South Africa’s girls and women are proving every day that they have the talent and ambition needed to succeed in technology. Yet, access to digital skills and ICT careers is still lagging. GirlCode is one organisation championing the effort to help bridge the gap
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Johannesburg, South Africa, 19 October 2026 – With an estimated 77,000 ICT roles unfilled in South Africa, sustained investment in digital education is critical to building the country’s future talent pipeline.
Building on International Day of the Girl Child, non-profit organisation GirlCode is calling on Corporate South Africa to turn awareness into long-term impact. The NPO is inviting corporate partners to help bridge the digital gender divide by sponsoring girls from underserved communities for its GirlCoder Club programme, expanding access to coding, robotics, and STEM education.
For the past seven years, Sage has partnered with GirlCode to expand access to digital skills, reaching more than 4,000 learners in Grades 3 to 9 through coding and robotics programmes.
At the core of GirlCode’s approach is the GirlCoder Club, the organisation’s foundational coding and robotics programme for girls aged 5 to 18. Delivered through both online and in-person classes, the programme introduces learners to coding, computational thinking, problem-solving, robotics and emerging technologies. It gives participants practical exposure to technology while helping them develop the confidence and skills needed to pursue future STEM careers.
One participant, Olwethu Mdluli, joined the programme in 2024 as a Grade 5 learner. “I started with coding. Since then, I’ve learned so much about ICT, robotics and even how to make my own games. This year, we started learning HTML, which is exciting because now I’m getting closer to building my own website,” she says. “GirlCode helps me imagine what technology can do and what the future might look like. Coding is like a superpower; it can take you anywhere in the world of future technology.”
The programme’s impact is also visible among older beneficiaries progressing into technology
careers. GirlCode beneficiary, Neo Deane, is now employed as a Graduate Developer at RMB (Rand Merchant Bank) after completing GirlCode’s Python programme. “GirlCode has been a powerful catalyst in shaping my career, opening doors I hadn’t even considered. Throughout my journey, I’ve received immense support that has helped me grow and adapt with confidence,” she says.
Stories like this highlight why GirlCode, alongside their partners, believes investment in girls must begin long before university or the workplace.
“At Sage Foundation, we believe that transformative impact comes through sustained investment. Our partnership with GirlCode is about more than introducing girls to digital skills; it’s about supporting their journey over time, helping them build confidence, aspirations and pathways into future careers,” says Rudo Mutambiranwa, Global Director, Foundation & Sustainability, Sage. “By combining Sage’s time, resources and experience with GirlCode’s expertise, we can help remove barriers and create opportunities in the communities where we live and work. Olwethu and Neo’s stories show what becomes possible when young people have continued access to the skills, support and pathways they need to thrive.”
GirlCode’s work complements broader efforts to strengthen South Africa’s digital future. Although coding and robotics are increasingly being introduced in government schools across the country, many learners still lack the equipment, connectivity, mentors, and practical exposure needed to benefit fully. Through the GirlCoder Club’s structured, age-appropriate online and in-person classes, and with support from partners including Sage Foundation and others, GirlCode gives learners from underserved communities sustained opportunities to develop coding, robotics, computational-thinking and problem-solving skills that may not otherwise be available to them.
GirlCode’s long-term strategy is focused on building an early STEM talent pipeline by reaching girls while they are still in primary and high school, helping shape subject choices, educational pathways and future career aspirations before critical opportunities are lost.
This commitment was on full display at the GirlCode Career Fair, which took place at Riversands Hub in Gauteng in recognition of the International Day of the Girl Child. More than a standalone event, the Career Fair formed part of the broader GirlCoder Club journey, giving learners the opportunity to connect their classroom learning with real-world careers. It was a day of learning, inspiration and motivation for everyone in attendance.
The event brought together top-performing GirlCoders from across South Africa to engage with technology professionals, explore careers in AI, cybersecurity, software development, robotics and data science, and meet women already succeeding in the industry.
GirlCode was joined by its longstanding partner Sage Foundation and by Truecaller. Truecaller has committed to sponsoring more girls to join the GirlCoder Club and supported the Career Fair alongside Sage Foundation. Together, these partnerships demonstrate how sustained corporate investment can expand access to coding, robotics and STEM education for girls from underserved communities, while providing a model for other companies looking to make a meaningful, long-term contribution.
According to Zandile Mkwanazi, Founder and CEO of GirlCode, the challenge facing South Africa is not a shortage of talent or ambition, but rather a shortage of access.
“We cannot expect to see more women in STEM careers tomorrow if we’re not investing in girls today. Every year, we meet brilliant, curious and capable girls whose potential is limited by barriers they did not create, whether that’s access to devices, connectivity, learning opportunities or role models. Building a future-ready workforce starts with expanding opportunities for the next generation. That means long-term investment in talent development and equipping our ambitious young girls with the digital skills and opportunities needed to succeed,” says Mkwanazi.
“Our Sponsor a Girl initiative gives businesses a direct way to change that reality. By sponsoring a girl through the GirlCoder Club, companies are not funding a once-off event; they are investing in a continuous learning journey that can shape a young person’s confidence, education and future career. South Africa’s future tech leaders are already here. They’re among us. Opportunities for them should be too,” Mkwanazi adds.
GirlCode is calling on businesses, foundations and individual donors to partner through its Sponsor a Girl initiative and help expand access to ongoing coding and robotics education for girls from underserved communities.
Tekanyo Selatela
Soweto Sunrise News
