Africa Code Week and Partners Equip 17 million Youth with Digital Skills

Since its inception in 2015, SAP Africa Code Week (ACW), in collaboration with UNESCO, the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), and Irish Aid, has made significant strides in empowering youth across 54 countries. The latest impact results reveal that the initiative has successfully reached 17 million young individuals. Moreover, ACW has played a pivotal role in incorporating coding and computational thinking into the national curricula of seven African nations, contributing to the advancement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 (Quality Education), 5 (Gender Equality), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

In 2023 alone, the programme impacted over 2,4 million youth of which approximately 46% were female, demonstrating a commitment to gender equality. Over 1,200 workshops were rolled out, successfully mobilizing 25,550 teachers across Africa, with top participating countries including Tunisia, Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, and Morocco.

A multi-stakeholder approach to drive change

Africa faces a growing demand for digital skills with a projected 70% of jobs requiring them by 2030. Recognising a need to upskill both students and educators across the continent, SAP launched the digital skills program nine years ago. 

Claire Gillissen-Duval, Senior Director of Corporate Social Responsibility for EMEA and MEE, underscores the pivotal role of public-private partnerships in the journey of ACW. She explains, “Our primary objective was to embed coding into national curricula, and we accomplished this through ongoing collaboration with Ministries of Education across Africa. This ensures that our youth acquire a comprehensive skill set that is increasingly essential in today’s world.”

Echoing this sentiment, Dr. Tawfik Jelassi, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information at UNESCO, affirms, “ACW exemplifies successful collaborations, showcasing the power of partnerships to enhance well-being and promote inclusive development. It embodies SDG Goal 17, emphasizing Partnerships for Sustainable Development. We are proud to continue collaborating on this initiative in the future.”

Inspiring young talent to make a difference

As a part of the ACW initiative, the AfriCAN Code Challenge was introduced in 2020, aiming to inspire creativity and coding skills among youth aged 8-16 across Africa. Participants engage either individually or in teams to craft Scratch games based on a designated theme, submitting a 3-minute video for evaluation by a panel of judges.

Over the years, the challenge has witnessed a surge in both participation and innovation. Its objective is to cultivate coding talents that drive sustainable development and contribute to a better world for all. In 2023, contestants were tasked with designing multiplayer games promoting sustainable solutions for safeguarding life, with a strong emphasis on environmental initiatives.

The top prize for this year was awarded to “Welcome to My Africa” by Triaksha Goodoory, Vignesh Singh Khelawon, Alessia Rughoonundun, and Palen Chuckravanen from Mauritius. Following closely was “PaloPood” by Alvinho Rodrigues, Bibiana Pinheiro, Taíssa Pereira, and Celma Bernardo from Sao Tome & Principe. Securing the third position was “CodeManiacs” developed by Eze Chikelu Jethro, Oruh Excel Odafe, Abubakar Ramadan, and Olowode Wilson Eniola from Nigeria.

To infinity and beyond: A new chapter 

“As we champion equal access to education, we believe that future skills will continue to play a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of tomorrow’s workforce,” comments Gillissen-Duval. “Through our dedication, we worked towards ensuring that every young mind is equipped for success in the ever-changing landscape of the modern world. However, while we have achieved incredible results thus far, there is more work to be done.”

From 2024, SAP corporate social responsibility has shifted its focus to skills for employability and learning to earning pathways and will therefore pass the baton to UNESCO to continue the mission of ACW. “We are excited to see how they will propel ACW to new heights,” she concludes.