Seacom, a leading Africa-focused telecoms and managed services provider, is making strides in empowering small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) within South Africa’s ICT sector. With its extensive undersea cable network and fibre grid spanning eight countries, Seacom is uniquely positioned to offer enhanced digital connectivity and services to its clients.
On Friday, Seacom formalized a significant partnership by signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the ICT SMME Chamber. This MOU establishes a foundation for a comprehensive capacity-building and market access program aimed at helping SMMEs grow their operations both locally and internationally. The goal is to increase their participation in the global digital economy.
The collaboration is structured around the Triple Helix Model, which fosters cooperation among government, the corporate sector, and civil society. This model is designed to drive equitable growth and job creation by leveraging the combined strengths of academia, industry, and government.
Loyiso Tyira, Managing Director of the ICT SMME Chamber, highlighted that the success of this model will be evaluated in a year. Key metrics will include revenue growth for participating SMMEs, their progression to generic enterprises, and job creation. Tyira challenged all stakeholders to ensure the program delivers a compelling success story by the end of this period.
Additionally, Tyira mentioned that the Empire Partner Foundation has developed a solution to monitor the program’s effectiveness, ensuring transparency and accountability for all involved parties. This measure will help maintain the program’s integrity and drive impactful results.
The MOU signing ceremony was attended by MEC Bonginkosi Dlamini, political head of Gauteng’s e-government department, and Seacom CEO Alpheus Mangale, among other executives. The involvement of the Department of E-Government represents a critical step towards organized and impactful SMME development in the province, setting the stage for long-term digital transformation.
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