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Cape Town - The Western Cape Provincial Government has revealed the six winners of the provinces internet competition.
The competition is designed to demonstrate internet innovation as the government rolls out broadband nationally, and the province deploys Wi-Fi hotpots.
"The reason I love competitions is when someone sees there's a competition, you enter it; you start to think differently," Economic Opportunities MEC Alan Winde told Fin24.
In the Internet Innovation category, Nic Shackel won R10 000 for a low light warning system designed to warn officials when light levels fell below a predetermined threshold.
Vumile Mahayiya also earned himself R10 000 for building a digital platform that connects students with investors.
Jobs focus
Other winners won R2 000 each in the category of "How the internet has improved my business category".
"The whole motive behind entering the competition was the innovation side and economic development as well," said Siyabonga Tiwana, who won R2 000.
Tiwana will use his prize money to complete Google's certification process exam and as a certified Google partner, Tiwana will be able to grow his Skywalk Innovations business.
MEC Alan Winde is determined that the internet should be a provincial priority. (Duncan Alfreds, Fin24)
"It [internet access] has made my life very simple, and I'm engaging community members to show them how they can also help themselves," said winner Siyabonga Dilimeni who used free Wi-Fi to build his cleaning business.
Both Leroy Moodley and Reyhana Isaacs said that the internet is a "window on the world" and they used web resources to grow their small businesses.
"Apart from just learning on the internet, what I did is research business plans, business writing - everything that you need to start up a business," Moodley said.
Economy
Business and job growth is a key focus for Winde who said that creating employment was a government priority.
"We've need to create jobs. We've got 710 000 people now in our province who don't have jobs and entrepreneurs are going to create jobs for those people."
Winde said that the competition was intended to highlight how the internet can change the way people access information.
"On the back of our broadband roll-out, which is R1.3bn being spent connecting government across the province, but where I’m involved, it’s about connecting people and the economy," he added.
Watch this online video where the winners talk about how the internet inspired them:
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