From laptops, televisions and navigation devices to cell phones, video games and smartwatches – screens of all shapes and sizes are fast becoming the preferred medium for people all over the world to acquire news, information, and knowledge; to entertain themselves; be productive; and connect. And as the tech capital of Africa, Cape Town is well-positioned to lead this growing market.
Currently, the local ScreenTech sector – which includes the gaming, animation, streaming, virtual reality and digital service industries – is flourishing and seeing revenue growth: Some 40 per cent of all South Africans now identify as gamers[i], with the market expected to be worth some R8-billion by 2026[ii]. At the same time, South Africa and Nigeria are expected to lead the global video streaming market, with the local industry alone anticipated to grow by 9% year-on-year.[iii]
To prepare local businesses for the emerging opportunities in screen-related sectors, the City of Cape Town has announced a series of ecosystem support events as part of its ScreenTech Project. Now entering its second year, the Project aims to harness the strengths and interconnectedness of the local tech ecosystem, to solve some of the province’s most pressing problems, and open up opportunities for the Western Cape digital economy.
With activities organised in partnership with Loudhailer and the Silicon Cape Initiative, the ScreenTech Project launched its first event last week, when more than 50 local entrepreneurs, business owners and studio managers attended a free business development workshop – led by business strategy experts, Ariston Grow – to help them optimise their day-to-day operations for commercial growth and sustainability. During this session, participating small businesses received guidance on appropriate business strategy, structure, processes and compliance, to help them reduce risks, stimulate productivity, and support profitability. This is now being followed by a series of one-on-one consultations for project participants, which will allow them to unpack and devise solutions to their specific operational challenges.
In addition to virtual consultations, the City of Cape Town will be hosting a networking and knowledge-sharing event for players in local ScreenTech sectors. Taking place during the evening of Thursday, 2 June 2022 in Cape Town, attendees will be able to connect with, and learn from, key individuals in local gaming, animation, virtual reality, audio and video production, and digital services. By doing so, the City and its partners seek to foster new relationships across screen-related sectors, with the goal of stimulating opportunities for increased cooperation and collaboration.
Interested individuals are encouraged to RSVP for the ScreenTech networking event by going to https://bit.ly/3vZ7hWZ
To learn more about the ScreenTech Project, go to https://www.siliconcape.com.
[ii] https://www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/digital-media/video-games/south-africa
[iii] https://www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/digital-media/video-on-demand/video-streaming-svod/south-africa