Abstract
Abstract:
The study examines
opportunities of technologies for the development of SMEs.
Community Casting Project (CCP) is an initiative of the University of Johannesburg’s Metal
Casting Technology Station (UJ MCTS). This project is a comm
unity
based jewellery
making
and job
creating initiative through casting and other technologies. The first phase could help
develop business
cases, rollout of the technologies, initial casting training and ICT overviews
at some community sites namely Limpo
po and Rustenburg. Phase two of CCP focuses on
collaboration with SMEs, supporting road shows, further marketing of products through ICTs,
facilitating further training with special focus to Platinum incubators. UJ
MCTS believes
providing just the resources may not be good enough, but providing skills to use those
technologies are crucial. The focus groups conducted at SEDA’s Rustenburg jewellery
incubator determines the services offered by the jewellery incubator to the community. The
group were keen to showcase their products and discuss the casting and other ICTs used by
SMEs in SEDA’s Rustenburg incubator. The authors opine collaboration with institutions that
use technologies for casting is essential for the sustainability of such SMEs.