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Silicon South Africa: Google Launches Incubator For African Startups

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Re: Silicon South Africa: Google Launches Incubator For African Startups

#11

Post by Sapient »

Vmabuza wrote: post #7
Fritzinger wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm surprised you missed Twangoo. Facebook, Megavideo and my friends all blasted it at me. It's a popular site in SA.

I doubt Twangoo will be around in SA for more than 2 years.Group buying will never catch in SA until there is one online payment system that EVERYBODY uses as well confidence in eCommerce. PS I read an article on mybroadband about false pricing by businesses on Twangoo.I feel that things like this will hinder the growth of the group buying model in SA.

I agree with regard to the payment gateway, but its been a very long time since I met someone who said they wouldn't use eCommerce. Most people I know do a lot of online shopping, and I am not talking about my tech friends.

Re: Silicon South Africa: Google Launches Incubator For African Startups

#13

Post by [deleted] »

jasonkester wrote: post #6

Missed a word in the title: South Africa. That changes things a lot. If it were in Kenya or Nigeria, this would be a bold move. South Africa, on the other hand, is not really all that much different to a middle of the road Western country. As a result, this news is more on par with opening an incubator in New Zealand or Italy. Certainly cool to hear, but not really "Startups in the Congo" cool.

[deleted]

Re: Silicon South Africa: Google Launches Incubator For African Startups

#14

Post by Alex3917 »

jasonkester wrote: post #6

Missed a word in the title: South Africa. That changes things a lot. If it were in Kenya or Nigeria, this would be a bold move. South Africa, on the other hand, is not really all that much different to a middle of the road Western country. As a result, this news is more on par with opening an incubator in New Zealand or Italy. Certainly cool to hear, but not really "Startups in the Congo" cool.

"South Africa, on the other hand, is not really all that much different to a middle of the road Western country."

How many western countries have 30% unemployment, roving gangs of looters, and an average literacy level of 2nd/3rd grade?

Re: Silicon South Africa: Google Launches Incubator For African Startups

#15

Post by a54552 »

Alex3917 wrote: post #14
jasonkester wrote: post #6

Missed a word in the title: South Africa. That changes things a lot. If it were in Kenya or Nigeria, this would be a bold move. South Africa, on the other hand, is not really all that much different to a middle of the road Western country. As a result, this news is more on par with opening an incubator in New Zealand or Italy. Certainly cool to hear, but not really "Startups in the Congo" cool.

"South Africa, on the other hand, is not really all that much different to a middle of the road Western country." How many western countries have 30% unemployment, roving gangs of looters, and an average literacy level of 2nd/3rd grade?

roving gangs of looters

I've live in South Africa my entire life, but have yet to encounter a "roving gang of looters". Citation?

Re: Silicon South Africa: Google Launches Incubator For African Startups

#16

Post by ernestipark »

Although this is for South Africa, Google is really taking initiative in Africa in general. I was part of an MIT student group that Google funds every year to go to different African countries/universities to teach a mobile programming/entrepreneurship course. I went to Rwanda last year and the experience was fantastic. The end of the class culminates in a business plan competition using the technologies and business ideas they have learned with the winners receiving healthy cash prizes to jump start their businesses. It is a pretty amazing program that has seen the birth of lots of successful companies. It's no surprise to me that Google is investing more into Africa.

Edit: Nokia also funds the program.

Re: Silicon South Africa: Google Launches Incubator For African Startups

#17

Post by revorad »

Sapient wrote: post #4

As a South African, this is really awesome news! There is however a far bigger problem than just funding here, I have never even heard of the Twangoo (Acquired by Groupon) mentioned in the article. I suppose its down to the almost total lack of any sort of hacker/startup community, and I don't know how that is going to be fixed.

WooThemes is from SA - http://mixergy.com/woothemes-adriaan-pienaar/

Re: Silicon South Africa: Google Launches Incubator For African Startups

#18

Post by Vmabuza »

Sapient wrote: post #11
Vmabuza wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I doubt Twangoo will be around in SA for more than 2 years.Group buying will never catch in SA until there is one online payment system that EVERYBODY uses as well confidence in eCommerce. PS I read an article on mybroadband about false pricing by businesses on Twangoo.I feel that things like this will hinder the growth of the group buying model in SA.

I agree with regard to the payment gateway, but its been a very long time since I met someone who said they wouldn't use eCommerce. Most people I know do a lot of online shopping, and I am not talking about my tech friends.

Im fresh out of Varsity(UJ) and i have done surveys (informal) at varsity ,all the people i have surveyed (black,coloured and indian) have never bought a single thing online.I ask them why and they tell me ''We dont have credit cards'',i then tell them ''but you can use bank deposits '' they still wont budge.Now if these groups of people who make up majority of the population and aslo the group with the largest buying power(Gen Y) are not buying online;this means that eCommerce in SA has a long way to go.

I personal don't even regard our eCommerce Market as having begun yet.But i do shop online now and then. Im also working on a couple of projects and startups to address the confidence issues that the majority and youth have about the internet.

PS Iam a black Attorney lol

Re: Silicon South Africa: Google Launches Incubator For African Startups

#19

Post by Alex3917 »

a54552 wrote: post #15
Alex3917 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"South Africa, on the other hand, is not really all that much different to a middle of the road Western country." How many western countries have 30% unemployment, roving gangs of looters, and an average literacy level of 2nd/3rd grade?

roving gangs of looters I've live in South Africa my entire life, but have yet to encounter a "roving gang of looters". Citation?

From people in the country I've heard that there is often a lot of violence that spills out of the slums around election time.

Re: Silicon South Africa: Google Launches Incubator For African Startups

#20

Post by Untitled »

Hmmmm...

The software industry in South Africa faces several problems. Probably the first problem is that computer science teaching and research sucks. This is not my opinion but based on research (http://web.up.ac.za/sitefiles/file/EBIT-Innovate/Local%20sci...) – the relative citation index of computer science is at 0.57. Engineering is much higher (at 0.73).

This problem is compounded by the fact that the financial services industry absorbs the most talented of those who study computer science.

Another problem is the sheer expense of broadband internet connection. Hosting is too expensive for many would be internet start-ups. What is worse, internet start-ups cannot use the only competitive advantage that S. Africa has – fairly cheap unskilled labour (cheaper than developed countries, much more expensive than China and India).

Personally, I think the local electronics industry will do better (with medium scale production). Firstly, Engineering education is still a lot better than computer science (thanks in part to international agreements such as the Washington accord which ensures (some) independence of engineering councils and keeps the government and political meddling to a minimum). Secondly, it is not as affected by the problems (bandwidth) and can at least use some advantages (cheaper skilled and unskilled labour).

I know of two electronics companies which recently gained quite big multi-year contracts from large US companies.

In the long term I am pessimistic though – the quality of primary and secondary education is falling (according to international rankings such as TIMSS and other studies). This creates a problem feeding the universities. The quality of research in universities is also under pressure and decreasing in most technical fields (see linked articles and personal experience as a lecturer). Unfortunately political considerations are before academic excellence. The industrial economy relies on people qualified in technical areas – and it will follow the downward trend.

https://www.up.ac.za/dspace/bitstream/2263/14593/1/Pouris_St...

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