Silicon Cape global expansion strategy: Chair to sign deal with Hamburg@Work

Silicon Cape chairperson Sumarie Roodt will next week Wednesday (9 May) sign a collaboration agreement with digital cluster Hamburg@Work in Hamburg, Germany.

The collaborative agreement will be witnessed by Western Cape premier Helen Zille and German senator Frank Horch.

Silicon Cape interim general manager Kerry Petrie (pictured above) told Ventureburn in an email yesterday (2 May) that the intent of the collaborative agreement with Hamburg@Work is to share knowledge, leverage learning and assist members to connect with each other more readily.

Silicon Cape’s Global Expansion Strategy will see the organisation collaborate with ecosystem enabling organisations in Africa, Western Europe and India

“We also hope that our partnership will increase visibility internationally for both organisations. A partnership with an organisation such as Hamburg@Work will afford our members access to European support networks, supply chains and markets as well as exciting learning opportunities that they could not access locally and a ‘friend’ in an overseas city,” said Petrie.

The agreement came about after Hamburg@Work reached out to Silicon Cape in the run up to Hamburg’s annual harbour festival, Hafengeburtstag Hamburg. Each year the festival is paired with another port city around the world to promote cultural and commercial connections. Cape Town was selected to be this year’s partner.

“It became very quickly apparent that the two organisations share many objectives and values. We began talking about how a formal partnership could benefit both our organisations and our members,” she said.

Silicon Cape’s Global Expansion Strategy

Roodt’s trip, and the collaborative agreement with Hamburg@Work is part of Silicon Cape’s growth plans.

“This is aligned with our Global Expansion Strategy where we are aiming to take Silicon Cape across the continent and across the globe, in order to expand our reach for our members and maximise the value we add,” said Roodt in an earlier email.

During her trip to Hamburg, Roodt will also attend several events, including the South African Business Seminar to be held on the same day (9 May) at the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce and a meeting with Hamburg@Work members on 11 May.

Commenting on the expansion strategy, Petrie said Silicon Cape cannot work in isolation.

“Partnerships are critical if we wish to ensure we are supporting our ecosystem stakeholders with access to the most relevant and most recent data, skills and networks. We are in the early days of this strategic objective, but it developed as a result of needing to find additional pathways to new markets for our stakeholders,” she explained.

She added that the non-profit recognises that there are a number of like-minded ecosystem enabling organisations around the world with whom Silicon Cape could collaborate with for mutual benefit.

“We are currently compiling a first glance map of such organisations — with particular interest in Africa, Western Europe and India,” said Petrie.

Featured image: Silicon Cape interim general manager Kerry Petrie (Silicon Cape via Facebook)