The next big thing in tech isn’t going to happen in mum and dad’s garage. It isn’t even the domain of big corporations. Exciting spaces like technology hubs and digital precincts in cities around the world hold far better prospects. That is the view of Prof Barry Dwolatzky, who heads the University of the Witwatersrand’s Jo’burg Centre for Software Engineering. He has worked for years to establish a digital precinct in Johannesburg. "Silicon Braamfontein", officially named Tshimologong Precinct ("new beginnings" in Setswana), might not have the glitz, glam, sea or a TV show about the struggles of building a start-up from scratch. But it has the potential to become a digital innovation centre that can nurture young SA startups. Global tech giants are slowly moving into Braamfontein’s bustling streets. IBM, Cisco and Microsoft have established a presence there while Telkom has moved in among them. The establishment of the precinct is the first step in the creation of a digital economy...
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