Millions up for grabs for innovative ideas in jozi my beginning

27 October 2015

 

The City of Johannesburg is expanding and changing the way it does business.

 

In an unprecedented move to empower township businesses, the City has opened the door for township entrepreneurs to come up with innovative and game-changing ideas that could provide solutions to some of the key challenges it faces in its endeavour to deliver quality and sustainable services to communities.

 

The City has set up a R50-million innovation fund to get some of the City’s bright minds on board on its service delivery journey.

 

The Jozi My Beginning Community Innovation Fund, as it is called, is an offshoot of Jozi@Work, a R3-billion mass empowerment and job-creation programme initiated by Johannesburg Executive Mayor Councillor Parks Tau to deal with challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality. Essentially, the programme seeks to turn job-seekers into job-creators.

A number of roadshows have already been rolled out to communities. Areas that have been covered so far include Meadowlands, Naledi, Diepkloof, Dlamini and Pimville in Region D, which includes most parts of Soweto. Entrepreneurs have until October 26 to submit their proposals, which will be assessed by experts from the University of Johannesburg.

 

Winners will be given a grant by the City to ensure the realisation of their proposals. At one of the meetings in Naledi, residents heard that any individual or entity was eligible to submit their ideas.

 

One does not have to have a registered company to enter.

 

Facilitator Lali Mohlobane said only application forms that had been fully completed would be accepted for round one of the evaluation. He said any intellectual property generated by the idea would be wholly owned by the entrant but the City would have the right to make use of it for a year after the grant had been made.

 

Local businessman Mandla Maseko praised the City for establishing the fund.He said this initiative threw the ball right into the entrepreneurs’ court.

“Now that they speak of ideas, I have plenty,” boasted Maria Molefe. It’s really up to us to make our City what we want it to be.”

To register, go to www.jozimybeginning.co.za