The Shoprite Foundation and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) have launched their first jointly-funded robotics laboratory at Siyifunile Secondary School in Dullstroom, Mpumalanga.
According to a statement, the lab aims to provide learners with hands-on experience in robotics and digital literacy, as part of efforts to strengthen future-ready learning in South African schools.
Launched yesterday, the lab forms part of a broader initiative aimed at expanding access to structured technology education, while helping learners develop practical digital skills needed in a technology-driven economy.
Maude Modise, director of the Shoprite Foundation, says the Mpumalanga lab builds on the organisation’s existing robotics programme.
“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,” notes Modise.
“We are intentional about creating interventions that support progression through high school rather than isolated exposure.”
“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 technology pathway from Grade 8 through to matric. Learners in Grades 8 and 9 will take part in curriculum-aligned coding and robotics during the formal school timetable, while learners in Grades 10 to 12 will participate in an after-school programme focused on AI and career readiness.
The partnership combines the Shoprite Foundation’s education and skills development initiatives with the infrastructure and development mandate of the DBSA, extending structured technology learning opportunities to learners and surrounding communities.
Zeph Nhleko, chief economist and group executive for strategy and sustainability at the DBSA, says the initiative goes beyond simply installing new facilities.
“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,” he adds.
Implementation of the robotics programme is led by Sifiso EdTech, which is responsible for aligning the curriculum, training educators and embedding coding and robotics into the Grades 8 and 9 timetables, in line with the Department of Basic Education’s CAPS curriculum.
“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.
The after-school programme for Grades 10 to 12 is delivered by Social Coding South Africa and focuses on applied artificial intelligence projects, innovation challenges and exposure to competitions and workplace environments.
“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.
The launch highlights the partners’ commitment to equipping learners with practical digital skills and early exposure to emerging technologies, helping prepare them for opportunities in South Africa’s evolving digital economy.
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