Jamestown resident Dale Simons (front row, far left), received an award for Best Business in the Digital Sector at the 2018 Western Cape Entrepreneurship Competition hosted by the Western Cape government’s Department of Economic Development and Tourism.
MiDO Technologies, a Jamestown, Stellenbosch-based information technology business, recently walked away with an award for the best business in the Digital Sector at the 2018 Western Cape Entrepreneurship Competition hosted by the Western Cape government’s Department of Economic Development and Tourism.
The competition recognises innovative entrepreneurship and businesses that display business excellence in the categories of Emerging Business, Women-owned Business, Social Enterprise, Most Innovative Business and Township Business.
MiDO, owned by Dale Simons from Jamestown, was established in 2012 and is a social enterprise – a business that generates profit, but focuses its services on the improvement of social or environmental needs. It serves a gap in the non-governmental and educational environments by offering cost-effective managed information and communication technology (ICT) services to establishments in these sectors to help them deliver more efficiently on their core functions.
MiDO was recognised for the role it played in integrating technology into the classroom by training leadership and teachers at disadvantaged schools.
“It is important to focus on much-needed digital skills for learners, especially high school learners,” Simons explains.
“With almost 30% unemployment in South Africa, learners need to acquire practical skills, such as learning to work in a team, communication as well as creative and critical thinking. MiDO aims to do this through school-based learner technology hubs and strategic partnerships,” explains Simons.
“So it was a great honour to receive this award and be recognised for the role that MiDO has played in enabling non-governmental organisations and disadvantaged schools to use technology effectively for the development of their organisations and to improve the technology skills of learners.”
According to Simons, the “roll-out of Wi-Fi in South Africa and the affordability of hand-held devices for the masses” have made IT “central to how we communicate and connect with each other but, most importantly, to gather, analyse, process, use and ultimately protect sensitive data.
“Understanding how to utilise data effectively to grow, develop and support your organisation’s core business is vital to the long-term sustainability of any organisation. However, it is also crucial in fighting social injustice, alleviating poverty and specifically advancing education.”
https://www.netwerk24.com/ZA/Eikestadnuus/Sake/mayoral-accolade-for-local-it-business-20181219-2