Maxum's first graduation event that brought together these entrepreneurs after their graduation took place at the Conference Venue at The Innovation Hub in Pretoria.

With a reported annual turnover of between R1,5m and R30m since exiting the Maxum incubation programme over the last two years, all seven SMEs Automated Product Development (APD); Mohwiti Technologies; Spline Technologies; the Expertron Group; the Naledi3d Factory; TCI Thoreb and VASTech SA have launched and successfully commercialised a number of products in local, regional and international markets.

These include:

- the Cell Power pre-paid electricity vending system, developed by the Expertron Group and commissioned by the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality to provide communities with convenient access to prepaid electricity vending points and business opportunities to become vendors;

- an e-Education software tool by Mowhiti Technologies that is being rolled out to 70 schools to improve overall school management, and which has created collaboration opportunities with Finland;

- the Synapses automatic electricity meter reading and control system that allows remote meter reading and accurate and timely billing, which was developed by Spline Technologies and partner Romulus Computer & Electronic Systems, and has been installed in a thousand houses in Midrand;

- TCI Thoreb has been sub-contracted by Gautrain consortium partner Bombardier Transportation to manage and implement a number of functions, with a specific focus on technology applications and systems integration;

-the Naledi3d Factory's virtual reality modelled education and training programmes are being used to uplift local and regional communities, such as training beekeepers in Zimbabwe, and education on hygiene, HIV/AIDS and malaria;

- VASTechs small footprint, ultra-high capacity third generation network recording systems for law enforcement agencies and commercial recording applications; and

- APD's rotary bottle filler and cap sterilisation unit for the packaging industry.

Since inception in 2000, the Maxum Business Incubator has supported the development of 30 companies, where 183 jobs have been created. Of these companies two have female ownership and six have at least 30% BEE ownership.

The overall success rate of growing the start-ups to levels of self-sustainability where they can exit the Incubator has been 80%, according to Jill Sawers, Incubator Manager.

We are proud to showcase this first group of successful start-ups and the significant progress made by these companies. Sharing their excitement as they developed and launched new products and witnessing their journey from the innovative idea stage to business competence and market acceptance has been a wonderful privilege, says Sawers.