The Telkom FutureMakers Township Innovation Incubator programme celebrated the graduation of its second cohort of social entrepreneurs in the ICT space on February 28.
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The event, which took place in Bryanston, honoured 13 graduates for their dedication in developing innovative solutions to address societal challenges.
Launched by Telkom, the initiative supports township-based, black-owned small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMME) in the ICT sector, aiming to transform digital ideas into commercially viable and scalable solutions.
Since its inception in 2023, the programme has empowered entrepreneurs by providing them with digital skills, guiding them from ideation to creating viable products.
Tshepo Phetla, head of business development at Telkom, expressed pride in the graduates’ achievements. “Their ideas and business plans have been innovative and deeply relevant to the needs of South Africans. Telkom is proud to have been able to help them seize their future and develop these ideas.”
One standout success story is GelezaTech, founded by Mothupi Kgopa. which addresses the lack of affordable learning resources in South African schools.
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The Geleza APP aims to become a key platform offering affordable lessons in mathematics and science for students from Grade 4 to 12, targeting 22 000 learners initially and aiming to reach 31 million South Africans.
Kgopa said: “ICT is the key to addressing many of our people’s most pressing challenges – especially in the education space.”
He added that he encourages motivated young people in the townships to use ICT to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams in the ICT sector.
The graduates benefited from business support, including mobile data, laptops, MiFi devices, and training in tech development, digital skills, and project management. Entrepreneurs also had access to product development by Telkom’s technology unit, BCX, to build deployable web-service platforms.
Quentin Molekoa, founder and CEO of Absolute Converged Technologies, said: “Partnering with Telkom Futuremakers has helped provide the missing ingredient, the skills, technology, and resources to meet people’s needs and make a difference.”
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