The second Ekasi Tech Fest and Gaming Expo, now simply called Ekasi Tech Fest, will take place at the Dlamini Multi-Purpose Centre in Soweto on 19 and 20 October 2018.
The festival is hosted by the i-Village Foundation: a non-profit company, and its partners in business, government, ICT, education and the consulting sector.
Mpho Tladi, spokesperson for the festival organisers, says the festival will bring key industry players together.
"This is a platform where small businesses, start-ups with revolutionary ideas will be able to meet policymakers, investors, incubators and technology providers. It's a platform where brand marketers who need to stay ahead meet creatives who bring ideas to life and products to market."
The event is targeted at township entrepreneurs; existing corporations and government entities looking to change the way they do business; students and young people interested in entrepreneurship or a career in ICT; incubators; eSports brands; and organisations and community groups or individuals members who have innovative ideas they would like to share, he adds.
"The World Bank says almost 40% of South Africa's working age population lives in townships and informal settlements, and yet they hardly feature in the country's ICT scene. South African democracy took hold in the country's townships and now they have a role to play in the Fourth Industrial Revolution."
Tladi says the Ekasi innovation model will fast-track innovation adoption and development in the area.
"There's the Silicon Valley model and then there's the Ekasi innovation model. Events like these help people in the developing world uncover new ways of growing their own digital economies in ways that more conventional markets never imagined."
This year the festival will introduce panel discussions that will focus on exploring career opportunities in gaming, and an Indie Games Showcase Competition open to early stage technology and digital start-ups.
The event will also for the first time host the Soweto Esports Community Cup Final in Pro Gaming FIFA and Tekken 7.
Past speaker Cambridge Mokanyane, the CEO of VS Gaming, says the gaming industry is flourishing in SA.
"Three years ago the gaming industry was perceived to be worth around R2.6 billion and I believe this figure will increase to R3.6 billion by the end of 2018.
"Initiatives like Ekasi Tech Fest and Gaming Expo, which focus on the development of the e-sports ecosystem at grass-roots level for townships and rural areas to access gaming opportunities, are at the forefront to making the realisation of the 2018 goal achievable."
For more information on the festival click here.
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