Software Factory to Be Established

September 2009: SAFIPA (the South Africa – Finland knowledge Partnership on ICT — a bilateral project between the governments of South Africa and Finland) announced the funding for the development of a software factory in Grahamstown, specializing in ICT for development.

The project is called ESTIMA and is a venture by Rhodes University, the University of Fort Hare and eKhaya ICT (a private, small business, focused on ICT for development).  The total funding, payable over a the next two–three years, is R3.6 million.

The Software Factory will be attached to Rhodes for the duration of the project, whereafter it is intended that it will be established as a viable, separate entity.  The initial staff complement will be three full-time programmers and two part-time support and coordination personnel.  The Software Factory will interact directly with the ongoing research projects by Rhodes and Fort Hare in the Dwesa rural community.

The Software Factory will commence operations at the beginning of 2010, once staffing and other logistic planning is completed.