Do you have a pilot-ready digital solution for modern-day challenges faced by the City of Joburg? Does your business enterprise develop smart technologies that can help the City deliver services more efficiently? Have you been in operation for about 3 to 7 years?
If your company profile fits this description, then apply for Joburg’s Smart City Innovation Challenge, designed to source digital solutions against the new normal imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Competition entries close on Tuesday, 2 March. Entrants must be South Africans younger than 35 and run businesses with a minimum annual turnover of at least R100 000.
Monique Griffith, the Deputy Unit Head of the Smart City Office says lockdown protocols have ignited new thinking about the future and the municipality needs to adapt.
Innovations sought should blow the whistle on GBV, enable the use of automation to improve local government efficiencies, use advanced data analytics to predict when infrastructure may fail and must be able to reveal ways to stop the theft of electricity infrastructure.
Griffith says technological solutions should also help the City detect, track, and predict crises. Only three start-ups with digitally viable solutions will be shortlisted to receive a grant of R500 000 each for their prototype. Awardees have the option of pocketing the cash prize or to apply it or a portion thereof to the development of the pilot programme within a City Department or Municipal Entity.
“The Smart City Innovation Challenge aims to find and develop digital technology solutions that respond to urban and community challenges faced by the City in the new normal resulting from Covid-19,” explains Griffith.
Winners will be given limited, but relevant access to infrastructure, buildings and – where possible – data. Expert mentors and City advisors will set timelines and ensure solutions are impactful and relevant. Mentors will have technical, healthcare and business expertise.
Griffith says solutions presented by tech boffins should accelerate service delivery and improve liveability and safety in the City.
The portfolio head of Finance, Cllr Jolidee Matongo says the municipality seeks innovative digital approaches to expand market access for township SMEs and to diversify business sectors prevalent in poorer communities.
“We seek ways to support the development of new 4IR township economies; expanding rapid access to a free or low-cost high-speed internet and linking small business to consumers,” says Cllr Matongo.
He notes that the municipality hopes to use this initiative to grow the culture of innovation in Johannesburg. The second instalment of this annual competition is run by Joburg’s Smart City Office in partnership with Wits University’s tech hub, the Tshimologong Innovation Precinct, a collaboration of academia, corporates, government and entrepreneurs to inspire digital innovation, propel entrepreneurship and grow tech skills for the knowledge economy.
To find out more, visit the City’s website – www.joburg.org.za and click on Campaigns – Youth Enterprises Info – Smart City Innovation Challenge or follow this link for the qualifying criteria: https://airtable.com/shrcXoFsjHDuP96Tl