Lina Mapanga

Scientist, Pilot, Founder at GrooveTech

[Lina Mapanga @LinaMapanga]

If you love yourself and your family, please do not start a deep tech manufacturing business in SA especially in sectors with heavy R&D capital requirements. The system is not built for startups and SMMEs. Global markets will eat you alive with your R100k funding.

[Lina Mapanga @LinaMapanga]

@MorolongZA You cannot build on an empty stomach, the same way they cannot perform their duties at work without getting paid. A hungry founder will not make the best decisions for the business....

[Lina Mapanga @LinaMapanga]

@NkululekoMhlaba The real winners in this system are the consultants/mentors while real entrepreneurs are expected to turn water into wine...perform miracles.

[Lina Mapanga @LinaMapanga]

R27 400 ($1671 ) for a manufacturing excellence award. Do entrepreneurs pay for awards? It is just weird.....

[Lekau Sehoana @LekauSehoana]

Nothing feels better than healing from a time, period or moment that was meant to break you.

You look back and ask yourself, how did i do it? All the vulnerabilities, all the insecurities, all the anxieties and you look back and all your dots have connected and you are in a better place.

❤️

[Lina Mapanga @LinaMapanga]

@VusiThembekwayo Try being a co-founder and being married to your co-founder. Yer🤣

[Lina Mapanga @LinaMapanga]

@karidas_ Development funding in SA is risk averse. Even ESD funding rarely fund early stage, unproven business models. I think that even Elon, if he was from rural SA without access to resources, building in SA, he would be struggling too...

[Lina Mapanga @LinaMapanga]

Someone asked: "Why don't you cut grass or bake & sell bread?Ain't you an entrepreneur? Why do you wanna waste money on R&D?"
If you look at our R&D spend as a country, you'll understand why our economy is not growing .

[Lina Mapanga @LinaMapanga]

@feziledhlamini_ 😂😂😂

[Lina Mapanga @LinaMapanga]

Owners of capital vs caretakers of capital....Having worked as an executive at a corporate company and having served in a board , you learn to appreciate the power dynamics and roles that each one of them plays

[Lina Mapanga @LinaMapanga]

Dear innovator/inventor
What is the significance of your solution? Is it to advance the human race and make money while doing so? Or is it to perpetuate the status quo and make money while doing so?

[Lina Mapanga @LinaMapanga]

@MorolongZA How much did the investment committee invest on this? What was their investment criteria? Can they also allow their kids to carry 6. 4kg on their backs everyday? Has anyone from the investment committee bought this bag for their kids?

[Lina Mapanga @LinaMapanga]

Innovation does not have to be dehumanizing....

[Lina Mapanga @LinaMapanga]

@khayadlanga @Kenny_T_Kunene There is a zero pothole road material technology developed in SA by https://t.co/yFUgloGTti. We have been reaching out to various municipalities to pilot these technologies without any success. Mind you, a pilot at no cost to the municipality or agency, still we got a "NO".

[Lina Mapanga @LinaMapanga]

Dear entrepreneurs
Don't be beggars, create value.

[Lina Mapanga @LinaMapanga]

Technology can either change the status quo or perpetuate it....

[Lina Mapanga @LinaMapanga]

Building in Africa for the world!

[Michael Seibel @mwseibel]

Correct

[Lina Mapanga @LinaMapanga]

For tech enabled businesses: Start with the problem and solve it manually. Then embedd the tech to optimize and to gain advantage

[Lina Mapanga @LinaMapanga]

Sometimes you don't even hear what the customer really wants because you are busy trying to retrofit your solution to your customer's problem.