The Telkom FutureMakers Township Innovation Incubator Programme today hosted a graduation ceremony for its second cohort of social entrepreneurs in the information and communication technology (ICT) space.

The event saw 13 Telkom FutureMakers graduates receiving graduation awards and being recognised for their dedication and achievements on the programme, in developing innovative solutions that make a difference in society.

Telkom FutureMakers is an initiative of leading South African telecommunications provider Telkom, which seeks to invest and develop township-based, black-owned SMMEs in the ICT sector.

The programme has been empowering ICT social entrepreneurs since 2023, helping them “unlimit their future” – transforming innovative digital ideas into commercially viable, scalable and investable solutions to address social challenges.

The graduation marks the culmination of an intense 18 months, where entrepreneurs were trained in digital skills; developing solutions from ideation to solution stage; and receiving support to develop those solutions into viable products.

“We are proud to see the second cohort of Telkom FutureMakers entrepreneurs graduating,” said Tshepo Phetla, Head of Business Development at Telkom at the graduation ceremony. “Their ideas and their business plans have been innovative and deeply relevant to the needs of South Africans. Telkom is proud to have been able to help them seize their future and develop these ideas.”

Among the Telkom FutureMakers success stories has been GelezaTech, initiated by founder Mothupi Kgopa. The edtech business works to address a systemic shortcoming in the South African educational landscape - the lack of affordable learning resources and help schools in Free State province to drastically improve mathematics with most of those schools achieving 100% pass in mathematics.

The Geleza APP seeks to be the go-to online platform, offering affordable lessons for students studying mathematics and science from Grade 4 to 12 covering Caps, IEB and Cambridge curriculums. We target 22,000 learners as a start by reaching 31 million South Africans through media with each paying R200 a month per subject.

“ICT is the key to addressing many of our people’s most pressing challenges – especially in the education space,” said Kgopa. “I encourage motivated young people in the townships to use ICT pursue their entrepreneurial dreams in the ICT sector.

“These social entrepreneurship initiatives are directly geared to having a positive impact on the lives of the business owners and their families, as well as their communities, the ICT sector and the country at large,” said Phetla. “ICT can create jobs and business opportunities Telkom remains committed to helping entrepreneurs unlock their potential, grow markets, and turn their dreams into reality.”

As part of the Telkom FutureMakers programme, entrepreneurs received business support in the form of tech assets and training, including:

• A business-enablement pack including mobile data, laptops, MiFi devices, and/or printers.
• “MVP" product development by Telkom technology business unit BCX – to build ready-to-deploy web-service platforms, enhanced business channels and downloadable applications.
• Intense digital skills and project management training from Mapaseka Academy on how to launch and sustain a tech-based product in the SA market.

The second Telkom Futuremakers graduation ceremony was held at 22 On Sloane in Bryanston. Among this year’s graduates was Quentin Molekoa of Absolute Converged Technologies, who said they had found the programme extremely valuable.

“As a township resident, I see many gaps in the quality of life of our people,” said Quentin Molekoa, Founder and CEO of Absolute Converged Technologies (AC Tech) “These also present opportunities for entrepreneurs like me, who would like to fill those gaps. Partnering with Telkom Futuremakers has helped to provide the missing ingredient – the skills, technology and resources to meet people’s needs and really make a difference."