TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Tshimologong: Wits' new digital innovation hub

1 SEP 2016 | SAVE | EMAIL | PRINT |  PDF    

The University of the Witwatersrand and its partners in government, business and industry have officially launched the Wits Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.

Source: JCSE/Wits University

Setswana for 'new beginnings', Tshimologong is Johannesburg’s newest high-tech address in the inner-city district of Braamfontein, where the incubation of start-ups, the commercialisation of research and the development of high-level digital skills for students, working professionals and unemployed youths will take place.

Through Wits’ Joburg Centre for Software Engineering (JCSE), Tshimologong has been three years in the making and is a development that encourages tech innovation and collaboration between the University’s researchers and students and the private, public and civil society sectors in Johannesburg.

“We hope that transforming Braamfontein into Africa’s premier technology hub will inspire new talent, create jobs and lead to an economic renaissance,” says Barry Dwolatzky, Professor of Software Engineering in the Wits School of Electrical and Information Engineering and Director of JCSE. 

Professor Barry Dwolatzky. Source: JCSE/Wits University.

Dwolatzky, who has been driving the Tshimologong initiative, envisions 24/7 activity in the new precinct, with events running day and night, as well as a hub where ideas are hatched and creativity has a space to breathe. “Tshimologong will be a start-up incubator, business accelerator and source of skills. The focus is on digital hardware, software and content. We are creating a hub space where people can get together, brainstorm and work on creative projects,” he says.

Developing a tech ecosystem

Programmers, designers, developers, entrepreneurs and start-ups will congregate in this half-a-city-block along Juta Street. It has open-plan co-working areas with broadband connectivity for ICT start-ups, meeting and refreshment zones, computer laboratories, training rooms, maker spaces, creative content development environments, and administrative and infrastructure support offices.

Drawing on models that have proved hugely successful in major cities around the world, Wits is driving the development of a successful technology ecosystem in the centre of an important African business and economic hub. It will complement the University’s suite of ICT-related offerings in research, courses and programmes in software engineering, data science, big data, digital business, and others.

“Wits aims to inspire the development of a new generation of digital technology experts, innovators and entrepreneurs and Tshimologong will provide an enabling space for our country's most creative young minds to develop new digital technologies that are crucial to South Africa’s economic growth and international competitiveness,” says Professor Adam Habib, Vice-Chancellor and Principal at Wits University.

Source: JCSE/Wits University.

Not only accessible or open to University researchers and students, the Precinct is membership-based and will provide a space for skills development in the software and digital technology sector, help address unemployment, and encourage the growth of new businesses. An important element of the Tshimologong Precinct is the recently launched IBM Research Lab, the first such facility anywhere in the world that is tightly integrated into an innovation hub.

An addition to the Tshimologong development is the establishment by Wits of The DIZ (Digital Innovation Zone), a space in Smit Street Braamfontein where creatives, innovators and programmers can come together and collaborate.

TINYCC | URL Shortening and Branding

TINYCC | URL Shortening and Branding

Now Bafana Bafana Need Clive Barker

By THANDISIZWE MGUDLWA



The South African Football Association (SAFA) must now re-hire Clive Barker to coach Bafana Bafana.

This is no time for SAFA to try things out if Bafana Bafana are to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. 

Having failed to qualify for AFCON 2017, Bafana Bafana now need the best person that has ever coached them. And that person is Clive Barker.

After a successful spell as the head coach of the SA's senior soccer men's team since early 1994 till his stepped in December 1997, a few months before defending his 1996 African Nations Cup glory on home-soil, Barker unceremoniously axed after the teams early exist in the Confederations Cup held in Saudi Arabia.

Bafana Bafana had qualified to play in the inter-continental tournament due to them being African Champions in 1996.

If Barker had stay on after his exist in December 1997, he would have been the first coach to coach Bafana Bafana to the 1998 Soccer Wold Cup in France. Barker had qualified South Africa to the world's greatest show.

But what is now clear is that Bafana Bafana are far away from being #No 1 in Africa and #No 16 world, which they had achieved under Barker coaching.

Also in 1996, under Barker, FIFA bestowed Bafana Bafana with an international award as the most improved team, a Best Mover of the Year.

All the other coaches have not achieved anything close to what Barker achieved.

Barker was a professional footballer in the 1960s, playing for Durban City and Durban United having made his debut at the age of 17. He had a trial with Leicester City, but a serious knee injury quickly ended his career.

"The Dog", as he is nicknamed, became a manager in the 1970s, coaching numerous clubs in South Africa, including Durban City, Manning Rangers,AmaZulu (Zulu Royals) and Santos Cape Town. In the 1980s he won championships with various teams.

During his club career he won two league championships and two league cups. He was one of the first white managers in the South African league.

In 2013, Barker took Wits University to forth spot of South Africa's highest league the PSL. He has won numerous awrds/honours and other many accolades.

Today, Bafana Bafana are 23 years old and are ranked around  #No 17 in Africa and 72 in the world. Clearly Barker was the best thing to have happened to Bafana Bafana and probably to South African soccer generally.

SAFA must do South Africa a huge favor return Barker to coach Bafana Bafana.

Shakes Mashaba gain be given another portfolio within the technical stuff.

However, if Clive Barker had to come back he would need to be given the right to choose his assistance coach and technical support. 

Small Business FRIDAY

Dear South Africans, This Friday, the 02 September is Small Business Friday - a movement brought to you by the National Small Business Chamber (NSBC) and Nedbank as title sponsor. Help us to mobilise the nation to support South Africa's most meaningful movement that has a direct impact on alleviating unemployment and driving job creation through small business. The most active NSBC Member driving social media for Small Business Friday will win a R50K NSBC Digital Marketing Package: All you need to do is commit to the three simple tasks below: Pledge Your Support Visit www.smallbusinessfriday.co.za and pledge your support. Social Media Posts Encourage your social media followers to support #SmallBizFriday in a unique post in these last few days leading up to SmallBusiness Friday. Social Media Shares Retweet, Share or Comment on Small Business Friday posts on our social media channels (Facebook / Twitter / Instagram) leading up to and especially on Small Business Friday. The official Hashtag: #SmallBizFriday Our Social media channels: Facebook: Facebook.com/SmallBizFriday Twitter: @SmallBizFriday Instagram: @SmallBizFriday We hope that Small Business Friday makes a difference to your business in the road ahead. We look forward to your support. Kind regards
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Vukani

Petrini urges residents to support local businesses

NEWS / 25 August 2016, 02:00am

PHIRI CAWE

Carlo Petrini addressing the community in Khayelitsha.

The visit by Italian food revolutionary, Carlo Petrini, to Khayelitsha, on Tuesday August 16, raised a number of concerns about where our food comes from, but also inspired a sense of hope to those in attendance.

The Slow Food movement promotes eating locally produced food and supporting your area’s farmers.

Mr Petrini, who is also the president and founder of Slow Food, told food activists at The Barn at the Look Out Hill that, “a man who does not take care of the environment is a stupid man, be proud of your culture, eat South African foods”.

He advised aspirant and community farmers to live a healthy life style and to ignore those who criticised them.

The outspoken farmer said he was annoyed by what he called the “criminal food system”, which paid farmers little and distributors of food a lot of money. “It is unfair,” he said. Mr Petrini urged the continent to promote community farmers and encouraged the farmers and food activists to open up school gardens. He said that would help generate interest among young people.

“Africa has to decide how it feeds itself. We have to respect food culture of all the countries. In every country there is a culture. Diversity is strength,” he said.

With complaints about land shortages, Mr Petrini said it was a problem everywhere.

He said land grabbing was also a problem in his country. But he encouraged people to value land which they could use for farming.

“It is a long road for change, but keep your feet on the ground. Land grabbing is a disaster. But food is around you,” he said.

Mr Petrini called on everyone, including governments, to respect farmers.

His work was appreciated by organisations at the event who promised to create 10 000 gardens on the continent.

Khayelitsha’s own food activist and a member of Slow Food Youth Network, Xolisa Bangani was equally impressed. He praised Mr Petrini for his courage to take on the governments. He said since the establishment of slow food gardens, there has been a change in young people’s mindsets about farming. “There have been opportunities in farming. Young people in particular are starting to realise the importance of gardens and a healthy lifestyle. We are grateful to this man,” he said.

SOURCE; Vukani newspaper

Co-ordinator of Mr Petrini’s visit, Loubie Rusch, from Making Kos, who is on a mission to explore indigenous foods, said she was amazed by the man’s ability to address all sorts of people.

Ms Rusch said she was excited that Mr Petrini was able to bring people from different backgrounds and cultures under one roof.

“There was a mix bag of people, but he managed to address them and reached out to all of them. There were farmers, academics, youth networks and ordinary people but he touched them all. He was amazing,” she said.

Ms Rusch said the different networks that attended the event were working in the right direction of trying to change our food system.

She said many food activists were doing their own things in their own little space, but it was about time they come together.

Like Mr Petrini, she encouraged people to eat their own local and cultural foods, but in a modern way. “So many of us are disconnected with our culture. He encouraged us not to leave our Gogo’s recipes. I concur with that but we need to do them in a modern way,” she said.

Small Business FRIDAY

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FMCG NEWS

Fawu's fight in AB InBev's takeover of SABMiller pays off

16 AUG 2016 | SAVE | EMAIL | PRINT |  PDF    BY: ANN CROTTY

Workers at South African Breweries (SAB) who own shares through the Zenzele scheme are to get an average advance payment of about R32,000 when the deal with Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) goes through, following a hard-fought battle by the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu).

Picture: Bloomberg/Waldo Swiegers

The deal was struck on Friday, after Fawu had threatened to strike over the issue. The union had complained that while 1,700 SAB managers would receive a $1.9bn early payout on their share options, workers had to wait until the Zenzele scheme matured in 2020.

SAB initially offered an immediate payout of about R16,000, which would have been an interest-bearing loan against the value of the shares when they vest. SAB had wanted to charge Zenzele members interest on the prepayment equivalent to 85% of the prime rate.

The improved offer, which is largely attributable to Fawu’s determination, doubles the amount proposed originally by SAB and removes the requirement that recipients pay interest on what is essentially a prepayment of dividends.

Fawu general secretary Katishi Masemola said the revised terms fell considerably short of his union’s demands and were far less generous than the payouts enjoyed by management, but he was pleased industrial action was off the table.

"The matter was before the (Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration) and industrial action was looming," he said.

Masemola said that although the SAB employees were relatively well paid, they had debts they were keen to pay off. "This debt burden weakened their resolve to fight."

Masemola’s determination to ensure that the Zenzele scheme was included in discussions about AB InBev’s acquisition of SABMiller and that employees should benefit as much as management has won the union support among white-collar workers at SAB who face an uncertain future under the new owners.

"The merger conditions have guaranteed manning levels at the company, but it’s unclear what will happen to the quality of jobs. White-collar workers are joining us now, not in droves, but in surprising numbers," Masemola said.

AB InBev said in a statement that it was pleased to have reached agreement with Fawu on enhancements to the Zenzele scheme.

When the megabrew merger is completed, Zenzele participants will receive a total R1.5bn, up from the original R750m.

"We have also confirmed that we will guarantee that Zenzele participants will benefit from the premium implied by the revised cash price of £45 per share being offered to SABMiller shareholders," AB InBev said.

In terms of the new deal, Zenzele participants will receive a R32 dividend for every participation right they hold. The R32 is equivalent to the previous five years’ dividends. The prepayment will be deducted from the final payout when the scheme matures in 2020.

Each blue-collar worker has an average of 1,000 participation rights.

SAB employees hold 40% of the Zenzele participation rights equivalent to 18.5-million shares in unlisted SAB. In terms of the original plan, the SAB shares were to be converted into SABMiller shares in 2020.

AB InBev has committed to converting the Zenzele participation rights into cash at a minimum value of £45, the price paid to SABMiller shareholders. Zenzele participants will also benefit from any accretion in SAB value up to 2020.

SAB employees account for just 9,146 of the Zenzele scheme participants. Liquor store owners and taverners, who account for another 30,000 plus, will also benefit from the deal agreed with SAB.

Although the Zenzele discussion was withdrawn from consideration before the Competition Tribunal, the merging parties are required to implement a new black economic empowerment scheme when the Zenzele scheme matures.

Source: Business Day