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Silicon Cape has appointed Vusi Thembekwayo to its board, effective March 2021. He will take on the position of co-chair, alongside Sumarie Roodt, as the board will be moving to a co-chair governance structure.
Thembekwayo is a serial entrepreneur, venture capitalist, author, speaker and founding CEO of MyGrowthFund Venture Partners.
“Having someone of Vusi’s calibre come on board is not only a massive achievement and milestone for the organisation and the ecosystem, but it also means that we are determined to tackle the systemic challenges that exist in our ecosystems such as the structural inequalities and the relative lack of diversity,” says Roodt.
On his appointment, Thembekwayo says, “Silicon Cape leads in the work that it’s been doing because it is by far the most advanced platform on the continent for innovators, entrepreneurs and founders building businesses.
What I’m excited about is how we take the work that Silicon Cape is doing and turn it into industry-standard best practice, while also democratising access to innovation and technology so that it is no longer the mainstay of a particular demographic based in one part of the country.”
He adds that, given South Africa’s social climate and its challenges at an economic level, the country has to start thinking about how to build its future.
“The only way it can do this is if it is a part of the acceleration of innovation and adoption of technologies. At the moment, we are a net recipient of the world’s technologies, but we have got to become a net contributor. I think that Silicon Cape plays a fundamental role in getting more people involved and excited about innovation and the technology sector.”
“Our ultimate aim, as Silicon Cape, is to be part of creating an Africa that’s technologically advanced, where innovation and technology are ubiquitously accessible, and where innovators have low barriers to entry to build their platforms, broaden economic access, and better the lives of all,” concludes Thembekwayo.
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