In rural areas around the world we struggle with higher levels of unemployment. Here in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province there is a ceiling on the amount of jobs that the economy of wildlife can create. However, what if we could create mini “cities of the future” in rural areas, boosting job creation and developing the digital economy and marketplace?
A future African city is exactly what we had in mind when we teamed up with the Good Work Foundation (GWF) and T-Systems in 2012 to create the Hazyview Digital Learning Campus (HDLC). Hazyview is a small town located about 70 kilometers away from Londolozi. In line with our conservation focus, the campus in Hazyview trains South Africa’s young adults with the skills needed to enter the wildlife economy. That’s great! But what it also does, in line with the fact that South Africa is now the most developed digital marketplace on the continent, is train young adults to enter the ICT industry.
Drive 70kms west of Londolozi and you will arrive at Hazyview, a gateway town into South Africa’s Greater Kruger National Park as well as the Blyde River Canyon and the Blyde-Olifants Conservancy. In 2018, as well as being a tourism gateway town, Hazyview is becoming an ICT gateway town, thanks to the Hazyview Digital Learning Campus.
This week we’re thrilled to announce that HDLC, the Youth Employment Service (YES) and Investec have teamed up to build a bigger and better digital marketplace in rural South Africa. The partnership recruits HDLC’s ICT Academy alumni into a youth-facing Call Centre on the Hazyview campus, where YES youth queries can be efficiently handled via telephony, email and LiveChat communication channels.
How about this though: HDLC now has 13 agents working on its IT Service Desk and Call Centre, and counts some of South Africa’s largest companies among its clients. Even better, all profits generated from this enterprise are used to power GWF’s digital learning programmes, including the ICT Academy and an innovative Open Learning Academy that reaches over 6,500 children per week!
So when we talk about the “African city of the future” we’re not kidding.
Imagine a gateway city into tourism and ICT that supported skills development, enterprise development, job creation, rural development and, as a happy byproduct, digital on-boarding for local primary schools and access to world-class education for school-learners in rural communities.
It’s happening in Hazyview. Watch this space!
#RuralNearshore #Digitization #YouthEmployment #GWF #YES
HDLC’s Project Manager, Fumani Mathumbu (left), himself a Londolozi alumni who used to work in our Central Stores, said: “We are extremely proud of this ‘rural near-shoring’ collaboration. The HDLC has grown steadily and now delivers IT Service Desk and Call Centre solutions to some of South Africa’s largest companies. When employees of those companies engage with our agents, they are amazed that they are speaking to youths in rural Mpumalanga. It is a privilege to be able to extend and grow our service with the support of YES, Investec, Londolozi and T-Systems.”
More information about Hazyview Digital Learning Campus
Londolozi Private Game Reserve is the founding partner of Good Work Foundation (GWF), a non-profit organisation that delivers access to world-class education to rural South African communities. GWF’s Hazyview cluster of digital learning campuses is made up of five campuses, including the award-winning Hazyview Digital Learning Campus (HDLC) where Londolozi has been a headline sponsor since 2012. In 2019 GWF’s inclusive economic model of learning and working will see 360 young adults enrolled in adult learning. In addition over 6,500 scholars per week from 22 schools will access EdTech-enabled learning focusing on English, math’s, digital, conservation and life-skills learning.
More information about the Youth Employment Service (YES)
YES is a business-driven initiative which is breaking new ground by pioneering a partnership with government and labour, in collectively tackling a national plan to build economic pathways for black youth. YES focuses on previously disadvantaged youth between the ages 18 and 35 by providing work experience for one year, giving young people a chance to demonstrate their abilities, establish their work ethic and prove their worth. The end result of the work experience is a CV, a reference letter, credibility and an empowered young person who has access to a digital platform to gain future work.
This is great news Ryan. Hazyview is developing rapidly. I remember visiting Hazyview for the first time about 38 years ago. It was a very small village with a fuel station and a few small shops. In the last 10 years it has become a major business and shopping hub. It is just logical that it has now become the eduacation center of the Lowveld.
Wow, 38 years ago! That’s amazing Marinda, and yes, we believe it can become a pioneering town beyond just tourism!
The program will help to slow down the growing digital divide and higher youth unemployment in the future–TOTALLY VISIONARY.
The rapid pace of program growth and expansion is absolutely remarkable–all with measurable results. Congrats to Kate and Ryan and their entire team. We can’t wait to visit Hazyview upon our return in July.
Hi Vin – thanks! We are excited to see the All Heart crew too. Looking forward to sharing more measurable results, but we are really excited to be building a “deep” programme that has the potential to scale to other rural African areas.
This is a wonderful project!!!! Congratulations to everyone involved, and also a gold star ⭐️ to you all.
Thank you Victoria 🙂
Ah , seeing the wider picture, essential for businesses these days , well some anyway.
Agreed Ian. What’s great is when we can come up with solutions that make “profit” sense for a business and still show positive social impact beyond the balance sheet.
Indeed Hazyview is! Very exciting developments, Ryan as you help people see each other’s common interests to build opportunities for so many brilliant people. Bravo and much love from the States.
Thank you Susan. It was such an honor to have you at the recent launch of our new campus. Thank you from the whole team!
Ryan, it is so refreshing to read such a positive blog. This program is wonderful in that it gives young people an incentive to succeed in the world. This is certainly one way that modern technology is a positive thing and it gives young people a sense of worth, experience and hopefully gainful employment. Thanks to you and all at Londolozi for partnering to help young people. Truly heartwarming.
Thanks Leonie, we are extremely lucky to have Londolozi partner with us. They have always brought ideas, connections, resources and of course, love and encouragement (as it can be a scary place growing up in the NGO world). Thanks for your kind words 🙂
This makes me smile broadly on a Sunday morning in Hawai’i. Aloha.
Thanks Judy – I was “relatively” closer to you than normal on Sunday morning 🙂 Next time I’ll make the hop across to your part of the world!
I’ll be waiting with open arms and a smile??
Its such a privilege to be part of this wonderful African family. They shape the #future, not just thinking about it. The #creativity of the team around Kate, Ryan and Maria with all the teaching assistants and helpers is unbelievable strong. More partners will join the #ecosystem. Stay tall!