Discover how kasi business owners can leverage technology and AI skills to grow and innovate within their communities.
Artificial intelligence may sound like a distant concept to many small-business owners, but at the Kasi Tech Summit in Alexandra on Wednesday, the message was clear.
Technology is already changing how businesses operate and compete.
Township entrepreneurs need access to the tools and the skills required to keep up.
The summit brought together entrepreneurs, technology companies and enterprise-development organisations.
The discussions focused on practical ways technology can help township businesses grow.
These included improving operations, reaching customers and accessing new opportunities.
For Bulelani Balabala, founder of the Township Entrepreneurs Alliance, township businesses cannot remain technology consumers.
He wants township entrepreneurs to become “builders, adopters and owners of technology”.
Balabala said AI, digital skills, cloud services and connectivity must reach township communities.
The message was also evident on the exhibition floor.
The technology on display was focused on everyday business problems.
For example, sorted.mobi demonstrated a bookkeeping service that works through WhatsApp – a tool familiar to many South African businesses.
Pampiri, developed by NexMotion Technologies, also showcased a practical application of AI.
It turns paper receipts and invoices into digital financial records. The service is aimed at small businesses, gig workers and fleet operators.
BraPeter AI and Work Together PC Technology also showcased their solutions.
Their offerings included customer engagement, digital directories, AI services, training and hardware.
For a township entrepreneur, these tools may appear simple.
However, they can address some of the daily challenges facing small businesses.
Better financial records can help owners understand their business performance.
Digital marketing can help businesses reach customers beyond their immediate neighbourhoods.
Access to technology can also help businesses respond to procurement opportunities.
Turning township problems into tech solutions
The summit also highlighted entrepreneurs developing technology around problems they know personally.
One of them is Keletso Lekwakwe, co-founder and CEO of PasswordKid.
The company developed a digital identity and verification solution for schools that helps them ensure children leave with authorised individuals.
For Lekwakwe and others, innovation can start with a problem in your own community.
It does not always require a corporate office or large technology company.
This approach is particularly relevant in South Africa’s townships.
Entrepreneurs often operate close to the challenges they want to solve.
These challenges include safety, transport, healthcare, education and access to services. Payments and financial access are also common challenges.
So, where should entrepreneurs start?
The summit’s message was not that every business needs to become an AI company.
Instead, entrepreneurs were encouraged to identify problems technology could solve.
A business struggling with finances could consider digital bookkeeping tools. Businesses looking for customers could explore digital marketing and online directories. Those dealing with repetitive administration could consider using AI tools.
The technology does not need to be complicated. It needs to solve a genuine business problem.
For entrepreneurs wanting to build technology products, support is also available. The Township Entrepreneurs Alliance offers workshops, networking and mentorship. It also runs opportunities focused specifically on township businesses.
According to TEA, its workshops take place across South Africa. They include practical training, networking and the Kasi Pitching Challenge.
The bigger digital inclusion challenge
The summit also highlighted the role of corporate South Africa.
Digital inclusion cannot simply mean telling entrepreneurs to “go digital”. Businesses need affordable technology, skills and reliable connectivity.
They also need access to markets, procurement opportunities and enterprise-development support.
Without these resources, digital transformation can remain out of reach for many businesses.
For Alexandra and other townships, the opportunity goes beyond learning about ChatGPT. It is about giving businesses the tools needed to grow and compete.
The next successful township business could already be operating in Alexandra.
What matters is whether it can access the technology, skills and markets needed to scale. That is the bigger challenge facing South Africa’s digital economy.
The question is no longer whether township entrepreneurs can participate. It is whether the country will create the conditions that allow them to do so.
