On the 21st of September, Digify Africa celebrated its tenth anniversary. To mark this incredible milestone, we hosted a panel discussion with Digify Africa CEO and founder, Gavin Weale, Digify Africa COO, Qhakaza Mohare, author, and LiveMag Alumni Rofhiwa Maneta, who shared their experiences with the organisation, as well as the highlights and challenges that have shaped it to what it is today.
Moderated by Social Entrepreneur Hlubi Mboya, the conversation unpacked the organisation’s origin and impact over the past decade. The panelists also offered insights on the African digital skills landscape, the digital economy’s endless opportunities, and how organisations like Digify Africa can support young people to thrive in the digital age.
Founded in 2011, Digify Africa was born from the need to eradicate the digital divide. Access to digital skills remains a persistent challenge in many communities across Africa and this has vast implications for young people who find themselves disconnected from resources and opportunities that can help better their livelihoods.
It was a bold mission, fueled by a passion for young people and the desire to empower Africa’s youth to the forefront of its digital economy. What started with one cohort grew to become a leading digital skills organisation that delivers demand-driven training across Africa to the communities that need it most.
The continued support from Facebook and key community stakeholders has been instrumental in the impact we have achieve. To date, we have trained over 100 000 through various free training programmes like Digify PRO, Boost with Facebook, and Ilizwe Lam.
“The last ten years have gone by so fast, and so much has happened, but these celebrations have allowed us to pause for a second and reflect: particularly on the young people we have worked with and the amazing things they have gone on to achieve. There’s so much work to still do, however, on addressing the digital divide in Africa, so this occasion also marks the start of the next ten years or more: we are determined to keep pushing and do even more in the next decade.”
– Gavin Weale, Founder and CEO
Our unwavering commitment to creating a digitally savvy Africa has necessitated forward-thinking and innovation. This year, we have released a series of WhatsApp Learning bots that will enable anyone with a WhatsApp-enabled phone to access quality learning content.
WhatsApp not only offers an interactive learning experience filled with unique features, but its also uses less data, offering an excellent learning solution for those with limited access to devices and connectivity.
As a testament to the innovation of WhatsApp Learning, Naledi recently took home the silver award for Most Innovative App developed by a Corporate at the prestigious New Generation Awards. We are thrilled to receive this type of recognition and believe that WhatsApp is a true game-changer that will enable us to impact more communities.
Watch the full Digify Africa Ten Year Anniversary Panel discussion below.
