The Telkom Group, through the Telkom Foundation, is making strides toward closing the country’s digital divide and equipping previously disadvantaged youth with future-ready skills, thanks to its impactful Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Learnership and Robotics and Coding programmes.

“We believe that technology is a great equaliser. This is all about giving every South African child a fighting chance to compete, create, and contribute to a better future,” says Judy Vilakazi, Head of the Telkom Foundation.

On Friday (11 April 2025), the Telkom Foundation celebrated the graduation of 362 youths from the ICT Learnership Programme. This brings the total number of certified learners to 1,077, since the programme was launched in 2021.

These young people, drawn from underserved communities, are now equipped with in-demand tech skills and real-world experience that will position them for careers in the digital economy. The ICT Learnership is a 12 months programme accredited programme by the Media, Information, and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (MICT SETA).

The programme offers specialisations in technical support, systems development, and business analysis, with each participant completing four months of training followed by work placements at host employers for experiential learning.

Telkom goes further by offering value-added modules, including entrepreneurship development, financial literacy, design thinking, 4IR awareness, personal branding, and work readiness. This ensures that graduates emerge as well-rounded and competitive contributors to the workforce.

Furthermore, earlier this month, the Telkom Foundation completed the three-year robotics and coding programme targeting 300 learners annually. Drawn from rural and disadvantaged communities, the learners from Qhubulwazi and Methula high schools in Mpumalanga, as well as Tiisetsang and Kgolathuto high schools in the Free State, were equipped with a wide range of coding and robotics knowledge.

The programme is certified by IBM and IC3, ensuring that these learners are fully equipped for any career path requiring digital skills.

"What a touching experience this was watching learners being exposed to the world of technology, a world they otherwise would never have seen. The programme helped them improve academically as well," Vilakazi shares.

“It has been humbling to watch these students grow, not just academically but personally too,” says Mangaliso Mokoape, Founder of Afrika Kids Code. “They enter the programme shy and uncertain, but they leave confident, curious, and innovative.”

“Technology skills will be the key to success in the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” says Mpho Majola, a learner from Tiisetsang High School. “I now have a head start in life. The sky is the limit!”