THEBE MABANGA|
THE Information and Communication Technology Small Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMME) Chamber is planning to boost the information & technology (IT) skills of young South Africans, while also eyeing a slice of government’s R10 billion information technology procurement spend, largely aimed at helping SMMEs in the sector.
“We would like to train the youth in 4IR skills while being a voice for SMMEs to flourish,” says Loyiso Tyira, the managing director of the ICT chamber during an interview with Inside Politics ahead of Youth Day activities on Wednesday.
The chamber recently formed the South African Mobile Device Distributors and Repairs Association (SAMDDRA), whose aim is to empower young South Africans to enter the distribution and repair businesses of cell-phones, laptops, and other IT equipment.
Together with the Tshwane University of technology (TUT), the chamber is currently training 80 mostly young people in cellphone repairs business, currently dominated by foreign nationals.
Tyira said the intention is to train about 1 500 youngsters who can then open their own mobile shops and kiosks, through which he estimates they can in turn create 7 500 jobs by employing an average of five job-seekers each.
The programme is also aimed at helping prepare young people with relevant skills to enter the workforce.
Tyira also serves on the board of the Media, Information and Communication Technology Sector and Training Authority (MICT Seta), which he says has various training programmes targeting about 10 000 people per annum to enter the IT sector, or upgrade their skills.
Their training programmes include Work Integrated Learning (WIL), learnership and various training programmes linked to a guaranteed job opportunity.
“We train people in order to acquire a skill that will help them earn a living,” said Tyira.
One of the much-anticipated policy developments in telecoms is the freeing up of the communication spectrum through an auction.
The chamber has taken advantage of this opportunity to help create a company called Wireless Open access Network (WOAN), which will be a broadband wholesaler to other service providers.
The country’s mobile network operator, MTN, Vodacom, Telkom and Cell C, as well liquid telecoms and Rain, will be required by law to purchase 30% of their broadband capacity from WOAN, which will guarantee it an income stream from inception.
The chamber advocates for the growth of SMMEs in ICT and in its two years of existence has embarked on several initiatives to achieve its goals.
Tyira says one of the biggest barriers to entry for SMMEs is that they are price-takers in their respective markets with limited power to compete on price.
“We thus urge government not to let SMME compete with big players on price, but instead either let SMMEs compete among themselves or compete through other value-adds,” he said.
One of the benefits of SMMEs is that their agility, and thus able to quickly introduce new technology.
Some government departments and municipalities have responded by reserving some IT tenders, such as supply of computers, for SMMEs, but Tyira would now like to see this issued as a treasury directive, so it applies throughout government.
The chamber has also assisted new players in the market to access initiatives such as Enterprise Development from large corporates and offers training, incubation, and other support.
The chamber has also supported members through court action where required.
The chamber said it would also like the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) to level the playing field.
This is through the terms on which they offer certification and partnerships to be a reseller to local entrepreneurs.
Tyira says the companies grade local partners according to status based on factors such as experience and historical sales volumes.
Those who enjoy higher status then receive discounts which put new, smaller players at a disadvantage.
Tyira would like to see these terms altered to give black players a fair shot at being partners.
Tyira also serves on the board on Broadband Infraco.
A graduate of the University of Cape Town, his career started twenty years ago at ICT group Business Connexion (BCX).
He has also worked as an IT executive at Anglo platinum, where he started out as having responsibility for its Limpopo and Mpumalanga mines, before helping run its global IT operations.
He now runs his own IT consultancy, Future Business Consulting (FBC), in addition to his responsibilities at the Chamber.
- Inside Politics