the company.
"It is against this backdrop that we have launched the awards and our main objectives are to facilitate the empowerment of South African youth through the extension of knowledge and to encourage technological competence."
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