Do you have some great online ideas, but don’t know how to get them off the ground? Do you have a community you can approach to bounce ideas off and to see if those ideas really are as amazing as you think? Do you lack the resources and skills to put your ideas to the test?

Welcome to the Silicon Cape, my dear friend!

It’s been a few months since I first read Vinny Lingham’s article about The Silicon Cape, or rather the dream that was Silicon Cape and the pitfalls local startups were experiencing. This, after a visit he and my buddy Justin Stanford (the guy behind ESET NOD 32 anti-virus software) made to Silicon Valley in San Francisco.

I had lunch with Justin a few weeks back and he told me how much closer they were to launching Silicon Cape. And then, just last week, it finally happened!

BOOM!

The Silicon Cape
www.siliconcape.com

I got some info about The Silicon Cape for the geeks out there, so as to bring you up to speed.

THE VISION
The Silicon Cape vision is of an ecosystem in the Western Cape of South Africa, that serves to attract and bring together local and foreign investors, the brightest technical talent, and the most promising entrepreneurs, to foster the creation and growth of world-class IP start-up companies in an environment that competes with other similar hubs around the world against the backdrop of one of the most beautiful settings and pleasant places to live, work and play on the globe.

THE CONCEPT
The concept of the Silicon Cape is not owned or controlled by any single entity. It is a living community and an organic, ever-developing concept in the hearts and minds of every participant, which endeavours to catalyse the local IP entrepreneurial community. As a community member, come and be a part of the genesis of turning the Silicon Cape into reality.

THE INITIATIVE
The initiative aims to start a conversation — to plant a seed and foster the concept of the Silicon Cape in people’s minds and on their lips around the world as the emerging Silicon Valley of Africa, and to create an environment and a perception of the area as a world-class location and destination that is not only capable of delivering but already is. This will in turn create real benefits for the Cape and it’s residents and stakeholders, and assist in attracting further foreign direct investment into South Africa.

THE EVENT
The aim by the end of the first event is to catalyse widespread conversation around the concept online and offline, build a global brand, and to establish a working group of volunteers and donors to take the vision forward and see it through to reality, garnering support from all sectors and stakeholders and ultimately establishing a foundation. The event is due to be attended and addressed by the Premier of the Western Cape, Helen Zille.

[read more here, incl. FAQ’s]

I urge you to get involved and join the network at www.siliconcape.com (you’ll see me there). Then, get following Silicon Cape on Twitter.

Finally, make damn sure you get invited to that event!

How do you get an invite to the first event, you ask?

Well, the inaugural event is being sponsored by a small group of people and companies, and they have limited resources at this time. The organisers would love to include everybody after the incredible outpouring of support for the initiative, and are trying to increase the event capacity to 500 seats and ensure offsite involvement via interactive and online media.

Please register your interest in attending in the event created on the site. CLICK HERE for The Silicon Cape