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TFG invests in upskilling 75K learners

Sibahle Malinga
By Sibahle Malinga, ITWeb senior news journalist.
Johannesburg, 17 Nov 2017

Local retailer TFG (The Foschini Group) has invested "a substantial amount" into the development of a digital game aimed at enhancing the ICT and business skills of 75 000 local high school learners.

The retailer says it has collaborated with educational technology solutions company Kreeate, which has developed and implemented digital edutainment tools for local high schools since its inception last year.

According to TFG, in the digital game, the player is the 'shop owner' and needs to earn as many coins as they can through trading products and answering questions correctly during in-game curriculum-aligned quizzes. The 'shop owner' selects the brand they want to own, stocked with products that are 'sold' in the Sportscene, hi and The FIX stores.

"At TFG, we aim to empower the youth from an early age so that they build the entrepreneurial skills required to reach their goals and positively impact SA's future," says Kathryn Sakalis, head of marketing and e-commerce at TFG.

Kreeate says the game has accomplished what few can - to teach high school learners the skills required to build their own business, problem-solving and computer skills in a fun and interactive way.

There is also an educational function in the game where pupils can take high school curriculum-aligned commerce subject quizzes and earn 'mega coins', adds the company.

TFG says together with three of its 28 retail brands - The FIX, hi and Sportscene - the company will fund the Kreeate game as well as sponsor prizes for the top-performing students on the game's leader board.

Robin Peterson, South African Proteas cricket player, who endorses the game, explains: "Since July last year, Kreeate has enrolled 248 active users from 46 different schools. This year, with TFG's investment in Kreeate, the programme is on track to upskill more than 75 000 learners across 150 schools in SA."

The first version of the game, adds Peterson, was launched in July 2016 and saw 594 high school learners immerse themselves in the game for 9 500 hours over a 61-day period.

One of the examples of school learners benefitting from the game is Marchelon Atson, a Grade 12 learner who was introduced to the Kreeate game last year.

Atson says: "I have achieved the highest marks for Business Studies that I have ever achieved since I started playing the Kreeate game."

Kreeate and TFG say through their partnership, they are committed to educating the next generation of SA's future leaders.

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