Technology Archives - YIEDI https://yiedi.co.za/category/technology/ Youth, Innovation, Entrepreneurship Design Institute Fri, 27 Feb 2026 00:12:35 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://yiedi.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/cropped-cropped-YIEDI-Logo_New-32x32.webp Technology Archives - YIEDI https://yiedi.co.za/category/technology/ 32 32 IBM opens nominations for black tech firms with its Techscale programme https://yiedi.co.za/ibm-opens-nominations-for-black-tech-firms-with-its-techscale-programme/ Tue, 02 Dec 2025 02:39:10 +0000 https://yiedi.co.za/?p=3137 Established black owned tech companies in the financial services, healthcare and telecommunications sectors can get help from IBM to grow their business — with the latest call of IBM’s Techscale programme. IBM South Africa has opened applications for its six-month IBM Techscale programme. Applications can be made through Joburg-based consultancy Youth Innovation Entrepreneurship Design Institute (Yiedi) which is implementing the programme on behalf of IBM. Applications close on 10 April, while the selected companies will be announced later on in the same month. Over the course of programme, participants will get the opportunity to collaborate with decision makers from the tech industry and gain access to mentors and coaches. Some of the topics that will be covered include business development and enablement, as well as investor readiness.Yiedi’s six-month long IBM Techscale programme is aimed at tech companies operating in the financial services, healthcare and telecommunications sectors The programme is open to commercially sustainable SA registered companies that are black owned and managed, as well as older than a year. To be considered for the programme, companies must have a turnover of at least R500 000, or must have secured purchase orders and verified contracts to the value of more than R500 000 within 2019. Applicants must also be involved in the business’s daily operations and management on a full-time basis. Moreover, the business must no be currently participating in any other enterprise development programme at IBM, or any of its competitors.

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Established black owned tech companies in the financial services, healthcare and telecommunications sectors can get help from IBM to grow their business — with the latest call of IBM’s Techscale programme.

IBM South Africa has opened applications for its six-month IBM Techscale programme. Applications can be made through Joburg-based consultancy Youth Innovation Entrepreneurship Design Institute (Yiedi) which is implementing the programme on behalf of IBM.

Applications close on 10 April, while the selected companies will be announced later on in the same month.

Over the course of programme, participants will get the opportunity to collaborate with decision makers from the tech industry and gain access to mentors and coaches. Some of the topics that will be covered include business development and enablement, as well as investor readiness.Yiedi’s six-month long IBM Techscale programme is aimed at tech companies operating in the financial services, healthcare and telecommunications sectors

The programme is open to commercially sustainable SA registered companies that are black owned and managed, as well as older than a year.

To be considered for the programme, companies must have a turnover of at least R500 000, or must have secured purchase orders and verified contracts to the value of more than R500 000 within 2019.

Applicants must also be involved in the business’s daily operations and management on a full-time basis. Moreover, the business must no be currently participating in any other enterprise development programme at IBM, or any of its competitors.

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]]> Seven black tech firms chosen for IBM Techscale initiative https://yiedi.co.za/seven-black-tech-firms-chosen-for-ibm-techscale-initiative/ Tue, 02 Dec 2025 02:28:00 +0000 https://yiedi.co.za/?p=3128 IBM SA and Joburg-based consultancy the Youth Innovation Entrepreneurship Design Institute (Yiedi) have welcomed seven SA tech startups into the IBM Techscale programme. The six-month programme is targeted at established black-owned tech companies in the financial services, healthcare and telecommunications sectors. The programme was officially launched at an event last Tuesday (21 May) in Johannesburg at Workshop 17 in Sandton, where the programme will take place. The seven companies range from firms focusing on software-as-a-service (SaaS) to artificial intelligence (AI) and bitcoin. The six-month IBM Techscale programme is targeted at established black-owned tech companies The startups and their founders are: Qualip Solutions (Sizwe Hlongwane): Qualip Solutions is a software and application development consulting company which builds applications and systems to help organisations automate their processes. KryszanTec (Jermain Kallideen): KryszanTec has developed Subware, a solution that allows businesses to understand how they are spending money on IT. Through the solution, the company is able to show a business how much it would cost them to move to any new technology. Smartech Holdings (Florah Ngwenya): Smartech Holdings is a custom software development company which helps clients digitally transform their businesses through solutions that are tailored to clients’ requirements. GeoPay (Thabang Mashiloane): GeoPay is peer-to-peer (P2P) blockchain remittance platform that helps people living in the diaspora to transfer money across borders quicker and more affordably. Zyelabs (Ismail Dhorat): Zyelabs facilitates and supports data driven decision-making so that clients can improve their customer experience, boost revenue and reduce costs. The firm helps companies make sense of big data by providing data engineering, data science and analytics and data operations services. BotsZA (Harmony Mothibe): BotsZA is a research and development company specialising in applications powered by AI. The startup helps companies integrate AI, machine learning and chatbots into their business processes to improve their customer experience, productivity and efficiency. Konecta (Yandisa Sokhanyile): Konecta builds wireless networks and platforms to enable value-added services and data analytics. In a statement last week Yiedi CEO Jayshree Naidoo (pictured above, far left) said IBM SA COO Ziaad Suleman committed at the event to closely engaging with the cohort as the businesses grow further into their respective areas. Naidoo added that IBM SA VP for partner ecosystems Craig Holmes offered to make as many IBM resources available to the participants and encouraged them to partner and grow with IBM. “Over the past few weeks we have already seen them grow and learn from some of the mentors we identified,” she said. She said the IBM leadership team had made the launch event “extremely beneficial” for the programme participants by giving them insights into available opportunities as well as on IBM’s strategy. Said Naidoo: “For many entrepreneurs one of the major barriers to success is access to markets and having a giant like IBM on the side of these businesses will give them the edge to succeed and grow”.

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Seven black tech firms chosen for IBM Techscale initiative

IBM SA and Joburg-based consultancy the Youth Innovation Entrepreneurship Design Institute (Yiedi) have welcomed seven SA tech startups into the IBM Techscale programme.

The six-month programme is targeted at established black-owned tech companies in the financial services, healthcare and telecommunications sectors.

The programme was officially launched at an event last Tuesday (21 May) in Johannesburg at Workshop 17 in Sandton, where the programme will take place.

The seven companies range from firms focusing on software-as-a-service (SaaS) to artificial intelligence (AI) and bitcoin. The six-month IBM Techscale programme is targeted at established black-owned tech companies

The startups and their founders are:

Qualip Solutions (Sizwe Hlongwane): Qualip Solutions is a software and application development consulting company which builds applications and systems to help organisations automate their processes.

KryszanTec (Jermain Kallideen): KryszanTec has developed Subware, a solution that allows businesses to understand how they are spending money on IT. Through the solution, the company is able to show a business how much it would cost them to move to any new technology.

Smartech Holdings (Florah Ngwenya): Smartech Holdings is a custom software development company which helps clients digitally transform their businesses through solutions that are tailored to clients’ requirements.

GeoPay (Thabang Mashiloane): GeoPay is peer-to-peer (P2P) blockchain remittance platform that helps people living in the diaspora to transfer money across borders quicker and more affordably.

Zyelabs (Ismail Dhorat): Zyelabs facilitates and supports data driven decision-making so that clients can improve their customer experience, boost revenue and reduce costs. The firm helps companies make sense of big data by providing data engineering, data science and analytics and data operations services.

BotsZA (Harmony Mothibe): BotsZA is a research and development company specialising in applications powered by AI. The startup helps companies integrate AI, machine learning and chatbots into their business processes to improve their customer experience, productivity and efficiency.

Konecta (Yandisa Sokhanyile): Konecta builds wireless networks and platforms to enable value-added services and data analytics.

In a statement last week Yiedi CEO Jayshree Naidoo (pictured above, far left) said IBM SA COO Ziaad Suleman committed at the event to closely engaging with the cohort as the businesses grow further into their respective areas.

Naidoo added that IBM SA VP for partner ecosystems Craig Holmes offered to make as many IBM resources available to the participants and encouraged them to partner and grow with IBM.

“Over the past few weeks we have already seen them grow and learn from some of the mentors we identified,” she said.

She said the IBM leadership team had made the launch event “extremely beneficial” for the programme participants by giving them insights into available opportunities as well as on IBM’s strategy.

Said Naidoo: “For many entrepreneurs one of the major barriers to success is access to markets and having a giant like IBM on the side of these businesses will give them the edge to succeed and grow”.

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]]> Data Driven Accelerators: Designing Growth That Matters https://yiedi.co.za/data-driven-accelerators/ https://yiedi.co.za/data-driven-accelerators/#respond Fri, 05 Sep 2025 07:57:56 +0000 https://demosites.royal-elementor-addons.com/landing-page-business-v2/?p=138 n the world of entrepreneurship, not all businesses start from the same place. They differ in stage, sector, capacity and challenges, which is why generic accelerator programmes often fall short. At YIEDI (Youth Innovation Entrepreneurship Design Institute), we believe in a different approach, one that is data driven, founder focused and operations aligned. Accelerators are powerful tools for business growth, but only when they are thoughtfully designed and strategically implemented. YIEDI has spent over a decade refining this process across a wide range of programmes, from corporate supplier development initiatives to youth and women led enterprise accelerators. Through our structured yet flexible model, we have supported thousands of businesses in moving from survival to sustainability, and from potential to performance. Why Structure MattersThe accelerator model is not new, but its effectiveness depends entirely on how it is structured. A well designed accelerator creates a roadmap for growth that is relevant, timely and actionable. It provides access to skills, markets, funding and mentorship. More importantly, it creates space for business owners to work on their businesses, not just in them. At YIEDI, we start by asking the right questions. Where is the business right now? What are its growth constraints? What support does the founder need to lead that growth? These questions form the basis of our structured, data led approach. The Power of DiagnosticsWhat sets YIEDI apart is our use of a 120 point Business Diagnostic Assessment a proprietary tool developed to assess businesses across key dimensions such as financial systems, marketing, operations, compliance and leadership. This diagnostic is more than a baseline. It is the blueprint.Each participating business receives a detailed diagnostic report, which informs a customised development plan. This ensures that the accelerator content, mentor pairings and learning pathways are not generic, but deeply responsive to the business and its founder. It also allows us to identify trends at a cohort level helping us adjust the structure of the entire accelerator to better meet the needs of the group.In one programme, for example, diagnostic data showed that 70 percent of the participating businesses lacked digital sales capability. In response, we restructured the learning journey to include a focused module on ecommerce, partnered with digital experts and offered one on one implementation support. The result was a measurable increase in online revenue across the cohort within three months.

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n the world of entrepreneurship, not all businesses start from the same place. They differ in stage, sector, capacity and challenges, which is why generic accelerator programmes often fall short. At YIEDI (Youth Innovation Entrepreneurship Design Institute), we believe in a different approach, one that is data driven, founder focused and operations aligned. Accelerators are powerful tools for business growth, but only when they are thoughtfully designed and strategically implemented. YIEDI has spent over a decade refining this process across a wide range of programmes, from corporate supplier development initiatives to youth and women led enterprise accelerators. Through our structured yet flexible model, we have supported thousands of businesses in moving from survival to sustainability, and from potential to performance.

Why Structure Matters
The accelerator model is not new, but its effectiveness depends entirely on how it is structured. A well designed accelerator creates a roadmap for growth that is relevant, timely and actionable. It provides access to skills, markets, funding and mentorship. More importantly, it creates space for business owners to work on their businesses, not just in them. At YIEDI, we start by asking the right questions. Where is the business right now? What are its growth constraints? What support does the founder need to lead that growth? These questions form the basis of our structured, data led approach.

The Power of Diagnostics
What sets YIEDI apart is our use of a 120 point Business Diagnostic Assessment a proprietary tool developed to assess businesses across key dimensions such as financial systems, marketing, operations, compliance and leadership. This diagnostic is more than a baseline. It is the blueprint.
Each participating business receives a detailed diagnostic report, which informs a customised development plan. This ensures that the accelerator content, mentor pairings and learning pathways are not generic, but deeply responsive to the business and its founder. It also allows us to identify trends at a cohort level helping us adjust the structure of the entire accelerator to better meet the needs of the group.
In one programme, for example, diagnostic data showed that 70 percent of the participating businesses lacked digital sales capability. In response, we restructured the learning journey to include a focused module on ecommerce, partnered with digital experts and offered one on one implementation support. The result was a measurable increase in online revenue across the cohort within three months.

The post Data Driven Accelerators: Designing Growth That Matters appeared first on YIEDI.

]]> https://yiedi.co.za/data-driven-accelerators/feed/ 0 The Evolving Customer: Rethinking Design Thinking in a Technologically Shaped https://yiedi.co.za/the-evolving-customer/ Fri, 05 Sep 2025 06:40:04 +0000 https://demosites.royal-elementor-addons.com/landing-page-business-v2/?p=139 Over the years, Design Thinking has fundamentally reshaped how we approach product and service development, placing the customer at the centre of every solution. As an Innovation and Design Thinking practitioner, I have witnessed a profound shift in customer personas, prompting critical reflection on the role of technology in influencing customer behaviour, personality traits, and cultural values. There is no doubt that customer behaviour has evolved, particularly among younger generations. However, this shift is not exclusive to youth, technology has impacted every generational cohort, reshaping expectations, interaction patterns, and decision-making behaviours across the board. These shifts add both richness and complexity to the Design Thinking process. At the heart of any effective Design Thinking methodology lies empathy mapping and persona profiling. These are not just steps in the process, they are foundational to developing meaningful and impactful solutions. To design for the customer, we must first understand the customer holistically, their needs, pain points, motivations, and contexts. While the tools and frameworks we use, such as design questionnaires and customer problem statement templates, may vary across industries and organisations, the core methodology remains consistent. This adaptability ensures Design Thinking continues to be a powerful, relevant approach in a world where customer expectations are dynamic and constantly evolving.As we move forward, our ability to remain curious, empathetic, and reflective will determine how effectively we continue to innovate with and for our customers.

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Over the years, Design Thinking has fundamentally reshaped how we approach product and service development, placing the customer at the centre of every solution. As an Innovation and Design Thinking practitioner, I have witnessed a profound shift in customer personas, prompting critical reflection on the role of technology in influencing customer behaviour, personality traits, and cultural values.


There is no doubt that customer behaviour has evolved, particularly among younger generations. However, this shift is not exclusive to youth, technology has impacted every generational cohort, reshaping expectations, interaction patterns, and decision-making behaviours across the board. These shifts add both richness and complexity to the Design Thinking process. At the heart of any effective Design Thinking methodology lies empathy mapping and persona profiling. These are not just steps in the process, they are foundational to developing meaningful and impactful solutions. To design for the customer, we must first understand the customer holistically, their needs, pain points, motivations, and contexts.


While the tools and frameworks we use, such as design questionnaires and customer problem statement templates, may vary across industries and organisations, the core methodology remains consistent. This adaptability ensures Design Thinking continues to be a powerful, relevant approach in a world where customer expectations are dynamic and constantly evolving.
As we move forward, our ability to remain curious, empathetic, and reflective will determine how effectively we continue to innovate with and for our customers.

The post The Evolving Customer: Rethinking Design Thinking in a Technologically Shaped appeared first on YIEDI.

]]> Strategy in a Saturated Market – A Timeless Discipline For SME’s https://yiedi.co.za/strategy-in-a-saturated-market/ Fri, 05 Sep 2025 06:22:12 +0000 https://demosites.royal-elementor-addons.com/landing-page-business-v2/?p=140 I recently recorded an online course on strategy for small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).One question from the interview still echoes in my mind: “How do businesses grow and sustain themselves when entering an already saturated market?” It is a vital question, especially in today’s hyper-competitive environment. Thirty years ago, a new venture could enjoy a 20- to 25-year runway before serious rivalry emerged. Today, that cushion has shrunk to as little as 12–24 months.Rather than defaulting to complex models, I returned to the core principles of strategy, principles that give SMEs the agility they need to thrive: Vision as the North StarYour vision is not a marketing slogan; it is the driving force behind every decision. When the “why” is crystal clear, your team can stay resilient and act with purpose. Mission Aligned to ValuesA well-defined mission translates vision into action. Ground it in authentic core values: theyaren’t nice-to-haves, they’re the powerhouse that differentiates you and fuels sustainablecompetitive advantage. SMART Objectives & Collaborative LeadershipBreak strategy into Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound goals. Craft them collaboratively, agile, inclusive leadership accelerates execution and fosters ownership. SWOT Meets TOWSClassic SWOT analysis gains real power when paired with TOWS: convert threats into opportunities and weaknesses into strengths. This proactive mind-set keeps your business ahead of the curve. Customer-Centric InnovationPut customers first in product design and improvement. Human-centred design and Design Thinking principles help you spot unmet needs even in crowded markets. Digitally Enabled Value CreationEmbrace technology across the value chain, from data-driven insights to automation and AI- powered personalisation, to remain relevant, efficient, and scalable. Strategy is not a once-off exercise.It is a living document, review it, refine it, and realign it continually. For SME leaders, adaptability in strategic thinking is not just helpful; it is essential for long-term relevance and impact. How often do you revisit your strategy, and which principle above resonates most with you

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I recently recorded an online course on strategy for small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
One question from the interview still echoes in my mind:

“How do businesses grow and sustain themselves when entering an already saturated market?”

It is a vital question, especially in today’s hyper-competitive environment. Thirty years ago, a new venture could enjoy a 20- to 25-year runway before serious rivalry emerged. Today, that cushion has shrunk to as little as 12–24 months.
Rather than defaulting to complex models, I returned to the core principles of strategy, principles that give SMEs the agility they need to thrive:

  • Vision as the North Star
    Your vision is not a marketing slogan; it is the driving force behind every decision. When the “why” is crystal clear, your team can stay resilient and act with purpose.
  • Mission Aligned to Values
    A well-defined mission translates vision into action. Ground it in authentic core values: they
    aren’t nice-to-haves, they’re the powerhouse that differentiates you and fuels sustainable
    competitive advantage.
  • SMART Objectives & Collaborative Leadership
    Break strategy into Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound goals. Craft them collaboratively, agile, inclusive leadership accelerates execution and fosters ownership.
  • SWOT Meets TOWS
    Classic SWOT analysis gains real power when paired with TOWS: convert threats into opportunities and weaknesses into strengths. This proactive mind-set keeps your business ahead of the curve.
  • Customer-Centric Innovation
    Put customers first in product design and improvement. Human-centred design and Design Thinking principles help you spot unmet needs even in crowded markets.
  • Digitally Enabled Value Creation
    Embrace technology across the value chain, from data-driven insights to automation and AI- powered personalisation, to remain relevant, efficient, and scalable.
  • Strategy is not a once-off exercise.
    It is a living document, review it, refine it, and realign it continually. For SME leaders, adaptability in strategic thinking is not just helpful; it is essential for long-term relevance and impact. How often do you revisit your strategy, and which principle above resonates most with you

The post Strategy in a Saturated Market – A Timeless Discipline For SME’s appeared first on YIEDI.

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