Digify Africa has launched the Didi Mobile Academy, a WhatsApp-based learning platform aimed at equipping young people with digital skills and bridging the gap between technology access, skills development and employment opportunities.
Designed for South Africans aged 18 to 35, the platform allows learners to access training directly through their mobile phones, without downloading a separate application. Its introductory Digital Fundamentals course comprises five short modules, each taking about 15 minutes to complete.
The launch comes as SA continues to grapple with high youth unemployment and growing demand for technology-related skills. According to Statistics South Africa, the number of unemployed people increased by 345 000 in a single quarter, bringing the total to 8.5 million. Youth unemployment, meanwhile, rose 1.5 percentage points to 47.4% in the second quarter of 2026.
Digify Africa says the approach is intended to make digital learning more accessible, particularly to young people in underserved and rural communities who face barriers such as high data costs and limited access to learning infrastructure.
Qhakaza Mohare, COO at Digify Africa, said the initiative responds to the growing gap between young people's access to technology and their ability to use it to access economic opportunities. The platform was built on the phones young people already own, she said, because learning that requires too much data, a laptop or a long trip excludes those who need it most.
"The phone connects them to information, but not yet to opportunity," Mohare said. “We are not training young people to chase online hype. We are helping them become problem-solvers for the local businesses down the road, and we are honest with them about scams, about AI and how it can sometimes be 'confidently wrong', and about the fact that nothing happens overnight.”
The course focuses on practical digital skills, including identifying online scams, creating digital content and understanding how technology can be used to solve problems within local communities.
The Trevor Noah Foundation, a non-profit organisation that aims to empower African youth with quality education and digital skills, is funding the course through its Kulaninati Innovation Fund, a R50 million commitment aimed at supporting education and youth development initiatives.
Milisa Janda, monitoring, evaluation, research and learning manager at the Trevor Noah Foundation, said the organisation's decision to support Digify Africa was influenced by the academy's mobile-first approach and its focus on connecting skills development to earning opportunities.
“The initiative matters because the jobs of the future will be digital, and young people shouldn't have to leave their communities or their circumstances behind to reach them,” she said.
Digify Africa says the Didi Mobile Academy is not a finished product and will continue to evolve through feedback from learners and implementation partners.
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