The presentation given at our Town Hall feedback session in May 2012.

2. Silicon Cape Town Hall
24 May 2012

3. What is the Silicon Cape?

4. It is a technology cluster

5. It is also a rallying cry: A long term
initiative to inspire a community to take
advantage of the global economy through
technology

6. What is the Silicon Cape Initiative?

7. It is an organisational body which acts as
champions of the Silicon Cape Vision

8. A Vision
…of an ecosystem in the Western Cape of South
Africa, that serves to attract and bring together local
and foreign investors, the brightest technical
talent, and the most promising entrepreneurs, to
foster the creation and growth of world-class global
IP start-up companies in an environment that
competes with other similar hubs around the world
against the backdrop of one of the most beautiful
settings and pleasant places to live, work and play on
the globe.

9. Silicon Cape is not owned by
anybody and if you live in the
Western Cape you are a part of it

10. The Silicon Cape Initiative is registered as
a non profit Trust and managed by an
Executive Committee

11. It is 100% volunteer led and is
(unfortunately) to date 100%
unfunded. This is not through a lack
of trying…

12. The Trust and Executive Committee are
focused on 3 main objectives:

13. 1. More and better tech startups

14. 2. Increased flow of investment capital
into the technology sector of the Western
Cape

15. 3. An enabling regulatory environment
and physical infrastructure for businesses
and investors to thrive

16. How successful have we been so
far in creating the Silicon Valley of
Africa?

17. 6%

18. We’ve certainly raised awareness of the
tech sector in South Africa and the
positioning of the Western Cape region as
a hub of innovation

19. But local perceptions are
merely an important
beginning

20. To change a reality will take more time
and deeper pockets

21. Our dream faces a few fundamental
challenges

22. Skills shortages

23. Engineering and creative talent is very
scarce and expensive in South Africa

24. And sadly we are not yet world class at
attracting talent from elsewhere

25. Bandwidth infrastructure and costs

26. It is still slow, expensive and often
unreliable

27. Regulatory Obstacles

28. Exchange Controls

29. It is hard to for businesses to import
talent

30. Inhibiting IP legislation

31. Not enough financial and tax incentives

32. Many challenges, but we do have a few
strengths

34. What has Silicon Cape achieved so far?

35. A few big networking events
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38. VC Office Hours

39. Silicon Cape Academy

40. What do we still need to do?

41. Get the government properly behind this
emerging industry

42. Assist in transforming the industry
from pale and male to appropriately
representative of the SA population

43. Institute a succession plan for the
current Executive Committee

44. Raise some decent funding so we can
really accelerate the Silicon Cape
vision

45. Create a better logo 

46. Meet your Exco

47. Name: Rob Stokes
Portfolio: Chairman
Role & Responsibility:
• Principal executive officer of the Silicon Cape Initiative
and shall manage, supervise, and control the affairs of@Robstokes
the initiative.
• Preside at all meetings and shall enforce observance of
the Constitution.
• Sign minutes of meetings after confirmation.
• Perform such duties as customarily pertain to the office
of Chairperson.

48. Name: Alex Fraser
Portfolio: Deputy Chairman
Role & Responsibility:
• Perform the function of the Chairperson @anfraser
in the event of their absence or inability
to act
• Perform duties and tasks as directed by
the Chairperson
• Represent and act as a spokesperson for
Silicon Cape
• Manage VC office hours

49. Name: Matthew Buckland
Portfolio: Fundraising &
Membership
Role & Responsibility:
@matthewbuckl
• Create proposal and budget for Siliconand
Cape funding strategy
• Evaluate offers and requests for funding
• Co-ordinate Silicon Cape Exco to meet
potential funders
• Identify and meet potential funders
• Identify new revenue streams for Silicon
Cape, and optimise existing revenue
streams

50. Name: Roger Norton
Portfolio: Finance
Role & Responsibility:
• Responsible for all financials, payments,
@roger_norton
budgets for SC
• Responsible for all accounting or legal
administration
• Curating the website
• It’s my birthday today!!

51. Name: Andrea Boehmert
Portfolio: Startup Relations
Role & Responsibility:
• Develop a profile of the Silicon Cape @andreaboehm
ert
Start-up community
• Identify the needs of the Silicon Cape
Start-up community
• Identify ways to address the needs of the
Silicon Cape Start-up
community

52. Name: Rob Gilmour
Portfolio: Investor Relations
Role & Responsibility:
• Attract more and better investment @RobGilmou
r
into Silicon Cape start-ups and
entities
• Develop links to investor groups in
the US and the UK
• Manage investor stakeholder
relations

53. Name: Tim Lind
Portfolio: Communications
(also Developer Relations)
Role & Responsibility:
@timlind
• Oversee execution & strategy of lines of
communication to all audiences
• Identify key audiences & objectives of
communication
• Setup channels and measure
effectiveness
• Ensure committee transparency & clarity
of intent / activity

54. Name: Claire Pengelly
Portfolio: Events
Role & Responsibility:
@pengspengel
• Identify and define the strategy of events ly
in promoting the SC
• Plan and develop events for the Silicon
Cape community
• Find sponsorship partners to support
events

55. Name: Lianne du Toit
Portfolio: Co-ordinator
Role & Responsibility: @TalentFusi
• Be a representative for the initiative at onSA
events
• Help create cohesion and communication
between the various people involved
• Campaign for funding and sponsorship
Help manage the monthly Silicon Cape
newsletter
• Manage the events on the Silicon Cape
website

56. Name: Mark Koekemoer
Portfolio: Co-ordinator
Role & Responsibility:
• Manage the communication channels to @markkoeks
promote the Silicon Cape initiatives
• Plan and manage 4 smaller events a year
• Plan and manage 1 big event a year
• Manage the Initiatives financial and legal
requirements
• Support the Exco and general activities of
the initiative

57. Let’s chat, we want to hear your
thoughts