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Coding for Mandela – #Coding4Mandela

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“The future belongs to the youth.” – Nelson Mandela

Following Tangible Africa’s successful #Coding4Mandela event hosted in 2022, this year even more young people are being encouraged to code simultaneously – across the globe.

While 6 000 learners from all nine provinces in South Africa, as well as countries such as Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Zambia, participated in a #Coding4Mandela event on July 18 last year, this year the organisers of the event plans to reach 10 000 learners across two continents.

Tangible Africa Founder and Head of the Department and Associate Professor at the Nelson Mandela University Computing Sciences Department, Prof Jean Greyling, said while the event started as a local tournament in Gqeberha in 2021, it grew exponentially to a national event last year.

“An additional feature this year is involving teams from the Northern Hemisphere. They will compete under the slogan #Coding4Mandela after their summer holidays, culminating in a virtual Coding World Cup on 5 December, which is also the 10-year anniversary of Mandela’s passing,” said Greyling.

Around 10 000 learners across 70 sites in Africa and abroad will participate in the #Coding4Mandela event, themed “Cultivating the coding ecosystem of the future”. Participating African countries include Ghana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya, while European learners from at least Ireland and Germany will participate later in the year.

The #Coding4Mandela event is the brainchild of the Nelson Mandela University Computing Sciences Department and the Leva Foundation, made possible through their engagement project Tangible Africa.

The anchor sponsor for the #Coding4Mandela event is AWSinCommunities, and other corporate sponsors include S4 Integration, VSC Solutions, MiX Telematics, SAS and BBD.

“Being from Nelson Mandela University, and with Nelson Mandela’s lifelong focus on education, it was an obvious choice to host a tournament on Mandela Day. It also allows our corporate sponsors to make a great impact towards education in our country,” said Greyling.

Significant sites where the coding event will be hosted include a site in Qunu, fondly known as former president Nelson Mandela’s hometown; the Captivity Site outside Howick where he was arrested; the Nelson Mandela Legacy Exhibition at Cape Town City Hall, where former president Nelson Mandela made his first speech after his release from prison; and Tangible Africa’s headquarters in Gqeberha (Nelson Mandela Bay Metro).

According to Tangible Africa’s Engagement Manager, Jackson Tshabalala, the hosts from various sites across South Africa and Africa are bubbling with excitement as they are eagerly gearing up for the tournament: “Their remarkable ownership and dedication to ensuring the success of the event is truly inspiring, showcasing their unwavering commitment to empowering learners through coding.”

Each site’s organisers will challenge participants to bring along non-perishable food, which will be distributed to beneficiary organisations of their choice.

Each site also decides on their own prizes, varying from medals, cash prizes, coding kits and mobile phones.

“After our Mandela Day coding tournament, we will work with teachers from the competing schools to identify talented learners who will join our Tangible Academy to prepare them for university,” says Leva Foundation CEO Ryan le Roux.

Overall winners will be determined through a virtual round involving the winning teams from all participating #Coding4Mandela sites. Winning categories will include senior primary and high school learners.

Very little online resources are needed to play the coding games, by making use of Tangible Africa’s flagship coding applications, RANGERS, BOATS and TANKS.

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.