- Vodacom SA and Microsoft SA have partnered to provide free access to digital training courses on the Mzansi Digital Learning platform.
- The pair explain that the initiative is aimed at addressing the concerning youth unemployment in the country.
- The Mzansi Digital Learning platform will be hosted on the NXT LVL rewards platform and integrated into Vodacom’s ConnectU.
Vodacom South Africa and Microsoft South Africa have announced a joint initiative aimed at opening up greater access to educational resources on the back of the country recording a 44 percent youth unemployment rate.
The pair have announced that they provide free access to digital training courses via the Mzansi Digital Learning platform.
What’s the Mzansi Digital Learning platform?
Well it will be hosted on the new NXT LVL rewards platform for one, and will be integrated into Vodacom’s zero-rated ConnectU offering that gives customers access to content without any mobile data charges.
“We are extremely grateful to embark on this transformative partnership with our longstanding partner Microsoft South Africa. Collaborating with a like-minded brand who share our values and ambition is testament to our collective commitment to address unemployment and empower individuals through innovative digital training,” highlighted Mathys Venter, managing executive for Prepaid and Loyalty at Vodacom South Africa.
The Mzansi Digital Learning platform will also remove the cost of connectivity when it comes to accessing educational content, as well as focuses on important topics to help users understand the changing landscape of business in a digital world of generative AI (GenAI), entrepreneurship, and cybersecurity, the pair have outlined.
“We are fully committed to supporting and enabling our youth as we collectively work towards closing the skills gap and empowering every person to achieve more in this era of digital transformation. It is increasingly about ensuring young people are equipped with the skills they need for the jobs that exist today and, in the future,” noted Asif Valley, national technology officer at Microsoft South Africa.
“Certification is provided upon completion of the course, and all the programmes on the platform have been designed to align with the most sought-after jobs in South Africa,” the companies added in a release shared with Hypertext.
In terms of facilitating training and certification of the platform, Microsoft SA tapped up long-time collaborator Afrika Tikkun as its local partner. The organisation specialises in delivering training, tools, and services to boost youth employability and entrepreneurship.
Both companies aim to reach roughly 300 000 people with the platform over the coming months. To find out more about it, as well as register for access, head here.
