Learners at Siyifunile Secondary School in Dullstroom are stepping into the world of coding, robotics and artificial intelligence after the launch of a new robotics laboratory aimed at expanding digital learning opportunities.
For many learners at the school, education is not only about passing exams; it is about navigating life’s challenges while holding on to the possibility of a better future.
On Thursday, learners gathered to witness the launch of a new robotics laboratory, an initiative aimed at opening doors to opportunities many had never imagined.
The lab, established through a partnership between the Shoprite Foundation and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), promises to introduce learners to coding, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI).
For a school in a rural community where access to advanced technology is still rare, the new facility represents more than just computers and robotics kits. It represents possibility.
The Saturday Star attended the launch and saw first-hand the excitement among learners as they explored robotics equipment, listened to demonstrations, and learned how artificial intelligence works.
The lab will provide learners with hands-on experience in robotics and digital literacy, forming part of a structured learning pathway from Grade 8 through to matric.
While robotics education is increasingly becoming part of modern school curricula, access to such programmes remains largely concentrated in urban schools. For learners in rural communities like Dullstroom, opportunities to engage with robotics, coding, and engineering technologies are still rare.
School principal Lynette Mongwe said the initiative has the potential to change the trajectory of many learners at the school.
Yet she also spoke candidly about the difficult realities facing the community.
“They are struggling. For us to achieve whatever outcome we do in Grade 12, it means Grade 12 educators have to work very, very hard,” Mongwe said.
“Because some of them, as I’ve already told you, are heading their families because their parents are no more. Do you understand? So we are working under difficult circumstances.”
Mongwe said social challenges in the community also weigh heavily on learners.
“And another thing that affects our learners is this community; I don’t want to lie. I’m sorry if what I’m saying is not right, but it’s a drinking community.”
Despite these challenges, she said learners have remained determined and eager to seize any opportunity that could broaden their horizons.
According to Mongwe, the robotics programme had previously been introduced to the school, leaving learners hoping it would return.
“They started with this project in 2021. So it’s something that they wanted because already they’ve tasted it,” she said.
“It’s like when you taste something and then someone takes it away from you. Do you understand? And then you still crave more.”
Now that the robotics laboratory is a permanent feature at the school, she said the excitement among learners is unmistakable.
“So now that it’s here and they can see it, they are happy. They are excited,” Mongwe said.
“Remember, they are not like our generation. We were born before technology. When it comes to technology, I understand nothing. I understand nothing at all. And then when I saw this opportunity, I grabbed it with both hands because I was thinking of this generation.”
For the foundation, the Mpumalanga robotics lab forms part of a broader strategy to strengthen education and skills development across the country.
Director Maude Modise said the expansion of the robotics programme reflects a deliberate effort to ensure that learners in underserved communities are not left behind in the digital age.
“Expanding our robotics programme into Mpumalanga strengthens our focus on building digital capability within the schooling system, building on the four labs already established in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape,” Modise said.
“We are intentional about creating interventions that support progression through high school rather than isolated exposure.
“The aim is to establish a clear learning track that develops problem-solving, digital fluency, and future-facing skills in a sustained way.”
The robotics lab introduces a structured pathway for learners from Grade 8 through to matric. Grades 8 and 9 will follow curriculum-aligned coding and robotics lessons within the formal timetable, while learners in grades 10 to 12 will participate in an after-school programme focused on artificial intelligence and career readiness.
Chief economist and group executive for strategy and sustainability at the bank, Zeph Nhleko, said the project is about more than simply installing a lab.
“This initiative is more than the handover of a lab; it is the activation of a transformative ecosystem that integrates infrastructure, digital skills development, and community empowerment,” Nhleko said.
“We believe infrastructure must create opportunity. Through partnerships that combine our catalytic capital with partners’ technical expertise, we are helping equip young people with the digital skills they need to participate in a technology-driven economy.”
The programme will be implemented through partners including Sifiso EdTech, responsible for curriculum alignment and educator training, and Social Coding South Africa, which will run the after-school artificial intelligence and career-readiness programme.
“Every element of the lab is designed to be technically sound and integrated into the school timetable,” said Xoliswa Mahlangu, head of digital learning and technology at Sifiso EdTech.
“Our modules develop critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, and computer literacy, ensuring the lab is an active learning environment.”
Founder of Social Coding South Africa Thembiso Magajana said the programme will expose learners to innovation challenges, applied projects, and potential career pathways in technology.
Saturday Star
