There were cries of jubilation, drums beating and celebration dances all around at the launch of the new eHub Diepsloot last week. The fantastic container building, and the promise it offers to the residents of Diepsloot, deserved every bit of praise it received.
Designed as a series of stacked shipping containers, each one decked out in stylish furniture and finishes, and fully equipped with the latest technology and free Wi-Fi, it's now available for those who need it.
The brilliant structure acts as a collection of incubator spaces for servicing 44 small businesses and 13 organisations from the area. Ericsson sponsored the eHub Diepsloot infrastructure with their training room, Cyber Café and reception area on the ground level.
The top level currently offers an open view of the Diepsloot landscape and doubles up as a meeting space and think-tank with white boards, but future plans include an audiovisual recording studio along with editing hardware and software. Designers will also have a maker's space that will include a 3D printer.
Some of the businesses already within the building are the team from Diepsloot Radio, an inspiring community and personal alarm group called Memeza Community Safety and solar energy DIY kit supplier Khanda.
A highlight from the group was the work of self-taught 3D and gaming designer Joshua Pule, who hails from Diepsloot. Pule created a special game for the occasion, intended to raise awareness about the endangered Diepsloot bullfrog. His ingenious and simple car-racing game disqualifies the user if they hit the Diepsloot bullfrog, and teaches the facts about the area's famous amphibian.
The space opens up a world of possibility. More of this, please!
