The Johannesburg Centre for Software Engineering (JCSE) launched in 2005 as a joint venture between Wits University, the City of Joburg and others. Part of its stated intent is to promote software engineering best practices, and build capacity and skills in the software sector. In that vein, it kicked off a project called ‘Bringing CMMI to South Africa` in 2006.

JCSE research manager Estelle Trengove says CMMI (capability maturity model integration) is a collection of software engineering best practices. “It provides a framework for prioritising and organising process improvement activities and can be used to rate the maturity of organisational processes.” The initiative involves training CMMI instructors, offering the introduction to CMMI courses, training people to lead Standard CMMI Appraisal Method for Process Improvement (SCAMPI) assessments and the pilot project. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has provided funding to the tune of R1.5 million for the initiative and the City of Joburg has provided funding for a CMMI awareness campaign.