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Amid rising youth unemployment in South Africa, GirlCode has unveiled a new initiative aimed at getting more young women employed in the nation's tech sector. The Digital Skills Employment Acceleration Programme for Women is designed to equip women aged 18 to 35 with the technical and professional skills required to secure careers in IT.

Open to applicants across the country, the three-month, full-time course includes mentorship, practical training and professional development sessions. Participants must have access to a notebook and a reliable internet connection. Mentors will be assigned to learners for the duration of the course to help them navigate both the technical curriculum and the softer skills needed to thrive in a corporate environment.

The first group of learners has already secured funding thanks to a grant from Accenture. GirlCode is now engaging with additional employer partners to facilitate job placements for graduates. The organisation is appealing to businesses, especially those in the tech and digital sectors, to get involved by offering job placements, mentorship or funding for future cohorts.

GirlCode's founder and CEO, Zandile Mkwanazi, says the programme goes beyond basic coding skills. The goal is to provide a clear pathway to meaningful employment and long-term financial independence.

“This programme is designed to be a direct bridge between learning and earning,” Mkwanazi said. We’ve designed it to create real economic opportunity for women who are all too often locked out of both education and employment. The objective is to provide young women with the tools, support and access they need to get their foot in the door and stay there.”

Recent figures from Statistics South Africa reveal a grim picture, with almost half of all South African women aged 15 to 34 either unemployed, not in education or not in training. Additionally, women remain significantly underrepresented in tech, holding fewer than one in four jobs nationally, GirlCode states.

Mkwanazi notes that the long-term goal is to grow the programme into a national engine for women's employment in tech. “This is a long-term play,” she said. “We want to build a pipeline of female talent who are work-ready, certified and plugged into South Africa's digital economy.”

Businesses and corporate donors interested in partnering with GirlCode can contact Zandile Mkwanazi at Zandilek@girlcode.co.za to explore opportunities. More information is also available on the organisation's website, www.girlcode.co.za.