Digify GPs, supported by Longyuan, is a 10-week free digital skills boot camp that aims to bridge the digital education gap in rural areas in South Africa. The initiative specifically targets youth (aged 18 to 35) who aspire to launch their own ventures through freelancing or small businesses, says the NPO.

The programme aims to focus on equipping participants with essential digital marketing knowledge and hands-on experience. During the 10-week journey, the participants gain skills in digital marketing, entrepreneurship and presentation. Starting from Week six, each participant is paired with a small business from De Aar to apply their learnings through real-life digital marketing projects, adds the NPO.

"This expansion to De Aar is about creating pathways for young people to build sustainable digital livelihoods," says Qhakaza Mohare, CEO of Digify Africa. "We have seen how youth in Kuruman and Kimberley have harnessed digital skills to create opportunities for themselves and their communities. Now, it is De Aar's turn."

"Longyuan Wind Project's 5I R Program, in partnership with Digify Africa, stands at the intersection of innovation, inclusion and integrity, driving a new era of digital empowerment across the Northern Cape. When innovation meets inclusion, transformation becomes inevitable. Through this collaboration, we aim to unlock the potential of young South Africans to lead with purpose, creativity and responsibility," says Fay Cassim, Head of Sustainability at Longyuan.

"Rooted in the belief that real impact happens when integrity guides innovation, the China Energy 5I R x Digify Africa partnership ignites purpose-driven progress, merging technology, inspiration and social good to reimagine South Africa's digital future," adds Cassim.

The programme has over 100 youth graduating from both Kimberly and Kuruman in the Northern Cape, and it is now going to De Aar. One of the alumni, Nhlanhla Majola explains how the programme helped her. "As a self-taught social media marketer, this programme was the perfect springboard to the next level where there's team structure, workflow flow and the ability to translate taste in a more palatable way." Majola further encourages the De Aar youth to grab this opportunity by applying.

Recruitment for the inaugural De Aar cohort opens on Thursday, 30 October and closes on Sunday, 16 November. Training officially begins on 19 January 2026 and concludes on 27 March 2026, says the NPO.

Through Digify GPs, Digify Africa continues aiming to make digital education accessible, practical and impactful for youth across underserved regions of South Africa, concludes the NPO.

For more information, visit www.digifyafrica.com. You can also follow Digify Africa on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, or on Instagram.

*Image courtesy of contributor