Empowering underserved youth in South Africa by imparting foundational skills for the digital economy

"According to the expanded definition of unemployment, 46 percent of South Africans are currently unemployed. More than 66% of them are young people," reveals Onyi Nwaneri, CEO of Afrika Tikkun Services, the division of Afrika Tikkun that is dedicated to reducing youth unemployment through education, skills development and placement programmes. "We're sitting on a ticking time bomb," she adds. A huge issue on its own, youth unemployment has grave implications, such as substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, and involvement in crime. "Our solution is to provide education, skills, and social services to children and young people from low-income environments," Nwaneri explains.

Empowering youths for sustainable growth

Nedbank recognizes the urgency of addressing youth unemployment as well. In 2020, the bank commissioned a study to identify relevant social issues that it could solve through financial support. "We noted a growing skills gap in the digital job market where the demand for workers is high, while the skills available are relatively low," observes Ramotse Phalatse, Head of Design Strategy in Nedbank. "We also learned that selecting study courses based on one's interests is a luxury of a privileged few. The overwhelming majority of young people want to follow learning tracks that will get them into promising job roles."

The study coincided with Microsoft's Skilling Initiative, aiming to bring digital skills to 25 million people worldwide. Recognizing common objectives, the bank reached out to Microsoft, who at the time already had a partnership with Afrika Tikkun to roll out skilling initiatives in underserved areas. Thus, DigiSkills was born—an online learning platform that would empower South African youth to live satisfying lives while closing the growing digital skills gap. "There are over 66,000 unfilled jobs in the technology industry. And this number is growing, especially with COVID-19 accelerating digital transformation," Nwaneri explains.

The relationship of the three organizations was truly symbiotic, with each fulfilling an important role in the project’s success; Nedbank provided infrastructure support, Afrika Tikkun gathered, qualified the beneficiaries, facilitated learning and transition to economic opportunities, and Microsoft provided the knowledge.

"At the proof-of-concept stage, launched in October 2021, we committed to providing the facilities for onsite training, giving young people access to laptops with connectivity, and covering the costs of catering and logistics," Phalatse says.

Meanwhile, Microsoft provided the hands-on Community Training platform for free, and the certification exams at a highly reduced rate. The platform provides bite-sized, step-by-step training modules that help learners get on one of five career tracks. "We’ve chosen five pathways based on the most in-demand jobs in South Africa. These are software development, data analytics, IT administration, project management, and customer service,” details Phalatse. Since its launch, the program has been updated to include content on employability and basic digital skills, to further prepare South African youth for today’s marketplace.

Finally, Afrika Tikkun provided crucial mentorship and support as the facilitator of learning and recruitment. “All three parties want to solve one problem, unemployment, by giving young people skills and enabling them to access employment sustainably,” shares Nwaneri. “Afrika Tikkun recruits young people, supports them to gain the skills, and helps them transition into employment.”

Building equitable access to key skills

The e-learning DigiSkills platform is free and open to everyone. “The Microsoft platform democratizes access to skills development, making it possible to reach thousands,” says Nwaneri. That being said, the group wanted to be intentional and maximize the program’s success. The first stage of the DigiSkills initiative had a target of 1,000 participants achieving full certification.

DigiSkills accepts applicants over 18 years of age with a working grasp of English, who have been economically displaced, are underserved, underemployed or unemployed. To level the playing field, no formal education is required. “There are many young people who had to drop out of formal education for circumstances outside of their control. But they are smart and have a great aptitude for continued learning, so we opened up a path that used to be completely closed to many of them,” Phalatse explains.

The training is delivered in the blended learning mode, making it possible for learners to study at home, or if they don’t have the resources, in facilities provided by Nedbank. “The majority of young people need the peer and facilitator support in a learning environment to succeed because the conditions at home are not conducive to learning, or they don't have access to connectivity or laptops,” explains Sohail Dhoda, DigiSkills Lead at Afrika Tikkun Services.

“We offer participants access to a facility with computers and internet, we provide refreshments including lunch, and we can reimburse transport. We also have dedicated staff to guide them online,” adds Nwaneri. “The only selection criterion is that they need to commit 100 percent. If they want to change their life, they must be willing to put the work in.”

To further improve the participants’ chances of getting a job, Afrika Tikkun drives a broader placement program for those who obtain the certification. “Employers are often reluctant to hire fresh graduates,” Nwaneri explains. “So there has to be an incubation period where we can demonstrate that these young people have both the hard and soft skills and experience in real work to get hired.”

A gift that keeps giving

By the end of 2021, the first cohort of 1,000 students completed the training, with more than 400 finding livelihood opportunities. For 2022, Nedbank, Afrika Tikkun and Microsoft are equipping another group of 4,000 South Africans. The three organizations carefully examine the number of visitors and registrants, users sitting the exam, and those who obtained certifications, to trace the program's success and relevancy. But in the end, this is not about metrics. 

“The essence of this program is to empower people by giving them skills so that they can take care of their families,” explains Nwaneri. “And every person that gets a job impacts the lives of at least five other people.”

This is true for 26-year-old David Ngomane, who now works as a developer at MLab. “I absolutely love what I do,” Ngomane shares. “I enjoy waking up in the morning and having a purpose in life. This opportunity has allowed me to become self-sustainable and to improve my family’s living standards. I am now able to ensure our monthly bills are paid and we are all comfortable. It feels good to be able to provide for your family.”

The program’s ripple effect is particularly visible in the life of 31-year-old Thabani Mthethwa. A graduate of the Customer Service course, he now trains and encourages other youth to sign up. “The ten candidates I trained were employed by Shoprite, a major retailer. This was a proud moment for me and for them,” shares Mthethwa. The young man now aspires to have his own IT training company to further create more opportunities for South African youth. Truly, the power of the program is not just the content it brings, but the opportunities it helps create. “The fact that we take someone from no prospects to having a sustainable income in under two months is remarkable,” concludes Phalatse.