Robotics education is increasingly becoming part of modern school curricula, but access to these programs remains largely concentrated in urban schools. For many learners in rural communities, opportunities to engage with robotics, coding and engineering technologies are still rare.
The Shoprite Foundation and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) launched their first jointly funded robotics laboratory at the Siyifunile Secondary School in Dullstroom, Mpumalanga.
“Expanding our robotics program into Mpumalanga strengthens our focus on building digital capability within the schooling system, building on the four labs already established in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape,” says Modise. “We are intentional about creating interventions that support progression through high school rather than isolated exposure.” According to Maude Modise, Director of the Shoprite Foundation.
“The aim is to establish a clear learning track that develops problem-solving, digital fluency and future-facing skills in a sustained way,” she adds.
The lab introduces a structured pathway from Grade 8 to matric & Grades 8 and 9 following curriculum-aligned Coding and Robotics in the formal school timetable, while Grades 10 to 12 take part in an after-school program focused on AI and career readiness.
Sifiso EdTech, the Shoprite Foundation’s implementation partner, is responsible for curriculum alignment, educator training and embedding Coding and Robotics into the Grades 8 and 9 timetable in line with CAPS. Social Coding South Africa delivers the DBSA-supported after-school AI and career-readiness program for Grades 10 to 12, guiding learners through applied projects, innovation challenges, and exposure to competition and workplace environments.
Chief Economist and Group Executive: Strategy and Sustainability at the DBSA, Zeph Nhleko, stated, “This initiative is more than the handover of a lab; it is the activation of a transformative ecosystem that integrates infrastructure, digital skills development, and community empowerment. We believe infrastructure must create opportunity. Through partnerships that combine our catalytic capital with partners’ technical expertise, we are helping equip young people with the digital skills they need to participate in a technology-driven economy.”
“Every element of the lab is designed to be technically sound and integrated into the school timetable,” says Xoliswa Mahlangu, Head of Digital Learning and Technology at Sifiso EdTech.
“Our modules develop critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication and computer literacy, ensuring the lab is an active learning environment,” adds Thembiso Magajana, Founder of Social Coding South Africa.
This marks their first interaction with robotics technology—sparking interest in fields such as software development, engineering, and AI, and giving learners practical skills that could shape South Africa’s next generation of tech innovators.
Mamsi Nkosi
www.itnewsafrica.com
