You can’t go very far in the local blogosphere without stumbling across a conversation on the lack of funds for web entrepreneurs, lack of online innovation, lack of skills etc.

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I have been trying to come to grips with this problem for some time, but to not much avail. The simple fact is that South Africa lacks angel investors to seed an entrepreneur’s idea, and there is little incentive for a strong angel network to establish itself.

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Part of the problem is that few people, especially the “youngsters”, have both the technical and the business skills to take an online project forward, successfully. They can develop a “killer app”, but have no idea how to take it to market. Sometimes, they’re not even sure if there is a market.

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I was discussing these issues with Dr. Jill Sawers who is the Manager of Entrepreneurship at the Innovation Hub, and she has now spearheaded an exciting initiative to bridge some of these gaps.

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The Maxum Incubator, together with University of Pretoria and IdeaBank (my company) are organising the fist pre-incubation offering for young online entrepreneurs.

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All successful applicants will receive:
•    Free plug and play shared office space for a 3 months (a R500 deposit, telephone costs and  consumables will be for your own account)
•    Attending Izazi entrepreneur forums (opportunity to network with like-minded entrepreneurs)
•    Exposure to experienced business mentors and Maxum management team who will guide you in the process of deciding what is necessary to convert your proposed business concept/prototype into a real, viable business opportunity
•    An opportunity at the end of your pre-incubation period to decide whether your business idea has the potential for making money and become part of the Maxum Business Incubator programme
•    If your business opportunity is good enough, you will be introduced to venture capitalists who may be interested in investing in your business

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Basically, it is a foot in the door of a very connected Hub. You will work on your idea while utilising Maxxum’s office space and bandwith, and you will work together with MBA graduates to fine tune your business plan and prototype.

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Once you have a the foundations in place, you wil be introduced to the venture capitalists who have been identified specifically for their interest in funding online start up businesses.

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It is an ideal opportunity for someone in the Pretoria vicinity to become ingrained in both the tech and business spheres at the same time. Plus, the Innovation Hub is a great place to work (my office is across the road, so I am there often) and the energy and vibe are invigorating!

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If you are working on an online venture, if you need some guidance, help or will be needing funding to take your product to market, I strongly suggest you review this opportunity.

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Five simple application steps:
1.    Prepare a 5 slide PowerPoint concept, or a five point document, that outlines your proposition and illustrates commitment to the business enterprise (see accompanying example) and forward this, together with “Assessment of potential ICT Entrepreneurs” form,  to gsetumo@theinnovationhub.com. The business idea must demonstrate technological innovation in at least one of The Innovation Hub’s focus areas: ICT, biosciences, electronics, advanced manufacturing and materials, or energy and the sustainable environment.
2.     As an IT start-up or “Techie with an idea” you will present to a group of MBA students who, if they see an opportunity of building a business around your idea, will engage in a discussion with you over a glass of wine/beer/cool drink after your presentation.
3.    If you agree that this is a business opportunity, you will put together a business proposal and submit this to Maxum for entry into the pre-incubation programme.
4.    If the plan looks viable, you will present to the Selection Advisory Panel who will discuss  the feasibility of your concept.
5.    Should your application be successful you will be invited to pre-incubate your business idea and locate your business in Maxum’s pre-incubation premises at The Innovation Hub in Pretoria. And….if your business proposal is good enough, you will be linked up with Venture Capitalist who may consider investing in your business.

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Important dates to remember:

• 1 September 2008:    Deadline for receipt of applications to be submitted to Maxum

• 8 October 2008:      Successful applicants invited to prepare presentation forBusiness Beat Function

• 21 October 2008:    Business Beat function at The Innovation Hub, Pretoria

• 17 November 2008:    Deadline for receipt of proposals for Maxum’s pre-incubation                programme

• 26 November 2008:    Presentation of selected proposals to Maxum’s Selection Panel

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For more information contact Patricia Dlamini, Manager: Maxum: (012) 844 0084, pdlamini@theinnovationhub.com or visit www.maxum.co.za

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Or you can give me a shout at eved@ideabank.co.za.

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Example of presentation

The greatest resource possessed by a nation is the imagination of its people

It is no secret that South Africa has high levels of unemployment, severe poverty and lack of adequate education. These shortcomings are even more evident in our rural areas. And yet, and maybe because of the extra burden of hardships that those who live outside our main hubs have to bear, they have proven themselves to be incredibly creative, passionate and dedicated to their self-honed craft.

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But that, unfortunately, is where their skills end. To be able to market themselves as a destination, or to sell their goods through retailers on the domestic or international market would take resources to which most rural crafters just do not have access. Their unfamiliarity with the business environment, and limited ability to communicate professionally with distant target markets hampers their chance of maintaining a decent living from the proceeds of their work.

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That is unfortunate. Craft has low entry requirements in terms of capital and skill, since it draws on the cultural heritage of the people. Most crafters are women. Craft is the only feasible option to introduce themselves to the economy. They support large families, both immediate and distant. They are good, sometimes even brilliant, at what they create with their hands and the raw materials at their disposals. Their goods would have place of pride in the homes of the relatively wealthy foreigners who are so into the “green sustainability” trend that has taken the world by storm. The crafters, with their skill, are fully equipped to provide the first part of the “produce - sell - sustain” equation.

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Now we have to figure out how to do the rest.

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Luckily, we do not have to start from scratch. There are strong initiatives that aim to bridge the gap. There are government sponsored programs that introduce business training, and help market the crafters to tourists. There are organizations set up by individuals who run non profit projects to uplift the disadvantaged. And markets are springing up in urban hubs that sell the wares to both South Africans and the tourists who visit our country.

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Monkeybiz Bead Project is a case in point. It sells R5 million worth of beaded crafts to the international market each year. Founded as a non-profit in 2000, the initiative now allows 450 crafters to sustain themselves and their family, doing what they do best. The reason it works is because it had a great start from the three founders who identified a collective talent in a community, and matched it to a demand in the overseas market. Now, each crafter is essentially self employed: she makes beaded crafts that are unique, and sells them to the non-profit. The goods are then distributed internationally through a well honed network, and the profits are driven back to the community, which is affected by HIV.

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On my bookshelf I have a gem of a book, Due-South which is an Eskom sponsored “Travel Guide to South African Craft Sites”. Throughout its 400-odd beautifully laid out pages, it introduces the reader to the direct sources of the most creative, original and simply beautiful craft work the country has to offer. Designed as a travel guide, the book encourages both tourists and locals to get into their car and explore the country, and support the talent.

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Here are some typical quotes from the book:

• Hlamarisa Bvuma Beads: Hlamarisa is a renowed Tsonga beader and together with her four grandchildren she works to revive the style and technique used by traditional Tsonga beaders.
• Emma Gule at Rheola’s Country Collection: Emma is a multi-talented, self-taught beader who produces beautiful items from beads and copper wire. She uses her skills in design and colour to create attractive crocheted jewellery, accessories, Christmas decorations and bags.

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So we are not ignorant to the need of helping our local crafters. But, of course, we can do more. For starters, we can work on the perception of what “African Craft” really is. It is not limited, as some might think, the displays of wooden masks and beaded doilies as exhibited in front of the Zoo. To draw attention to the fact that the products produced in South Africa are far more diverse than that, it has been suggested that they be sorted into five categories: home ware and décor; garden and outdoor; jewellery and fashion accessories; craft and folk art (usually culturally specific) and souvenirs. Suddenly, the marketing scope seems filled with many more possibilities.

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In 2001, government introduced the idea of setting up a “Craft Trading House” that would provide a one stop opportunity for buyers to view the South African craft products, and to manage the ordering and finance aspects of the trade. Although this has not yet been established, in principle it sounds like an ideal opportunity to bridge the gap between the products and the markets.

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My money, however, is on the entrepreneurial spirit of those who can act as middle men between the crafters and the markets. Nothing, it seems, is a bigger motivator than money, and I am hoping that individuals who have the right connections, good business ethics and business acumen, will be able to utilize them for the benefit of all. The biggest obstacle, after all, is that most goods that are produced in rural areas will never receive the worthy audience that they deserve. Anyone who can bridge that gap manually can be forgiven for taking a profit out of the process. Altruism is great, but we need to pump exposure, even if for a price.

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And the potential is great. Africa, as a continent, exports only 0.4% of the world’s $424.4 billion creative products! (According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad), 2005). And we probably have the richest collective skill level and cultural heritage to drive the exports. As the director of Inter-region Economic Network, James Shikwati said: “The creative economy can serve as the most strategic launching pad of competitiveness because culture is unique with a given people”.

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I have, I must admit, a somewhat biased opinion on the matter. Although my day is spent bridging the gap between the offline and online world for corporates and start ups, my family, starting with my father as a founder, has owned an art focused business for over 25 years. It is therefore a natural progression for me to try and bridge the offline and online world in the craft / art market too. After all, there are plenty of potential customers who might never visit our country, but who would love to own a bit of African culture and heritage. And wouldn’t it be wonderful if there could be an e-commerce enabled website that offered the small crafter, living in the middle of a remote farm, the opportunity to sell her goods to people with whom she could never otherwise interact? There isn’t one yet, but I’m working on it ;-)

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We might not have the solutions to all the challenges faced by the craft industry in South Africa, but we should know this: It is worth our while to give it our full support, not only because it adds economic growth, creates an uplifted and cohesive community and is a natural stepping stone to further skill acquisition, but because it represents and preserves our country’s rich cultural heritage.

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This post is a chapter of the SA Blook: A Piece of Significance, an online book
written by a diverse group of writers with strong views of our country and the reality we find ourselves living in. The other chapters in the Blook are here:

Introduction
1 . The new South Africa - is it real?
2 . Is SA rich or poor?
3 . What the world thinks of South Africa and what our global opportunities are
4 . The importance of each individual’s contribution collectively
5 . SA Inc and the business of doing business in SA
6 . The beauty and grandeur that surrounds us
7 . The importance of technology in SA’s global emergence
8 . Building brand South Africa
9 . Making the most of SA’s creative talents and abilities
10 . Innovate for a better South Africa
11 . The role of the younger generation in SA, and what we need to do to support them
12 . Connecting South Africa - Communities that transcend technology
13 . We are African - the role of collaboration in South Africa’s growth

The more time I spend playing online, the more innovations just blow me away. But this one takes the cake.

It’s called “telepresence”, and in this video it was used to create a 3D virtual, live, image of a presenter, who could not physically attend a conference, but presented anyway. His image was projected onto the stage, and since it was happening in real time (think teleconferencing, but on steroids) the “virtual” presenter (who was actually in India at the time) was able to speak and interact with a colleague (his boss) who was “really” on the stage.

The virtual image is not projected onto the screen, but onto the stage. You really do think you are looking at a live person. (Well, you are looking at a live person, but he happens to be thousands of miles away).

There are many possible applications to this. The video mentions doctors “visiting” remote patients. But I immediately had another idea: If my deceased father was able to make a virtual “video” of himself (prior to his death, of course!) then I could listen to a message from him after his death, and see it coming “directly from him”. My daughter could “see” her grandfather, whom she now does not remember. The potential is tremendous.

In fact, this is so awesome that I was waiting for a “April Fool’s” kind of spoiler at the end. But no, it seems the Cisco people are really pulling this off. Watch it, it really is amazing.

I came across this post, on Marlene Paynter’s website:

Last week the web hosting service I had relied on for over 6 years disappeared suddenly, without warning taking my site and all contents with it.
The company, Lifetimehosting.com, sent a letter of apology stating that their harddrives and backups were compromised by a hacker.
So now it’s all gone.

Over the next few weeks I will be rebuilding from the ground up.
I urge everyone to do a weekly backup of their websites, blog posts, photos, etc. and not be lazy like I was, relying on a company to backup for them.

Seriously scary stuff. I don’t back up often enough, but I am definitely am now going to start making this a regular task.

Anybody know an EASY way to back up a wordpress blog?

You’ve heard of Mark Shuttleworth, you’ve heard of incuBeta. Now hear this: Gareth Ochse and Craig Corte have finally released their new baby BuzzFuse* to the market.

Created in South Africa, BuzzFuse* is a very nifty, very clever and very needed application that

• allows content creators (think music, cartoons, blogs, photographs) to spread their wares
• allows content consumers (think you and me) to discover, review and share said content.

This is how it works in its simplest version:

1. You sign up for a BuzzFuse* account (the entry one is free, the premium is $10 pmonth)
2. You create your content, say a new Wordpress theme, and post it online on you blog, website, Myspace etc
3. You register the content on your BuzzFuse account, and get a simple widget to post with the content on your website (like the one above this post)
4. Anyone who views your content can click on the widget, and get taken to your BuzzFuse page where they can:

a. Comment on your content
b. Rate it
c. Discuss it
d. Share it with their friends

5. At the end of the day, all BuzzFuse members get a personal email, which suggests new content based on their friend recommendations, rankings etc
6. You can check the interactivity around your content, the ranking and general feedback with the Reporting tools.

Wow.
I can easily picture a time, in the not too distant future, where content providers are going to be adding the BuzzFuse* widget as readily as they are adding the Digg This feature.

What that means is that we have a locally developed application with global appeal. Now we must just spread the word. If you are a content provider, I suggest you sign up and give this a go.

According to a somewhat outdated copy of Fast Company that I recently managed to get my hands on, active Internet users spend 9.1 hours less watching TV than those who do not or choose not to have Internet access.

That got me thinking.  I never surf the Tv box.  I always know exactly what I want to watch, and when.  I also have a PVR decoder, so now I can manage my TV time even better.  This is  what my TV-watch list looks like:

Monday: ER or Gray’s Anatomy

Tuesday: Prison Break (which I record, and haven’t watched one episode of this season yet!)

Wednesday: Studio 60 (wow!)

Thursday: Men in Trees, Desperate Housewives and CSI (which I also tape but have not watched this season)

Saturday: Without a trace

In between: Larry King and Oprah.

Total estimated time: about 7 hours per week. I fast forward all commercials and boring bits, which saves A LOT of time.  I can usually fit 2 or 2.5 episodes into an hour.

How much time do I spend in front of the computer OUTSIDE of a 9-5 work day? At least 3 hours per day, seven days a week.  I guess if I wasn’t typing/surfing I’d be watching TV or reading.  But I certainly see TV as entertainment - not a source of news, documentaries etc.  I know how to get that faster, better and more accurately using my Mac.

On the other hand, I rarely use my Mac for entertainment.  I never visit YouTube etc since  time just disappears when I do.

How much time do you spend on TV every week? How much time do you spend on your computer, working? And playing?

This question has been making the rounds on the blogospere, so I thought I’d throw it out to you guys.

If the Internet vanished ie no more websites, blogs, email, etc what would you do? To what would you divert your time and efforts? New hobbies? More time with family? New career change? Climb a high mountain? Read/write books?