A new computer laboratory in Kagiso is giving 650 primary school learners access to digital tools, skills and opportunities previously beyond their classrooms and communities today.
Pan African Resources’ Mogale Tailings Retreatment has handed over a fully equipped computer laboratory to Setlolamathe Primary School in Kagiso, expanding access to technology for learners at the no-fee public school.
The corporate social investment initiative is aimed at narrowing the digital divide by giving children from under-resourced communities earlier exposure to the technology increasingly shaping education, employment and the wider economy.
For many of the school’s learners, the new facility will provide their first opportunity to regularly use a computer.
The laboratory includes networked desktop computers, high-speed Wi-Fi, educational software and interactive learning tools, supported by security infrastructure intended to protect the investment over the longer term.
Located in Kagiso in the West Rand, Setlolamathe Primary School serves approximately 650 learners and has faced many of the resource constraints experienced by public schools in communities where access to digital infrastructure remains uneven.
Mogale Tailings Retreatment Community Relations Manager Sonwabo Modimoeng said investment in social infrastructure forms part of the company’s longer-term relationship with communities around Mogale City.
“True sustainable value is built when we empower the next generation,” Modimoeng said.
“This computer lab is more than just a donation of hardware; it is an open gateway to global knowledge. We want students of Kagiso to have the exact same competitive edge and digital literacy skills as students anywhere else in the world.”
That ambition places the project within a broader shared-value conversation.
Access to technology at primary-school level can influence far more than computer literacy.
It can change how learners research, interact with educational content and begin developing the confidence required to participate in an increasingly digital economy.
For teachers, the laboratory also creates opportunities to introduce more technology-supported learning into the classroom.
Setlolamathe Primary School Principal Thaga Robert Mankgaba said the facility would significantly change the learning environment.
“For many of our children, this will be the first time they interact with a computer,” Mankgaba said.
“This facility completely changes how our teachers can deliver lessons and how our students can research projects. We are incredibly thankful to Mogale Tailings for choosing to invest directly in our school’s future.”
The project extends beyond simply installing computers.
Mogale Tailings Retreatment has also included specialised technical support intended to maintain the laboratory, together with cybersecurity and basic application training aligned with Fourth Industrial Revolution learning requirements.
That support is important because one of the challenges facing technology-based CSI projects is sustainability after the initial handover.
Equipment can quickly lose its impact if schools are unable to maintain systems, keep software functioning or equip teachers and learners with the skills required to use the technology effectively.
By combining infrastructure with technical support and training, the project moves closer to a long-term digital inclusion intervention rather than a once-off donation.
It also reflects the growing importance of digital access as part of educational equality.
As artificial intelligence, automation and data-driven industries continue reshaping the workplace, digital literacy is becoming a foundational skill rather than an optional extra.
The earlier young people gain access to technology, the greater their opportunity to develop familiarity, confidence and practical skills that can support later learning.
For businesses investing in communities, the social-impact opportunity is significant.
Education-focused CSI can help strengthen future skills pipelines while expanding opportunity for young people who might otherwise enter high school, further education or the labour market already carrying a digital disadvantage.
In Kagiso, the immediate impact will be felt inside one school.
But the wider value lies in what 650 learners may eventually be able to do with access to tools, information and digital skills that were previously unavailable to them.
The computer laboratory therefore represents more than new infrastructure.
It is an investment in educational access, digital inclusion and the possibility that learners from Kagiso can enter the future economy better prepared to participate in it.
