In this episodes of ITWeb TV, Tinyiko Simbine, co-founder and CFO of GirlCode, discusses the NPO’s mission to empower 10 million women and girls with tech skills by 2030. #Coding
Since launching in 2014, non-profit organisation (NPO) GirlCode has empowered 100 000 women and girls with ICT skills.
So said Tinyiko Simbine, co-founder and CTO of GirlCode, in an interview with ITWeb TV, during which she revealed that the since inception, the organisation’s ambitious target was to empower 10 million women and girls with coding skills by 2030.
Starting off as a hackathon initiative, GirlCode was founded by Simbine and CEO Zandile Mkwanazi, and has evolved into an educational institution that engages women in tech, and facilitates their skills advancement and entry into the tech industry.
It has since grown into a movement offering coding clubs for schoolgirls, learnerships and digital skills programmes designed to bridge the gap between education and employment.
Through initiatives like the annual GirlCodeHack and partnerships with corporates and government, the organisation creates opportunities for young women to test their skills, gain mentorship and secure job placements.
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Simbine said that to expand its reach, the NPO is looking to spread its wings across the African continent.
“We’ve set a very big and audacious goal for ourselves and because of how technology has evolved and us having expanded our programmes to be hybrid – both in-person as well as online – we’ve now expanded to the point where our programmes run across all provinces, which has increased our reach within South Africa,” she said.
“As of last year, we also increased our reach in terms of our hackathons when we branched out into Kenya and Botswana. As of this year, we’ll be branching out into other African countries, like Uganda, Ghana and Tanzania. So, this will allow us to get closer to our very big, audacious goal of 10 million women by 2030.”
Tinyiko Simbine, co-founder and CTO of GirlCode.
The 100 000 have already been trained through coding clubs, learnerships and bootcamps that focus on in-demand skills such as Python, C#, AI and cyber security.
Simbine noted that universities often focus on theory rather than practical, hands-on experience, leaving graduates underprepared for industry needs.
She encouraged young girls to believe they are capable, emphasising that the ICT sector needs their contributions and that GirlCode can support their journey.
The majority of GirlCode’s hackathon participants are typically third- and final-year university students. Simbine explained that the initiative encourages students from different faculties, countries and universities to come together and connect with women who are already making strides in the field.
The hackathons provide participants with an opportunity to test the skills acquired during their studies, showcase what they have learned and potentially secure job opportunities through partnerships with various sponsors.
Simbine added that there is a need for more women in leadership positions.
“I think we don’t have enough allies as yet. Although men are coming to the party and assisting us, I think it’s not happening rapidly enough. We have reached significant heights over the past few years and we’ve seen a change through various initiatives, so it is looking quite promising.”
