About Us
The Garden Route Innovation and Technology Hub (GRIT Hub) is a South African registered non-profit company (NPC) and a Section 18A Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) with a simple mission: To identify untapped potential and refocus it using the power of digital technology.
We provide workforce training, apprenticeships, tools, and mentorship opportunities to youth, small businesses, and stakeholders to actively engage in the innovation economy. To achieve this, we believe all it takes is GRIT and determination.
Located in the Western Cape's Garden Route and Klien Karoo region, our fully furnished and modern coworking and meeting space inspires creativity and promotes cluster collaboration. Our space provides a productive, accessible, and secure work environment allowing patrons the opportunity to network with like-minded people.
Our Vision & Mission
To be the premier Garden Route region technology hub and ICT incubator catalyzing small businesses, entrepreneurs, and startups in the innovation economy by connecting citizens in the inner-city, urban, small town and rural communities of our region to new economic opportunities through technological entrepreneurial tools and techniques focusing on inclusive competitive empowerment.
Our Core Values
In working towards our vision and mission, the values that guide us are:
- Innovative - nurturing a culture of technological game changers breaking historical glass ceilings.
- Entrepreneurial - fostering profitable and sustainable high-growth enterprises.
- Collaborative - sharing knowledge and skills to accelerate growth.
- Inclusive - all are welcome and encouraged to patriciate.
- Responsible - promoting high ethical values and interpersonal soft skills.
- Giving - giving of time, talent, and energy for the upliftment of society through technology.
Strategy
In alignment with the National Integrated Small Enterprise Development (NISED) Masterplan 2022, our strategy focuses on creating empowerment opportunities through real workforce training, targeted programming, and small business incubation. This includes actively supporting SMMEs in overcoming key barriers to capital, technology, reliable high-speed internet, and software access, while also establishing affordable shared co-working, co-creating, and workshop spaces.
This approach is further aligned with the Western Cape Government's economic growth strategy, Growth for Jobs (G4J), adopted by the provincial cabinet in April 2023, which identifies technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship as critical drivers of inclusive economic growth in the Western Cape.
