A classroom in rural Mpumalanga has quietly stepped into the future, not through textbooks alone, but through robotics kits, coding platforms and hands-on digital learning designed to prepare learners for a rapidly evolving world, Cape {town}Etc reports.
Earlier today, the Shoprite Foundation and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) unveiled their first jointly funded robotics laboratory at Siyifunile Secondary School in Dullstroom, marking a new phase in efforts to expand technology education beyond South Africa’s urban centres.
The initiative introduces structured robotics and digital literacy training aimed at equipping learners with practical skills increasingly linked to future employment opportunities.
Learning that extends beyond school walls
The robotics lab is part of the Shoprite Foundation’s larger education and skill development strategy, and it expands on a programme that is currently in place in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.
Maude Modise, who is the Director of the Shoprite Foundation, noted that expanding into Mpumalanga reinforces a long-term objective of continual learning rather than one-time exposure.
‘Expanding our robotics programme 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,’ explained Modise.
‘We are intentional about creating interventions that support progression through high school rather than isolated exposure.’
She added that the programme aims to nurture skills progressively throughout a learner’s academic journey.
‘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.
Building skills from Grade 8 to matric
Unlike short-term technology initiatives, the programme introduces a continuous learning pathway. Learners in Grades 8 and 9 will participate in curriculum-aligned Coding and Robotics lessons during the formal school timetable, while senior learners from Grades 10 to 12 engage in an after-school programme focused on artificial intelligence and career readiness.
According to organisers, the lab offers many students’ first experience with robotics technology, providing opportunities to construct, code, and experiment while also boosting critical thinking and innovative abilities.
The relationship brings together the Shoprite Foundation’s experience in education programs with the DBSA’s objective to improve long-term infrastructure and digital capabilities in communities.
Zeph Nhleko, Chief Economist and Group Executive for Strategy and Sustainability at the DBSA, described the initiative as part of a broader development ecosystem.
‘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,‘ Nhleko stated.
‘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,’ he added.
Implementation partners play a crucial role in embedding the programme into daily school life. Sifiso EdTech oversees curriculum alignment, educator training and integration of Coding and Robotics into Grades 8 and 9 in line with CAPS requirements.
Xoliswa Mahlangu, who is the Head of Digital Learning and Technology at Sifiso EdTech, stated that the lab was intended to work as an active learning environment rather than an isolated facility.
‘Every element of the lab is designed to be technically sound and integrated into the school timetable,’ she said.
Meanwhile, Social Coding South Africa leads the DBSA-supported after-school programme, guiding older learners through applied projects, innovation challenges and exposure to real-world work environments.
Founder Thembiso Magajana noted that the curriculum focuses on transferable skills beyond technology alone.
‘Our modules develop critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication and computer literacy, ensuring the lab is an active learning environment,’ he explained.
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Picture: Shoprite Foundation/Supplied
