SEDA Nelson Mandela Bay ICT Incubator (SNII) has announced the appointment of Scott Zambonini as enterprise development manager.
Zambonini will oversee the incubator’s enterprise development unit and manage end-to-end enterprise development.
In his developmental capacity, he will provide general business mentorship to technology start-ups and young ICT SMME clients enrolled in incubation programmes at SNII, and his portfolio also includes marketing and PR for recruitment prospective clients into programmes of the incubator.
Before joining, Zambonini gained hands-on experience as start-up entrepreneur and small business owner in technology-related industries between 2012 and 2015.
He was the associate managing director at SOC Sports International, currently trading as Space Sports, an import and export business specialising in innovative carbon-racing technology products. He is also the founder and owner of Spacebrother Productions, a project management services company specialising in recording, producing, mixing and mastering for local and international artists.
In addition to running his own businesses, Zambonini also holds experience in a skills development and training capacity as an entrepreneurship and music production part-time lecturer at Damelin between 2012 and 2015.
His practical experience is backed-up by a post-graduate diploma in business administration from NMMU Business School, and Zambonini is also in his final year of MBA studies with the school.
“With the advent of exponential technological advances, SMART phones and increasing Internet access, there is a great deal of untapped techno-entrepreneur potential in this city. There is a united vision between the private and public sectors to transform Nelson Mandela Bay into a smart city,” says Zambonini.
“SNII has come a long way since its inception. The incubator’s commitment and deep understanding of incubation, successful enterprise development and bringing innovative SMME technology ideas into the market have been inspiring,” he adds.
“Technology is evolving at a rapid rate and it is crucial for new ICT and technology firms to embrace a “lean start-up” approach. Entrepreneurs also need to be aware of the disruptive nature of global ICT innovations such as Uber and Airbnb. This calls for them to adopt a futurist outlook to anticipate market shifts and trends.”
Zambonini believes that South African ICT and technology entrepreneurs have to continue to think big and bold, and new product and service offerings have to be globally relevant.
SNII centre manager Sipelo Lopodwana says Zambonini’s appointment is a perfect fit for the growing incubator. “Scott’s practical and hand-on experience exposed him to many challenges and obstacles, which our ICT SMMEs and start-up business clients have to face and overcome.
“He ran multiple technology businesses successfully and simultaneously, illustrating to us that the entrepreneurial spirit within him is strong, and that he has a passion for and proclivity to success in business.
“Combined with his past experience in the training sector and education sector, the incubator believes he will be an excellent addition to our team, importantly as resource helping SMMEs and start-ups succeeds,” says Lopodwana.
