Students and educators at local technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges will be able to tap into an online reservoir to up their acumen in demand-led skills.
This, as the Ikamva Digital platform, aimed at TVET students and educators, was officially unveiled yesterday in Johannesburg.
The digital learning platform is a collaborative effort between Microsoft SA and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, to equip young people and educators with industry-aligned digital skills. It is developed under the Digital Skills for Jobs and Income II Project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The platform offers mobile-friendly learning pathways in high-demand areas, such as cyber security, data analytics, software development, cloud computing and multimedia design. These are the roles identified by the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 as critical for global workforce readiness by 2030.
It also offers introductory learning for artificial intelligence (AI) fluency and digital literacy.
Backed by a newly-signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), the platform looks to complement rather than replace existing curricula, it was revealed at yesterday’s launch event.
“Ikamva Digital is more than a platform; it’s a bridge to South Africa’s digital future,” explained Tiara Pathon, AI skills director, Elevate at Microsoft SA.
“By providing free access to AI fluency and demand-led career pathways, we are empowering TVET students, educators and communities to thrive in an economy where technology and human potential intersect.”
Ikamva Digital is an Azure-powered solution by Philanthrosoft, enabling students to download content for offline access, track progress and earn free certification vouchers. The platform is available to current students, alumni and educators, with content curated from Microsoft Learn and LinkedIn Learning.
It is targeting all 50 of the country’s TVET colleges and community colleges across the country’s nine provinces, with three TVETs already onboarded as part of the soft launch in September, revealed Pathon.
She further indicated that students at TVETs that have already been onboarded are able to use the platform. There are plans to add the other TVET colleges onto the platform.
“We’ve built Ikamva Digital with accessibility at its core,” said Pathon. “Learners can download modules on mobile devices, complete them offline and sync progress once reconnected − addressing challenges like device and connectivity access in under-resourced communities.”
As demand for future-ready skills rises, the platform looks to help young people gain vital tools, knowledge and networks for the digital economy, according to Microsoft.
Referencing LinkedIn data, Naria Santa Lucia, general manager at Microsoft Elevate, explained that trends show that 70% of the skills for people with jobs will change by 2030, meaning the majority of day-to-day responsibilities will be completely different.
Everyone needs to continue to reskill, to keep their skills sharp, Santa Lucia emphasised. For example, knowing how the latest AI technologies can be of service. “This might sound daunting but there is an optimistic part to this, and it is the part that 70% of every skill is going to change and that means nobody has those skills right now. We can leapfrog people; we have a new starting line.”
“As a proud public TVET College within the Department of Higher Education and Training system, Boland College fully welcomes this strategic partnership between DHET and Microsoft SA,” said Charles Goodwin, principal at Boland College.
“Initiatives such as the AI and digital skills development MOU are vital in ensuring our TVET sector remains responsive to the evolving demands of the digital economy.
“Boland College was among the first to onboard the Ikamva Digital platform, and we have witnessed first-hand how such collaborations empower both our students and lecturers to become active participants in a technology-driven future.”
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