It’s the week after and some of the hype has fizzled out! So, it’s time for me to write about my experience and the way I believe this thing is going to work.
Firstly I have to say: it was a well organised event at a great venue, excellent speakers ( though I prefer to call them participants ) great finger food and all in all a very positive vibe.
That seems to be one of the main ingredients of making this thing a reality: a VIBE for entrepreneurs to want to be part of, a VIBE that will allow talent to want to work in the Cape and off course a VIBE ( or environment, if you wish ) where investors        ( angels, venture capitalists, etc) would not be weary of putting their bucks to work.
So, according to the 2 individuals who are spearheading this initiative, what exactly is it all about?
The joint presentation by Vinny Lingham and Justin Stanford covered quite a bit. From the 5 1/2 pages of notes I took during their chat, herewith some of the main points raised:

• the dream of both these guys is to create a “silicon valley” in South Africa
• what is needed is an eco-system to attract the right elements: entrepreneurs, VC’s, talent
• we have great universities, a great place to live, personality and culture
• great deal of activity already exists in pockets, but with minimal exposure
• it IS possible to build global technology companies in the Cape
• natural resources will run out
• we need tax incentives, attractive returns, protection and mobility of capital, access to the community for investors, regulatory friendly environment
• we need an entrepreneur-friendly environment
• and a IP - friendly environment
• make employees part of ventures - give them equity
• Siliconcape is a non-profit organisation that wants to create awareness and local as well as international branding
• it want to facilitate knowledge
• and attempt to accelerate ongoing start-up venture investing activity.

It really was great to hear these 2 guys share their vision.

Hearing a passionate Johann Rupert, Laurie Olivier, Dr Ramphele Mamphele and Premier Helen Zile all throw their weight behind this initiative really gave me the impression that we may have a formula here that can work.

Bumping into Dr Ramphele Mamphele on the plane from Cape Town to Johannesburg today, I expressed my gratitude for her involvement. She seemed really excited and told me that she already had plans to meet with the ministers of Science & Technology as well as Finance.

With Johann Rupert’s support and his theory that “any country that does not become a net exporter of IP will not survive” there seems to be great hope that this initiave will bear fruit ( and R,$, €,£, etc). He intimated that he has already spoken to top ANC brass about some of the hurdles.

It seems that the regulatory / tax and other legal issues are the greatest stumbling blocks in making a success of this initiative. It is therefore important to have the regulators, law makers and politicians on board to make this thing work.

I, for one, will be ready to assist where I can!

(The pics were all taken with my cellphone, so not the greatest quality.)