The organisers of next week’s e-Kasi Tech Festival & Gaming Expo say it’s “all systems go” for the celebration of township technology taking place from 25 to 27 October 2017.
Stella Ndabeni Abrahams, deputy minister of telecommunications and postal services, is scheduled to deliver the inaugural event’s keynote address.
Highlights of the event include FIFA eSports competitive events, the hosting of the South African eSports Symposium, a presentation by Microsoft chief technology officer, Warren Hero, about funding and investment in emerging technologies, and an address by Dr Erika Kraemer-Mbula of the University of Johannesburg about developing the e-Kasi innovation economy.
“All partners have been confirmed for the event and it’s a stellar line-up to say the least,” says Mpho Tladi, i-Village chief operating officer and member of the expo organising committee.
Companies partnering with the e-Kasi Tech Festival & Gaming Expo include Ekasi Gaming, Sadico, Eagle iLab, Nexus and eKasi Legacy Projects.
eKasi Legacy @50 is the inaugural job creation and enterprise development project of the e-KasiTech Fest, in which 50 unemployed graduates complete an Internship and receive training and skills development; facilitation, mentorship and coaching; and participation in current turnkey projects.
The sponsors for eKasi Legacy @50 are GoToMarket Evolution, POWAdyne Solutions, Labsteel, Maidenstone Minerals and Executive Business Solutions. eKasi Legacy has already attracted the interest of Business, SMME Financiers and International Investors to invest in the eCampus, eCubator and eAccelerator post e-Kasi Tech Fest.
Exhibitors at the event include Shanduka Umbrellas, ZA Domain Name Authority, Nemisa, Gauteng Department of e-Government, Technology Innovation Agency, Internet Society Gauteng Chapter and Sadico. The event’s connectivity sponsor is Borg Telecom and media partners lending support on the three days will be Soweto TV, CNBC Africa and BuaNews.
Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown, Soweto, was set to host the first-of-its-kind event. However, the organisers have announced a change of venue to Uncle Tom’s Hall in Orlando West, Soweto.
The i-Village Foundation and its business, ICT, education and consulting partners will stage South Africa’s biggest ever gathering of policy makers, industry players, entrepreneurs and experts in township technology innovation.
The event will specifically provide a platform for entrepreneurs, ICT pioneers and the youth to engage each other and exchange ideas about the ownership, management, and participation of SMMEs in townships.
“The support of our valued partners means attendance at the e-Kasi Tech Festival & Gaming Expo is free and we encourage participants to come learn about the digital transformation of the African economy,” Tladi concludes.
The targeted audience for the e-Kasi Tech Festival & Gaming Expo is township entrepreneurs; existing corporations and government entities looking to change the way they do business; students and young people interested in entrepreneurship or a career in ICT; incubators; eSports brands and organisations and community groups or individuals members who have innovative ideas they would like to share.
