Software development academy WeThinkCode has rolled out its data engineering elective, in partnership with Spatialedge.
The course, introduced as part of WeThinkCode’s 2024 curriculum expansion, was designed and delivered in close partnership with Spatialedge, whose experience in solving real-world, data-driven challenges helped shape the elective into a hands-on, industry-informed learning experience.
This elective formed part of a broader strategic curriculum enhancement at WeThinkCode in 2024, which also saw the introduction of tracks in cloud computing and blockchain. All three offerings were funded by the Jobs Fund, underscoring the importance of industry-aligned, future-oriented learning in addressing South Africa’s digital skills gap.
In a statement, the partners said this is a milestone in equipping young, high-potential talent with the tools to thrive in one of the fastest-growing disciplines in tech.
“We’re proud of how powerfully this collaboration resonated with our students,” said Kelebogile Motlhamme, operations director at WeThinkCode. “The data engineering elective saw exceptionally strong uptake, with 90studentswhocompletedandpassedtheelective.50ofthegraduatesarecurrentlyemployedasinternsatMTN,OldMutual,Naggarro,BBD and Komatsu,tomentionafew.
“The positive learner feedback reflected the value of integrating real-world applications into our training. It’s a model for how industry and education can work together to future-proof South Africa’s tech workforce.”
The elective was born from Spatialedge’s vision to build long-term technical capacity in South Africa. Rather than compete for a shrinking pool of senior-level talent, the company opted to invest in training aspiring data professionals at the start of their journey, helping to close the gap in a critical but often overlooked field.
Dr Frank Ortmann, COO of Spatialedge, said: “Data engineering encompasses a large number of disparate skills and ways of thinking that take a long time to learn on the job. It’s a critical part of any company’s ability to make better data-based decisions. We’re thrilled it was so popular, and proud to have one of the course graduates working with us.”
Spatialedge CTO Dr Jacques du Toit added that in a fast-changing field like AI, foundational disciplines like data engineering are essential. “Working with WeThinkCode gave us a unique opportunity to share the durable principles that underpin this field with a new wave of future practitioners. These students now enter the workforce with skills that will ensure South Africa continues shaping the global data landscape.”
Earlier this year, WeThinkCode prepared over 300 software developer graduates for its internship programme and called on local companies to tap into this pool of talent and accelerate their digital transformation journeys.
Through its four-month internship programme, WeThinkCode aims to place hundreds of young, work-ready students into the ICT, financial services, telecoms and retail sectors.
For more information about the WeThinkCode placement programme, or to connect with emerging tech talent, contact placements@wethinkcode.co.za.
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