Microsoft South Africa to take a step to start up tech jobs

Microsoft SA to tie up with the government’s job fund and restart its BizSpark programme to help create some tech jobs by the next three years - declared by Microsoft on Tuesday.

This refreshed programme supports small software development companies and will be funded by the Jobs Fund and Microsoft’s 4Afrika Initiative. They will give qualified local software development startup access to develop tools and also provide business support through accelerators and incubators. The programme will also connect them to the important names in the market.  

Mteto Nyati- the MD of Microsoft SA said that the BizSpark programme has been the birthplace for some initiatives which are beyond imagination and also for small software businesses. But by tying up with the government and local business developers we are trying our best to provide as many benefits as possible and hence improving their success and increase the ICT (information and communications technology) industry. This step will greatly help in the growth of the industry and in turn provide employment to more and more people.

Further he also added that BizSpark would help small software developer to move further with a greater ability and to develop local solutions and introduce their software in the market. The programme would include technical support, business training and exposure to a network of more than 2 000 partners which will connect to all the small business developers, investors, advisors and government agencies.

The chief investment officer of the jobs fund Dumisa Hlatshwayo said that some new innovations and

business developers were the key elements for the nation’s economy and this technology start up could prove as a new life for the local software development sector.  

He said “the small business developers are the real job creators in SA, means the government alone is not responsible for providing support and incentives for the SMBs (small and medium sized businesses). When big business and SMBs collaborate, they create an entire new platform for business

and drive a new innovation for the nation.”

Mr. Nyati said, “As the programme will move further they would recruit small software start-ups such as education and healthcare in some specific areas to support national priorities, ultimately making SA as an exporter rather than an importer of the intellectual property.”

Qualifying this BizSpark programme will need the start ups in the business for five years, develop software, be privately held and generate less than R5m as an annual revenue.