Ming Coding, a community-based digital skills initiative, is providing sought-after digital skills to young people to help them enter the job market without tertiary qualification.
Established in 2020 to curb unemployment, the programme teaches digital skills including coding, cloud computing, networking and systems administration, Microsoft Office, graphic design and website development.
The programme targets individuals between the ages of 10 and 35.
Founder and DevOps engineer Kabelo Shongwe says entry-level requirements for tertiary institutions are stringent, particularly for students pursuing careers in technology.
“Those who manage to get through, often lack the digital skills required to be successful in their studies,” he says.
“For example, the standards for learners who want to earn a BSc in applied mathematics or in IT are very high. Learning digital skills from YouTube and being able to find the right channels can provide an alternative.”
Shongwe tells of a former student who is currently employed by Volkswagen in Cape Town, without any tertiary education. “He learned programming from YouTube.”
The start of Ming Coding
Shongwe started Ming Coding from home. “I was approached by two university students who wanted to learn programming, they bought two other students, and I ended up with 15 students.”
Ming Coding then sought support from the Southern African Association of Youth Clubs (SAAYC) in Daveyton, Etwatwa. With the help of SAAYC centre manager Nomfundo Thusini, the organisation provided Ming Coding with essential resources, including internet connection and laptops.
At the end of the program, learners receive accredited certifications from Microsoft, SAAYC, Great Learning Academy, and Cisco Networking Academy.
The programme also facilitates online classes to learners in Cape Town, Durban, and Soweto, with plans to establish physical centres in these regions.
No current sponsors
However, sourcing funding remains a challenge. Ming Coding currently has no sponsors, and learners pay a one-time registration fee of R100.
“We are finding it hard to approach the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and apply for funding. They require a lot that we do not have as a non-profit organisation, we are not generating any money at all, they want us to produce financial information. I am currently rotating 70 people with ten laptops.”
Despite these challenges, Shongwe intends to add fintech education for senior citizens who struggle to use mobile apps and ATMs.
“I have been approached by older people who said they are losing money through their banking apps… they have devices, but they do not know how to use them… I spoke to a manager from one of the big banks to provide us with an ATM Application Programming Interface (API), so that our learners can understand how an ATM operates.”
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