A third BlackBerry app lab launched in Johannesburg today to accelerate mobile application development in South Africa.
Located at the JoziHub near the universities of Johannesburg and Witwatersrand, the new establishment will give startups, students and entrepreneurs access to resources.
Development, marketing and sales resources, as well as training will help beneficiaries to become more accomplished in ideas and business opportunities.
Annie Lopes, community manager at JoziHub, said: “We look forward to working with BlackBerry to mobilise our resident developer community, including students, researchers and faculties adjacent to our premises, the universities of Johannesburg and Witwatersrand.”
Through mobile application development, the app lab launch aims to create new economic opportunities and jobs in the mobile space.
Alexandra Zagury, managing director (MD) for South Africa and Southern Africa at BlackBerry, said: “We are looking forward to fostering mobile innovation in Johannesburg by supporting even more training and support for South African application developers.”
BlackBerry’s objectives correspond with the South African Department of Communications’ (DoC) eSkills Institute to stimulate research, development and innovation.
Previous labs were launched last year in November, at the Bandwidth Barn in Cape Town, and May, at the University of Pretoria.
More than 1,600 individuals and 13 events have benefitted from the app labs as part of BlackBerry’s extensive developer program.
The mobile company has worked with 80 universities, colleges and schools throughout Africa with the BlackBerry Academic Program.
The program aids institutions with materials and content for the mobile application education of students.
A BlackBerry developer lab is also planned to launch in Nigeria later in 2013.
