codeX: Empowering marginalised youth to thrive in the global digital economy

From June to August this year, 100 youths from historically excluded communities, including a high percentage of women and rural dwellers, completed the latest seven-week Skills for a Digital Future programme, which was made possible by funding from the Embassy of Lithuania in South Africa. This vital support is helping to equip a new cohort of aspiring coders to pursue sustainable and rewarding employment opportunities in the digital sector.

Sonkhe Shongwe, who recently completed the training, commented: “The course has given me a glimpse into how apps like Facebook and Twitter work behind the scenes. I now have a basic understanding of how JavaScript powers the interactive elements we use daily, like buttons, forms and real-time updates. It’s interesting to see how data is handled and manipulated to create seamless user experiences.”

The programme gave Lerato Kgoputso the incentive to: “Practice, practice and practice. To never stop learning and upskilling myself – and to secure my dream job.”

Three-phase approach

Drawing on their experience over the last 10 years, codeX created a three-phase programme designed to prepare young people to become competent computational thinkers and play an active role in the digital economy. With the focus on closing South Africa’s digital divide, codeX made the programme easily accessible on a mobile-friendly platform. 

Phase 1: Think Like a Coder introduces beneficiaries to computational thinking through code-free explanations of computer science concepts like logical sequences, decomposition, abstraction and debugging. 

Phase 2: Discover Code Basics is where beneficiaries begin learning the basics of coding, with a focus on JavaScript essentials such as variables, functions, conditional statements, loops and objects.

Phase 3: Get Hands-On is where beneficiaries start applying their understanding of coding concepts and critical thinking in solving challenges and debugging errors through online platforms, with successful candidates pre-qualifying for future codeX boot camps.

Compelling proof of concept

While there are numerous online coding programmes open to beginners, Skills for a Digital Future is different because it is specifically designed to meet the needs and challenges of aspiring coders from South Africa’s marginalised communities, ensuring everyone is able to participate and benefit. For example, the programme begins with code-free explanations to build confidence, introducing basic concepts before progressing to more complex coding concepts. Additionally, it offers beneficiaries guidance from tutors who speak their mother language, which enhances comprehension and engagement.

Cara Turner, CEO of codeX, said: “Statistics from the programme testify to its transformative strengths. Just a few of the highlights include a 70% increase in the number of candidates who started online coding exercises, rising from the typical 29% to 49% in our last cohort. In line with our emphasis on gender inclusivity, 58% of the 401 applicants were women, 2% were non-binary and 42% were men. Notably, 83% of women had no prior coding experience, compared to 55% of men.”

According to Turner, the programme also saw strong engagement from rural communities, which were traditionally the least likely to participate in such initiatives due to limited access and resources. Yet, 83% of rural dwellers passed the first phase, ahead of urban dwellers (79%) and township dwellers (64%).

Closing the digital skills gap

Skills for a Digital Future is making significant strides towards closing South Africa's digital skills gap by promoting digital inclusion. The programme is opening up vocational training opportunities in tech-enabled careers that would otherwise be inaccessible, equipping marginalised youth and women with the skills needed to navigate complex digital jobs and even entrepreneurial ventures.

Additionally, the program is fostering essential problem-solving skills by developing computational and critical thinking abilities. These highly transferable skills are not only crucial for coding but also vital for success across various careers, particularly in an age increasingly shaped by AI and automation.

An astute donor investment

Given such strong evidence and positive feedback from beneficiaries, codeX is confident that the programme offers donors and supporters a high return on investment in terms of positive social impact. Turner explained: “The sponsorship model enables us to provide the relevant content at no charge to youth from all backgrounds along with data vouchers that give them access to our platform. What’s more, it allows us to facilitate groups as they progress through each phase, fostering a sense of community that drives engagement.

“Our sponsorship model presents an incredible opportunity for organisations both locally and abroad to invest in communities, as well as employees, to upgrade their digital skills, with an immediate return on investment. We know exactly how much it costs to train a participant and we know our success rate. So, our programmes are very outcome-orientated,” she added. 

If you would like to discuss how your organisation can best support codeX’s life-changing work, please get in touch with Cara Turner at oc.xedoctcejorp@arac to set up a meeting. 

About codeX

codeX was established as a social enterprise designed to create impact and offer a valuable service to local organisations, providing much-needed developer talent. As South Africa does not have an established social enterprise company structure, codeX comprises both a non-profit and commercial organisation to serve its purpose. The Project codeX Foundation is a registered NPO and Public Benefit Organisation that trains and facilitates the training of software developers.