Move over Musk: meet the 25-year-old SA tech billionaire in the
making! South Africa has produced some of the most talented tech
entrepreneurs in the world, from Mark Shuttleworth, founder of the
Ubuntu Project – a popular Linux-based operating system and the
first African to travel to space – to Elon Musk, world-renowned tech
entrepreneur and the brains behind Tesla’s electronic car model.
While their stories are well-known, South Africa is making room for
a new tech entrepreneur – Jesse Casanova, a former student at The
IIE’s Vega, whose “next-generation social media app” idea recently gained
international attention. “The idea came from observing people and how mobile
technology has encouraged us to spend more time engaged in the virtual world,” explains
Casanova. “What we’re working on uses the same technology to bring them back to brick and
mortar stores to enjoy real-life experiences again.”
While Casanova is limited in terms of the information he can share about the app at the moment,
he can reveal that it’s more than a social platform – it’s also an opportunity for businesses to
engage with the right audiences in a way that has never been seen before.
Having graduated with an IIE Bachelor of Arts in Creative Brand Communications in 2014,
Casanova says that he relied heavily on the skills he learned at Vega during the development and
pitching process for his app. “I specialised in Multimedia while studying at Vega where I developed
the skills essential to building my app idea,” says Casanova. “Having skills like video-editing,
digital marketing, branding and design allowed me to achieve so much on a limited budget. I’ve
managed every element of this journey, and I’m grateful to Vega for instilling a holistic way of
thinking in us.”
The app is still in its early development phases, and Casanova has been invited to meet with high
level investors in China later this year, which will potentially help him find safe passage into the
Chinese market. “Securing my position in the Chinese market would almost be like accomplishing
the impossible, especially considering that Facebook and the rest of my competitors are banned in
China. China also has over 640 million smart phone users, a number that seems to epicly double the
United States entire population.”
In 2015, the annual Ubuntu Awards were launched to celebrate South
African citizens who play an active role in projecting a positive image
of South Africa internationally. Through excellence in their chosen
fields, these proud South Africans serve as global ambassadors of
our nation.
The awards recognise South Africans, who, through their Integrity,
Passion, Patriotism and Humility have raised the South African flag
high on an international stage.
Our very own, Thato Kgatlhanye [IIE Vega Graduate 2015] was the proud
recipient of an Ubuntu Award, presented by our newly-appointed President. This
year’s awards are themed “Honouring Madiba; a global champion of human rights,
peace and reconciliation.”
Thato continues to make us proud and is presently studying her Honours
qualification at Vega Bordeaux.