Staff Reporter, Author at Ventureburn

Data mining firm BrandsEye crowned winner of 2017 FNB innovation awards
By Staff Reporter on 9 June, 2017
BrandsEye founder Craig Raw and the company's CEO Jean-Pierre Kloppers were announced as the overall winner of the 2017 FNB Business Innovation Awards held in partnership with Endeavor South Africa. “It’s a fantastic feeling, to be chosen as a winner among 12 amazing businesses, BrandsEye has been around for over 10 years, in that time we have done some really great work that has allowed us to continuously improve the technology that we use. “Winning this means we get to take a step further in globalising our offering” said Raw, in a press release. Read more: Innovation awards finalists announced 'What is special about BrandsEye is that we...
Facebook to host one-day summit for young digital entrepreneurs in Joburg
By Staff Reporter on 8 June, 2017
Facebook is partnering with the Department of Small Business Development and Livity Africa to host Youth Enterprise Day, a one-day summit that aims to celebrate and catalyse youth entrepreneurship in South Africa. In a press release Facebook said the event, to be hosted on June 24 at the Turbine Hall in Newtown, Johannesburg, will mix inspiration with learning by highlighting the stories of young South Africans who have built successful businesses using online tools. The summit will highlight the stories of some of South Africa’s most successful youth-run businesses, followed by a series of workshops hosted by Facebook and Livity Africa that will...

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Supporting one million small businesses can create over one million jobs – Zuma
By Staff Reporter on 31 May, 2017
President Jacob Zuma says supporting one million SMEs could help South Africa to create over a million jobs and added that the government would later this year hold a rural and township economy summit to develop critical ways to grow "the indigenous entrepreneurs". Delivering the budget vote for The Presidency in Parliament today Zuma said supporting SMEs has been identified as an area with large potential for employment creation and economic growth. "If we have one million small businesses, and each employs one or two people, we would have created over one million jobs," said Zuma. "This is how important investment into small business development...

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Applications now open to South Africa’s first media accelerator Jamlab
By Staff Reporter on 31 May, 2017
Wits University today opened applications for a new six-month innovation support programme aimed at existing or new South African journalism and media teams. In a press release to Ventureburn, Wits said the Journalism and Media Accelerator (Jamlab) will be home to innovators who want to develop new forms of journalism and reach new, younger, audiences. Jamlab is an initiative of Wits Journalism and the Joburg Centre for Software Engineering in partnership with Ryerson University, Toronto and Journalists for Human Rights. The initiative will provide participating teams with the tools, facilities, contacts and the support necessary to realise their ideas and ambitions, combining professional...
Former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene appointed as chairman of Arise
By Staff Reporter on 30 May, 2017
African investment company Arise today announced the appointment of former South African finance minister Nhlanhla Nene, to its supervisory board. Nene will assume the position of chairman as from Thursday (1 June). “We are excited to have someone of Mr Nene’s calibre on our board, and are grateful that he chose to accept the appointment”, said Arise CEO Deepak Malik in a media release posted on the company's website today. Arise was launched in February and focuses on the banking sector. Read more: Investment company Arise launches to accelerate banking “Mr Nene’s extensive financial experience and background in the public and private investment sector...
Microsoft, CGHE launch AppFactory Academy in Ethiopia to boost local talent
By Staff Reporter on 29 May, 2017
IT graduates and related computing discipline graduates at Ethiopia's Wollo University will be able to access a six-month internship, where they will work on real-world software development projects with senior software engineers. It follows the launch by the Center for Global Health Equity (CGHE), and Microsoft 4Afrika of a new AppFactory Academy in Ethiopia. In a press release to Ventureburn, Microsoft 4Afrika said on completion of the internship graduates will be able to design, implement and deploy cloud-enabled, mobile and IT solutions in various sectors. They will also be equipped with critical business skills helping them to secure jobs or create their own businesses. This is the...
SA indie studio Nyamakop accepted into global games accelerator Stugan
By Staff Reporter on 25 May, 2017
South African independent games studio Nyamakop has been selected as one of global games accelerator Stugan’s 2017 members. The Kenyan-South African duo from Johannesburg, who have developed the game Semblance, made the announcement in a press release to Ventureburn today. Nyamakop’s co-founders, Ben Myres and Cukia Kimini, will be part of 15 game developer teams from around the world (see the full list here) invited to attend the accelerator. The teams will stay in the Swedish woods for two months in which time they will work on their dream independent video games, while they are housed and fed, with mentors visiting each week to give feedback on...
Telecommunications department to help 50 girl-learners to innovate
By Staff Reporter on 25 May, 2017
The Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services is looking to train 50 girl-learners from the Eastern Cape on developing ICT innovations, Deputy Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams told MPs yesterday. In an address to Parliament yesterday during the presentation of the department's budget vote, Ndabeni-Abrahams said following the completion of the intervention the girl learners will then participate in a challenge to build their own innovation which will benefit their communities. The intervention was launched last month during International Girls in ICT Day. In addition South Africa's domain name authority .zadna will also train women-led small businesses on website development and domain-name registrations. The department would...
Korea opens applications for 50 startups to join global accelerator
By Staff Reporter on 25 May, 2017
The Korean government is seeking 50 high-potential startups from around the world to join the K-Startup Grand Challenge for four months of business acceleration in Korea. The programme, which is now in its second year and starts in August, is run by Korea's Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP) and the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA). Startups founded within the last five years with a minimum viable product (MVP) can apply. Participants selected for the acceleration programme will receive $12,000 to cover living expenses over four months, while funding towards round-trip flights to Korea will also be provided. Startups will also get office space and prototyping...
Ecobank challenge finalists announced
By Staff Reporter on 24 May, 2017
Ecobank has announced the finalists in the Ecobank Fintech Challenge, a competition for African technology startups launched in January. The list includes 20 innovators from across the continent who will join the Ecobank Fintech Fellowship programme. An innovation fair and awards ceremony will be held on 21 June at Ecobank's headquarters in Lomé, Togo to honour the 20 startups selected. The 20 will also get the chance to exhibit and pitch their products to a jury which will select the top innovator and two runners-up. In addition to joining Ecobank's fellowship programme, the top three innovators will win cash prizes worth $10,000, $7,000, and $5,000...