Township ICT provider ups space

Johannesburg, 12 Dec 2007

Demand for Internet and computer services in Cape Town township Khayelitsha has forced it to seek bigger premises, says Silulo Ulutho Technologies.

The company, which has sites in Litha Park and Khayelitsha Mall, has secured premises next to Khayelitsha station and Mfuleni. The 450-square-metre "one-stop shop" is expected to open next year under the name Silulo Business and IT Centre.

The operation will offer an Internet caf'e, computer training room, printing facilities, networking, computer repairs, a retail store selling software and hardware, boardroom, meeting and conference facilities and a cafeteria or coffee shop.

Luvuyo Rani, Silulo Ulutho Technologies MD, says the demand is a "vindication" of the company's view that township dwellers are as eager to access technology as their suburban counterparts.

"We have been growing so fast that we could not keep up with the traffic of people coming into our shop. On average, we have been getting more than 400 people per day. People in the townships are just as hungry for technology as people in the suburbs; the challenge is training and exposure," he explains.

One of three runners-up in the Cape IT Initiative's VeloCITI programme, Rani says the company is now focusing on extending its base.

This will include investigating opportunities to franchise the business in 2008, he explains.

"We know that the demand for these services is not limited to townships in the Western Cape and we would be looking at getting other young entrepreneurs from other provinces on board," says Rani.