EP22 | Can SA Build a Tech Economy Without Big Tech? | Innovation, Policy & Power
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What’s killing innovation in South Africa? It’s not a lack of ideas—it’s policy paralysis, outdated funding models, and the dominance of Big Tech.
In this episode of The Angle, we speak with Prof. TK Pooe, senior lecturer at the Wits School of Governance, about the deep structural barriers preventing real innovation from taking root in South Africa.
From fintech and agriculture to health tech and mining, Prof. Pooe unpacks what South Africa actually does well—and why we need to stop aiming for Silicon Valley and start building fit-for-context digital economies.
He outlines his provocative idea for an e-sovereign wealth fund to support entrepreneurs, why universities need to become startup incubators, and why South Africa desperately needs to change how it thinks about risk, failure, and long-term innovation.
This episode is full of hard truths and hopeful alternatives. Listen now for an unfiltered take on:
-Big Tech’s role in stifling local entrepreneurship
-Why SA is 15 years behind on innovation
-How funding and procurement models are holding us back
-The role of education, regional markets, and failure in tech success
* This is part of a limited podcast series titled “The Digital Future of South Africa – Navigating Power, Policy, and Progress” in association with the Wits School of Governance, Tayarisha, and the Civic Tech Innovation Network.
00:00 – Intro: Is Big Tech killing innovation in SA?
02:00 – Defining Big Tech in the South African context
05:00 – Why Nigeria builds unicorns—and we don’t
07:00 – The problem with banks, government, and risk aversion
10:00 – Proposal: A sovereign wealth fund for startups
14:00 – Why failure should be funded
18:30 – SA’s tech ecosystem is too closed
22:00 – Can SA build regionally for SADC first?
25:00 – Agriculture, fintech, mining: sector-specific innovation
30:00 – Why universities must evolve to incubate innovation
35:00 – The myth of skills gaps—when data isn’t used
39:00 – Discovery vs. GEMS: Public/private asymmetries
42:30 – Local problems, local solutions: don’t copy Harvard
47:00 – Fixing government structures and perverse incentives
51:00 – How SA could start building a long-term digital economy
#DigitalGovernance #CivicTech #AfricaDigitalFuture #TechAndPolicy #DigitalInclusion #InnovationInAfrica #PlatformPower #SmartCitiesAfrica #DataSovereignty #TheAnglePodcast
In this episode of The Angle, we speak with Prof. TK Pooe, senior lecturer at the Wits School of Governance, about the deep structural barriers preventing real innovation from taking root in South Africa.
From fintech and agriculture to health tech and mining, Prof. Pooe unpacks what South Africa actually does well—and why we need to stop aiming for Silicon Valley and start building fit-for-context digital economies.
He outlines his provocative idea for an e-sovereign wealth fund to support entrepreneurs, why universities need to become startup incubators, and why South Africa desperately needs to change how it thinks about risk, failure, and long-term innovation.
This episode is full of hard truths and hopeful alternatives. Listen now for an unfiltered take on:
-Big Tech’s role in stifling local entrepreneurship
-Why SA is 15 years behind on innovation
-How funding and procurement models are holding us back
-The role of education, regional markets, and failure in tech success
* This is part of a limited podcast series titled “The Digital Future of South Africa – Navigating Power, Policy, and Progress” in association with the Wits School of Governance, Tayarisha, and the Civic Tech Innovation Network.
00:00 – Intro: Is Big Tech killing innovation in SA?
02:00 – Defining Big Tech in the South African context
05:00 – Why Nigeria builds unicorns—and we don’t
07:00 – The problem with banks, government, and risk aversion
10:00 – Proposal: A sovereign wealth fund for startups
14:00 – Why failure should be funded
18:30 – SA’s tech ecosystem is too closed
22:00 – Can SA build regionally for SADC first?
25:00 – Agriculture, fintech, mining: sector-specific innovation
30:00 – Why universities must evolve to incubate innovation
35:00 – The myth of skills gaps—when data isn’t used
39:00 – Discovery vs. GEMS: Public/private asymmetries
42:30 – Local problems, local solutions: don’t copy Harvard
47:00 – Fixing government structures and perverse incentives
51:00 – How SA could start building a long-term digital economy
#DigitalGovernance #CivicTech #AfricaDigitalFuture #TechAndPolicy #DigitalInclusion #InnovationInAfrica #PlatformPower #SmartCitiesAfrica #DataSovereignty #TheAnglePodcast
