CiTi is searching for a new Head of Entrepreneur Development and Incubation

The Cape Innovation and Technology Initiative (CiTi) is searching for a new Head of Entrepreneur Development – an executive role based at the Bandwidth Barn in Cape Town. As Africa’s oldest tech incubator, CiTi was established in 1998 to unlock the region’s potential for growth and participation in the digital economy, working at the intersection of government, society and business. For 19 years, CiTi has worked with entrepreneurs – supporting thousands of SMEs through programmes and within CiTi’s incubation and innovation spaces, the Bandwidth Barns. CiTi’s other successful programme set, CapaCiTi, equips young South Africans to launch or accelerate their careers in the tech sector; which has significantly scaled up delivery in 2018 to enable CiTi to have a national presence and impact.

CiTi’s entrepreneur development and incubation offering has more recently successfully landed and delivered on international incubation products, working with Pan-African entrepreneurs through remote and mixed delivery methods. Similarly, the team support specialised incubation programmes to support CiTi’s innovation clusters in future high growth industries. With the longest track record of entrepreneur support in the country, CiTi is looking for an entrepreneurial leader to continue its support of local and African entrepreneurs; innovating and improving our model; and designing market-leading products for our partners and the entrepreneurial community we serve.

As a team – we’re entrepreneurial, agile and passionate about skills development and entrepreneurship as the vehicle of change and growth. To apply, please email Ian Merrington on ian.merrington@citi.org.za with your CV and cover letter.

About the role

This role in the company is to head up the Incubation Division, that delivers support to entrepreneurs in the technology space. This support will also include tech enablement, to ensure that SMMEs are aware of how technology will be impacting their business, in essence ‘’future proofing’’ businesses and allowing them to partake in the digital economy. The role has executive oversight of the division, including iterating the CiTi incubation value proposition, across numerous existing and new programmes. The role also involves developing new products and services that can be taken to market. New services such as specialised incubation in fields such as FinTech, BioTech, EdTech etc. will form part of the deliverables.

The dynamics of the digital economy are also creating a need for an entrepreneurially minded employee. CiTi is, as a result, seeing a convergence between the capacitation of individuals with technical skills as well as a mindset and skills set traditionally associated with entrepreneurs running their own small business. We envisage close collaboration between our CapaCiTi skills programme and Entrepreneur Development and Incubation programmes to create product sets which can lead this potential new demand.

Along with the rest of the team, you will be part of creating a company that is viewed as the leader in incubation and entrepreneurial development in the ecosystem. This does not only apply to local support, but includes programmes run across South Africa and Africa. The incumbent will be expected to be a thought leader in the digital economy and to support CiTi’s organisational objective of informing market demand.

Areas of responsibility

  • Business development for the division
  • Strategic development and implementation for the division
  • Strategic alignment with CiTi goals and objectives holistically
  • Full responsibility for the P&L of the division and all financials
  • HR oversight and screening of new candidates
  • Assisting on cluster development (Fintech, TravelTech, BioTech etc.)
  • Developing and taking new products to market
  • Building and maintaining high level client relationships and networks
  • Building and iterating systems throughout the divisions
  • Building partner relationships across various new green fields projects
  • Reporting directly to the CEO
  • Contribute to organisational strategy as a member of Exco
  • Reporting on the impact of the support initiatives to various stakeholders
  • Oversight of the M&E performed by the division, ensuring programmes and initiatives have measured impact, improving the value proposition of the products
  • Leading the ED team to ensure delivery and quality control of the entrepreneurial support and development
  • Collaborating cross functionally within CiTi

Skills and Experience

  • Strong leadership qualities, including strategic leadership
  • Entrepreneurial mindset and initiative
  • A thorough understanding of the digital value chain and digital economy
  • The ability to design interventions to support and assist small business to succeed in a digital world
  • Articulate and confident public speaker
  • Comfort with being highly accountable and being part of a high-performance team
  • Clear and concise decision making
  • Good knowledge of the B-BBEE codes
  • Management experience with a proven track record
  • Good understanding of the commercial aspects of building and maintaining sustainable programs.
  • Track record of new business development
  • Track record of product/ programme design and delivery

Management and scope

The role will report to the CEO, and manage a current team of 5, with plans to grow. The roles key areas of responsibility include the following:

  • Lead the Entrepreneurial Development and Incubation division
  • Keep existing products relevant and support the design of new products
  • Contribute to organisational strategy as a member of Exco
  • Manage the P&L of the division
  • Capacitating the division with appropriate fit for purpose resource
  • Managing the relationship of existing and new clients
  • Building new relationships with clients/partners and suppliers

Fiona Tabraham

Fiona Tabraham is a strategic workforce development expert with a career founded on a resolute commitment to inclusivity, talent nurturing, and societal impact. Chief Executive of CAPACITI Digital Career Accelerator, Fiona’s passion for equity has charted pathways across numerous organisations, guiding bespoke Talent Initiatives, Future Leadership Development Programs, and transformative Career Pathway Development. Her tenure at Network Rail bore inclusive talent strategies, STEM advocacy, and innovative Graduate, Apprentice, and Internship initiatives. A trusted partner to a number of governmental, corporate and impact driven entities, Fiona empowers individuals and organisations, fostering diverse recruitment practices and innovative talent strategies. Fiona’s impact transcends the tech sector, positioning her as a leading voice for inclusive digital career initiatives.