Corporate Tech Power – Are Big Companies Driving Innovation or Killing Competition?

South Africa isn’t short on talent—it’s stuck in a system that fears failure and rewards inertia. Prof. TK Pooe on what real innovation would take.

In this episode, Prof. TK Pooe discusses how the dominance of “Big Tech” and structural issues in South Africa — like outdated funding models, policy inertia, and procurement practices — are stifling local innovation.

He argues that success won’t come from copying Silicon Valley — but from building a context‑aware, homegrown digital economy rooted in local needs, culture, and markets.

Prof. Pooe proposes bold ideas like creating an e‑sovereign wealth fund to support start‑ups, transforming universities into startup incubators, and rethinking how risk and failure are handled within SA’s tech ecosystem.
He also points out that across sectors — from fintech to agriculture, health tech to mining — South Africa has real strengths. The problem isn’t lack of ideas but lack of supportive infrastructure, funding, and policy direction.