The Ekasi Tech Fest and Gaming Expo is set to take place in Soweto later this year after a hugely successful showing in 2017.
Set to be held from 19 – 20 October 2018 at Soweto’s Dlamini Multi Purpose Hall, the “Ekasi Tech Fest 2018” remains the first and only township gaming festival to combine technology and gaming into one event aimed at unlocking the township innovation economy.
The event will for the first time host the Soweto Esports Community Cup Final in Pro Gaming FIFA & Tekken 7. There will also be a Counter Strike (CS:GO) competitive match on the cards. In addition, this year’s venue is significantly bigger than the 2017 venue.
“There’s the Silicon Valley model and then there’s the Ekasi innovation model. Events like the Ekasi Tech Fest help people in the developing world uncover new ways of growing their own digital economies in ways that more conventional markets never imagined,” says Mpho Tladi, spokesperson for the Ekasi Tech Fest organisers.
The second Ekasi Tech Fest & Gaming Expo, now simply called “Ekasi Tech Fest 2018”, aims to meet the needs of technology and gaming enthusiasts in Soweto and the surrounding areas which are together home to several million people, most of them under 30 years of age.
The i-Village Foundation NPC with its valued partners from business, government, ICT, education and the consulting sector will once again play host to South Africa’s biggest ever gathering of policy makers, industry players, entrepreneurs and experts in township technology innovation.
The expo aims to be the leading platform for start-ups to showcase their innovation, engage with policy makers, the private sector and the community at large with the intention of commercialising their creativity.
The Ekasi Tech Fest will introduce a wide variety of educational and entertainment video games and other next-generation platforms such as Virtual Reality (VR) & Augmented Reality (AR) to a whole new audience.
Although there will be a set programme during the two days, there will be additional items hosted on each day that will be more flexible. For example, the programme on each day will also include panels focused on exploring career opportunities in gaming and also an Indie Games Showcase Competition open to early stage technology and digital start-ups.
The targeted audience for the e-Kasi Tech Festival 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; Gaming & eSports brands also community groups or individuals members who have innovative ideas they would like to share.
Edited by Neo Sesinye
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