Ryan Harrison and StaceyBrewer The South African education sector has been thrust into the spotlight in recent months, eliciting many questions, debates and varying opinions about the current state of the education sector within the country and the potential solutions to an ongoing crisis. It has been reported that South Africa has one of the highest rates of public investment in education in the world. Accounting for around 7% of gross domestic product (GDP) and 20% of total state expenditure, the government spends more on education than on any other sector1.Yet, innovative entrepreneur and co-founder of SPARK Schools , Ryan Harrison, says that this is currently not translating to tangible results.  He adds that amid all the current negative reports, there are opportunities presenting themselves within the sector to inspire greater outcomes for South Africa’s youth. Recently awarded the Innovator of the Year® title in the 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year® competition ...

Makole Mupita It has been 60 years since the 1956 Women’s March to the Union Buildings. Since then a tremendous amount of positive change has occurred in South Africa - both politically and more specifically in the sphere of gender politics. As a country, we have been lauded for our progressive constitution, but women are still under-represented in leadership positions. A survey released by Grant Thornton in 2016 showed that leadership positions held by women decreased from 27% in 2015 to 26% in 2016. This is according to Makole Mupita, co-founder and Executive Director of Mahlako a Phahla Investments -  a women-led company focused within the energy and infrastructure sectors. Speaking at a recent Women’s Month event held in De Aar in the Northern Cape by Solar Capital - who recently launched the largest solar farm in the Southern Hemisphere, Mupita shared her views on how to encourage the increase of women in business and women entrepreneurs. In her speech, Mupita reinforced...

WeThinkCode_, a new peer-to-peer tech institution dedicated to eliminating the IT skills gap, is announcing its official launch in South Africa and three-year founding sponsorships with First National Bank (FNB), BBD and Derivco. WeThinkCode_ identifies and trains brilliant young minds to become world-class programmers in a peer-to-peer problem solving learning environment. In partnership with Ecole 42 in France (www.42.fr), WeThinkCode_ will open its first campus in January 2016 in Johannesburg. Tuition-free, the organisation partners with companies to sponsor the two-year course and ensure a sustainable business model. As Founding Sponsors; FNB, BBD and Derivco will provide financial support for the launch of the programme and will play a role in ensuring the curriculum stays relevant to the industry. Students will also be able to interact with sponsors through internship opportunities and projects throughout their coursework. The three founding sponsorships add to a number o...