In 2019, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) in partnership with Microsoft South Africa launched its Digital Transformation Programme.

Microsoft is offering up to 10 members of the dtic’s Black Industrialist Support Programme and the Gazelles Programme the opportunity to embark on a digital transformation journey to unlock their business potential.

They have opened a second Request for Application (RFA) window for the Digital Transformation Programme, and would like to invite qualifying Black Industrialists and Gazelles to apply to participate in and benefit from this programme.

For an organisation to be eligible to apply, it must be:

• A registered legal entity in South Africa
• An approved Black Industrialist within the dtic’s  Black Industrialist Support Programme (BISP) or a Gazelle approved by SEDA and the Department of Small Business Development.

Successful applicants will be provided with assistance in developing a tailored digital transformation strategy that focuses on improving operational efficiencies and the technical sustainability of Black Industrialists and Gazelles in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).

Digital transformation is about reimagining how you bring together people, data, and processes to create value for organisations and their customers, and maintain a competitive advantage in a ‘digital-first’ world.

The goal of digital transformation is to help organisations find new ways of generating value using modern technologies like Cloud, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning among others. Successful organisations are those that are better able to leverage these technologies to engage their customers, empower their employees, optimize their operations and even transform the products and services they sell.

To apply for this opportunity, visit the  Microsoft EEIP Manufacturing Website for more information:

Applications are open until 19 November 2020.