WeThinkCode_ to open campus in Durban 

Johannesburg, March 3, 2021 Software programming training academy WeThinkCode_ has announced plans to open a campus in Durban this July.  The new facility will complement the school’s existing campuses in Johannesburg and Cape Town, and is part of an ambitious plan to double their student intake to 600 this year. This will give more South Africans the opportunity to join the digital world and help build the country’s technology skills capability.

WeThinkCode_ ‘s CEO Nyari Samushonga, explains,

“We know that South Africa has a vast pool of untapped talent with the aptitude to be trained in technology.  At the same time our youth unemployment is among the highest in the world.

Like any successful business, WeThinkCode_ is evolving and continually improving its operating model and this includes making our programmes accessible to more people.  Geography plays an important role here as many candidates are unable to access our existing campuses.  Hence our decision to open in Durban, South Africa’s third biggest metropole.”

E Squared Investments (“E Squared”) has committed R9,2-million to establish the new campus.  The capital will be paid out over three years and will go towards equipping the building, staff resourcing as well as costs towards establishing the new curriculum.

“As an impact investor whose mandate is to attack poverty and unemployment in South Africa, there are strong synergies between WeThinkCode_’s involvement in assisting disadvantaged young people and E Squared’s social entrepreneurship initiative,” said Cheryl Jacob, Head of Social Entrepreneurship at E Squared.

Commenting on the drivers behind the Durban expansion, Samushonga says, “The COVID pandemic has accelerated the digitisation process in businesses and demand for these skills is increasing exponentially.

 The Durban metropole, particularly,  has seen significant growth in business activity over the past few years.  Hence our decision to open a campus there to satisfy this need.

 “While much of our teaching is done online, we do have important teaching phases when our students need to come onto campus.  In addition,  there are two intern periods within the two-year course that need to be undertaken near our students homes.  KZN youngsters wanting a start in software programming can now apply for a place on their doorstep,” she adds.

WeThinkCode_’s two year software programming course is fully sponsored.

Inclusiveness is central to  the WeThinkCode_ ethos.

“The academy is open for everyone. Specifically, we aim to increase the number of women programmers on our course each year.  Our target is for women to exceed 40 percent of our 600-strong student contingent,” Samushonga says.

Geographical expansion and the inclusion of more women are not the only evolutionary processes happening at WeThinkCode_.

“Although we currently enjoy a 98 per cent employment rate of our graduates at average annual starting salaries of R240 000 a year, we are also refining our selection process to reduce the number of young people who drop out of the programme,” Samushonga says.

 “Finding candidates with the best aptitudes and attitudes is crucial and we are using a newly-developed approach to identify talent and uncover the required cognitive skills.  In addition, we draw on the expertise of leading technologists for the design of our course material. These experts are continually updating the course as technologies change,” she concludes.

About WeThinkCode_ 

WeThinkCode_  was established in 2015 by Camille Agon and Arlene Mulder who had a shared passion for education and to unlock untapped talent in Africa.  Their vision met up with that of two friends and entrepreneurs Yossi Hasson and Justinus Adriaanse, who wanted to start a foundation aimed at training aspirant youngsters to code, thereby helping to build South Africa’s technology sector.  The collaboration resulted in a unique organisation that has provided a combination of education, mentorship and vital digital skills to over 600 young Africans.

About E Squared Investments

E Squared is the B-BBEE partner of Allan Gray (Pty) Ltd and an organisation that promotes equality through the provision of patient capital to businesses created by historically disadvantaged individuals and organisations that support similarly disadvantaged communities in South Africa. The organisation seeks sustainable economic returns and social impact by investing in businesses created by Allan Gray Fellows and high-impact social enterprises in South Africa. The organisation defines social impact in terms of job creation and poverty alleviation.  For more information go to www.esquared.org.za.

Client contact:         Nyari Samushonga                    

Tel. No.:                    072 050 8300

Email:                        nyari@wethinkcode.co.za