Keywords: education, employment

eKasiLab is an Innovation Hub vehicle to promote the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the township (predominantly black residential area). eKasiLabs are micro innovation centres that focus on supporting new innovative output in communities, in line with Provincial Economic Policies of entrepreneurship development.

The primary purpose of establishing the eKasiLabs Programmes across Gauteng Province in South Africa is to ""take innovation to the people in townships. Through design and co-creation of spaces in the townships where local communities are able to access the core services and facilities that are offered at The Innovation Hub Campus in the city of Pretoria. eKasiLabs comprise co-creation space, working spaces, and prototyping facilities, and the prototyping facilities include a FabLab to assist entrepreneurs that want to be part of Gautengs reindustrialisation and mobile applications development factory. Various training and entrepreneurial interventions such as Start-up Weekends and boot camps are undertaken at the Centres, which boast free wifi for the entrepreneurs. eKasiLabs will comprise The Innovation Hub Management Company satellite offices in collaboration with various municipalities in response to the need for inclusive innovation and in particular township economy revitalisation. It will be key to building a culture of innovation-driven entrepreneurship in townships, the development of innovations and technology, which are vital for modernizing the economy, and enhancing the sustainability of township-based innovation businesses.

eKasiLabs Programme is an innovative approach of providing support to underprivileged communities. To play an active role in the innovation ecosystem and economic space, the programme comprises a co-creation facility, working spaces, and prototyping platform. The programme is based on transformation of underutilised public infrastructure space in these townships to minimise capital requirements, so that more resources can be channelled into developmental programmes. Secondly, we forge collaboration with local government and private companies to provide resources into the programme we also collaborate with research and academic institution to provide technical competencies and capabilities required by the entrepreneurs in these townships to accelerate their inventions.

eKasiLabs has increased participation of young entrepreneurs from townships in the main stream of innovation ecosystem in Gauteng and South Africa. The programme has also increased entrepreneurship activities and outputs of innovation products /solutions in these communities. Evident impact is visible in facilitation of market linkages and access to funding for entrepreneurs in these communities. These township-based-innovation centres (eKasiLabs) have fast-tracked the establishment of sustainable and innovative enterprises to stimulate growth and competitiveness in township economies, and contributed to job creation. In addition, they serve as a platform to provide township communities, especially the youth, with opportunities to have a meaningful participation in the conceptualization and development of solutions that can contribute in transforming the townships economic landscape. Since inception, these seven eKasiLabs have incubated 170 startups and trained more than 250 youth entrepreneurs in townships.

eKasiLab is aimed at support township-based innovators and entrepreneurs, predominantly the youth, who have developed products or solutions that require further development for commercialization or market readiness.