7 October 2000
Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa leaves today (7 October 2000) on an official visit to California. The Premier leads a delegation that includes MEC for Finance and Economic Affairs Jabu Moleketi, Gauteng Economic Development Agency CEO Charles Jonker and representatives of IT and Telecommunications companies.
The mission to California follows strong indications by a number of California based IT and Telecommunication companies in the Gauteng Provincial Government's Innovation Hub project announced earlier by Premier Mbhazima Shilowa.
While in California the Premier and his delegation will engage in discussions with the American companies that have shown interest in our Innovation Hub.
The delegation will also undertake a tour of the Silicon Valley, situated in San Francisco Bay. The Silicon Valley is known as one of the major technological centres of the world and has created one of the most unusual business eco-systems on the planet, as well as the greatest combination of brainpower and wealth the world has ever seen.
The Gauteng Government, whose Innovation Hub project is modelled along the Silicon Valley hopes to cement a mutually beneficial relationship with the Silicon Valley IT and Telecommunications companies.
For further information contact Thabo Masebe at 082 410 8087
Issued by Office of the Premier
Gauteng Provincial Government
07 October 2000