The Wireless Application Service Provider’s Association (WASPA) handed over a cheque for R32,000 to Code for Change, which was raised at this year’s WASPA Golf Day held at Randpark Golf Club.
“As a regulatory body for mobile applications and services in South Africa, hosting the event in honour of Code for Change was an obvious choice for us as they focus on building an ecosystem of coding skills and digital entrepreneurs in secondary schools to help build the new South African economy,” says Noelan Rungasamy, GM at WASPA. “This not only aligns with WASPA values but speaks to building the future workforce needed as technology continues to shift and shape the world we live in.”
With South Africa’s unemployment rate among the highest in the world, sitting at 32.9% in the first quarter of this year, now more than ever, coding is a vital element for the digital economy as it drives innovation, job creation, automation, efficiency, and digital transformation. Empowering the youth to have problem-solving skills is needed in a modern world.
“We are honoured to be the recipients of this year’s WASPA fundraising event,” says Jonathan Novotny, co-founder of Code for Change. “It is always encouraging to see that our work and impact is being recognised and this money will go towards helping us achieve our goal for CodeJIKA to build student-run coding clubs in secondary schools throughout Africa.”
“If we are to truly close the skills gap that we are experiencing, we need to keep up with the evolution of technology to meet demands and upskilling the youth is a critical component to the growing ecosystem,” concludes Rungasamy.
