Fab Lab Thokoza

General information

aimed at empowering local communities through science and technology by providing (1) ordinary people a means to develop their own technology solutions as applicable in their area of interest, (2) appropriate skills development, (3) infrastructure for entrepreneurs to develop new products that can be tested and modified in the market place according to customer needs, (3) increase diffusion and absorption of technology, (4) research and develop into new tools for entrepreneurs and (5) an infrastructure to produce small batches of niche products.

The strength of the FabLab initiative is that users get to complete the concept-design-fabrication process to make physical products, enabling the potential for not only job creation, but also the development of competitive small enterprises, the provision of enabling infrastructure for innovators and most importantly skills development.
The environment created in the FabLab is that of peer to peer learning which enables anyone with or without a technical background to learn and have a space to experiment and, as far as possible, make their imagination tangible. To the initiated communities, the FabLab serves as a design verification system used to create physical objects to verify and optimise design intent (“validate CAD”), validate manufacturing processes, and explore design trade-offs.

Due to the open nature of the facility, the youth have access to the FabLab, which introduces them to the world of science and technology – an environment where most adults had to have a technical professional qualification to earn a right to access and experiment. An important element in developing a knowledge based economy is to allow as many people as possible access to the opportunity to engage with technology. FabLabs provide the access to design and fabrication facilities that normally would only be available in first world environments. Such facilities in under developed communities can play a powerful empowering role.