Cape Town-based non-profit organisation, Silicon Cape, has teamed up with Amazon Web Services (AWS), to spread tech innovation and knowledge, specifically to start-ups and tech entrepreneurs.
According to a statement, the partnership comes after months of planning and discussion.
Expanding on the purpose of the partnership, Dr Sumarie Roodt, Silicon Cape chairperson, says the joint-venture with AWS enables start-ups as well as small, medium and micro enterprises to think big and accelerate economic growth by allowing them to get started quickly, scale as they need and gain access to the same technology infrastructure that was previously reserved for large enterprises.
Roodt states: “Our co-operation with AWS highlights how carefully selected and structured collaborations can positively impact local economic ecosystems, particularly as it will enable key value exchanges to take place between the Silicon Cape and AWS communities. It should be used as an example to inspire a growing number of similar collective impact collaborations.”
Wesgro CEO Tim Harris also welcomed the Silicon Cape and AWS partnership, saying: “This investment shows there is confidence in the tech ecosystem of Cape Town, and in the economy of the Western Cape. And there should be.
“Cape Town is the tech capital of Africa, and one of the major tech hubs of the world. It is the most productive on the continent, employing more people than that of Nairobi and Lagos combined.
“Our ecosystem is full of talented and skilled people, where innovation is a way of life. I am confident this collaboration will be a success, as we continue to position our destination for more investment in the future.”