AI‑Impact Talk, with host Thembekile Mrototo, highlights how South African organisations are tackling the country’s skills gap while opening doors for young women in tech. In a compelling conversation with Tinyiko Simbine, co‑founder of Girl Code, we learn how one simple observation at a hackathon sparked an eleven‑year journey toward social change.
“We found there were no girls at these hackathons, even though women were studying computer science,” Tinyiko recalls. “So where are they? Why aren’t they creating technology and competing alongside men?”
What began as a single, informal all‑female hackathon grew into a thriving social enterprise that now offers unemployed matriculants a twelve‑month program transforming them from basic computer literacy into junior software developers—directly confronting South Africa’s stubbornly high youth unemployment rate.
Girl Code has intentionally expanded beyond standard training to build economic pathways. “The beauty of coding is that you can use it to start small businesses in your community,” says Tinyiko. Whether building a simple website for a local spaza shop or designing a church’s homepage, these skills immediately translate to entrepreneurial opportunity.
Their program suite includes:
- A 12‑month software development track for unemployed school leavers
- Three‑month online upskilling bootcamps for STEM graduates
- Short courses for career changers exploring tech
- Introductory coding workshops for children from age 8
Participants in the full-year program gain exposure to cybersecurity specialists, data scientists, and industry professionals—helping them make informed career choices rather than staying “cocooned in a box.”
One of Girl Code’s core strengths is intentional representation. Tinyiko explains: “You thrive when you can relate to someone who looks like you.” Partnering with corporates, the organisation brings in Black women leaders—from MDs to entrepreneurs—who share their journeys. This approach helps dismantle invisible barriers and shows participants that leadership is attainable, regardless of background.
Moreover, entrepreneurship is often overlooked in South Africa, despite rising unemployment. By connecting participants with successful founders, Girl Code encourages young women to build small businesses and employ others—generating local economic value.
Girl Code’s hackathons challenge participants to build solutions grounded in South African realities. Using the UN Sustainable Development Goals as inspiration, girls have created tech responding to gender‑based violence, health access, and community needs. Tinyiko notes: “Technology built by people who understand the issue intimately often leads to the most effective solutions.”
This focus becomes especially vital as the world turns toward AI. “AI is built on the data we feed it,” Tinyiko points out. “We need technology made by Black women for Black women.”
Girl Code’s goal—empowering 10 million young women and girls by 2030—might seem ambitious. Yet they’ve already impacted 100,000 women and used the pandemic’s shift to virtual learning to scale across South Africa and into Botswana and Kenya, hosting a pan‑African hackathon last year.
Cross-country programs facilitate knowledge exchange and shared learning, helping countries at different stages of tech development learn from each other.
Building a Legacy of Sustainability
Unlike organisations that train and disperse, Girl Code offers ongoing support. They track employment outcomes, maintain alumni networks, and continue offering opportunities to those who haven’t yet gained placement. Tinyiko describes their ethos simply: “Pay it forward—upskill your nieces, your neighbours. Actively teach one another.”
A powerful example: four 2022 alumni built a mentorship platform together after the program. One Girl Code alum from Limpopo now lives and works in the UK and returns home to train girls in her village—spreading opportunity beyond herself.
Girl Code believes in beginning early. Their Scratch-based coding workshops for kids as young as eight spark curiosity and creativity. Tinyiko observes that younger learners are uninhibited by stereotypes—they’re blank canvases absorbing knowledge rapidly. By 18, Girl Code students are often competing at global hackathons.
Tinyiko says their vision is as ambitious as it is purposeful: “Why travel to Silicon Valley when we have the skills to build our own right here in Africa?” Girl Code isn’t just training individuals—they’re building the foundation for a homegrown tech ecosystem.
Their journey from one observation to a continental movement illustrates how addressing inequality in tech isn’t just social—it’s essential for innovation, economic growth, and meaningful transformation.
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