A 10-day programme to provide 40 young women with training in artificial intelligence, robotics, cybersecurity, coding, mobile app development and UI/ UX design is now being held at Motheo TVET College in Bloemfontein.
It started on 29 June and will finish on 9 July. The programme concludes with a two-day hackathon and a certification ceremony. The women from Motheo TVET College and Free State Community Education and Training (CET) College are gaining digital skills through the African Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI) 2026 South Africa TVET Coding and Robotics Boot Camp.
It is a partnership of UN Women South Africa and the department of higher education and training. According to UN Women South Africa representative Aleta Miller girls are entering higher education in their numbers and the system has yet to translate that pipeline into equitable representation in the workforce. “AGCCI is one of the ways we are practically working on this. By investing in young women’s digital skills at the TVET level, we are intervening at the point where the pipeline too often breaks down – and building a generation of women who will not only participate in the digital economy but also help lead it.”
She said the programme is intended to increase women’s participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics by developing their digital skills. For 21-year-old Boitumelo Garing, an Information Technology in Robotics student at Motheo TVET College, the boot camp reinforced her interest in pursuing a career in technology. “The camp made me understand coding in a simple way and showed me that I can really turn my ideas into reallife solutions that would make an impact in future. It made me realize that technology is the future and I should actually follow this path and not just do the course that I’m doing for the sake of doing it,” Garing said.
Nineteen-year-old Boitumelo Shale, an ICT Level 4 student at Free State CET College, said the programme had given her greater confidence in pursuing her goals. “The highlight of the AGCCI camp for me was when we did programming, coding and designed our project. I also enjoyed the daily affirmations, which gave my confidence a boost.
“Before AGCCI, I had so many dreams locked inside me. I knew I wanted to build a house, I knew I wanted to code, I knew I wanted to lead, but I didn’t know where or how to start. “AGCCI gave me the tools, the confidence and the people to bring those dreams to life,” she said.
