A brand-new online training platform, TechTribe Accelerator (TTA), is set to launch on Friday, 13 September 2019, at the SA Innovation Summit. The inspiration for the TTA platform was born from the need to create pan-African partnerships to solve continental issues.
The platform, which hopes to accept applications from across SADC, aims to offer online training to thousands of African entrepreneurs. The first intake will focus on ventures from Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, South
Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.
“In January 2020, at least 100 ventures will join the 7-month acceleration cohort, with the top 30 being
awarded virtual mentorship by regional experts,” says Buntu Majaja, TechTribe Accelerator Project Manager.
NEPAD SANBio Network Manager, Ereck Chakauya says, “Innovation happens everywhere, and the major issue African entrepreneurs face is the lack of quality education, acceleration services, and access to networks, in cities, towns and villages outside of the major tech hubs throughout the SADC region”.
The TTA is on a mission to:
● Train hundreds of tech-enabled ventures to become investment ready using an online learning management system, alongside virtual mentors who can operate anywhere on the continent
● Connect entrepreneurs through a closed online social network
● Provide access to grants, debt and equity investors through online and live deal rooms
● Work with other ecosystem actors on the continent (universities, hubs, accelerators) to deploy acceleration services locally.
Chair of the SA Innovation Summit, Dr Audrey Verhaeghe says, “The TTA is the first real attempt to educate, accelerate and connect SADC based impact and tech entrepreneurs regionally, and develop a digitally-enabled tribe”.
Edited by Jenna Cook
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