Seacom and the ICT SMME Chamber formalised their collaboration on Friday by signing a Memorandum of Understanding.

Seacom, an Africa-focused telecoms and managed services provider, has taken steps to unlock the potential of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa's ICT sector. 

The company, founded in SA, is a large-scale, diversified ICT provider with a presence in eight countries. 

It has a substantial undersea cable network and fibre grid that allows its clients to access digital connectivity and services. 

 On Friday, Seacom and the ICT SMME Chamber signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to formalise their partnership.

According to the chamber, the MOU lays the groundwork for a comprehensive capacity-building and market access programme that will enable SMMEs to expand their operations both locally and internationally, increasing their involvement in the global digital economy.

The partnership is based on the Triple Helix Model of collaboration, the parties added, which promotes co-operation among government, the corporate sector and civil society as an instrument for generating equitable growth and long-term employment creation.

The Triple-Helix model is a conceptual framework for demonstrating how academia, industry and government work together to achieve social and economic growth.

Loyiso Tyira, MD of the ICT SMME Chamber, pointed out in his speech that the measure of success for this model will be seen a year from now, when stakeholders will evaluate key outcomes, such as revenue growth for SMMEs in the programme, graduation to generic enterprises, and job creation.

He challenged all partners to commit to ensuring that by then, there would be a strong and compelling success story to share.

Tyira also said one its partners, Empire Partner Foundation, has developed a solution to track the effectiveness of this programme, “guaranteeing openness and accountability for all parties”.

MEC Bonginkosi Dlamini, political head of the Gauteng e-government department, attended the MOU signing ceremony, together with Seacom's CEO, Alpheus Mangale, among other Seacom executives.

“The ICT SMME Chamber extends its gratitude to MEC Bonginkosi Dhlamini, whose presence and address at the event demonstrated the Gauteng government’s serious and deliberate commitment to SMME development in the ICT sector,” said Tyira.

He added: “The Department of E-Government’s involvement marks a significant step towards organised and impactful SMME development in the province, laying the groundwork for long-term digital transformation.”