A Coding4Mandela Tournament will be in Bloemfontein this year, commemorating Nelson Mandela by equipping learners with skills for the future.

About 6,000 children from all over South Africa participated in the first national Coding for Mandela Tournament in 2022 when participants were encouraged to code simultaneously on Mandela Day.

The goal for 2023 was to reach 10,000 participants, but surpassed it by 6,000 extra students who coded at various locations across the continent, exceeding the initial target.

“Coding4Mandela Tournament is the first ever in Free State, so we need support from the Free State community so we set an everlasting footprint and legacy for the young engineers (programmers),” said Bohlokoa Foundation members Mpho Koaeana and Zethu Tani-Koaeana on the potential of having this tournament annually.

The day promises to be filled with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics with different stalls of people in these fields showcasing their work and answering any questions from curious minds.

“The main part or event will be the coding. We have invited professionals to elaborate on their Careers mainly in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM)” added Mpho.

Taking place on 20 July, the tournament is open to the public, but the foundation would love to have pupils between the ages of 11 and 14 entering.

Children taking part in a coding activity, Picture supplied

“It's not a secret the world has changed and it's up to us to equip our learners with the necessary skills for them to survive the future. We just want to equip students with critical skills. STEAM subjects, moral intelligence, and well-being of young kids are a few of our objectives.”

Each participant will receive a certificate as well as prizes that will be won.

OFM News/Casey-Lee Anthony dg