Capaciti Tech Career Accelerator

70 years ago, women marched to change the course of history. Today, a new generation of women are moving South Africa forward. They are writing code, building businesses, solving problems, leading teams, and creating opportunities for the people around them.

This Women’s Month, CAPACITI honours the women who moved a nation by advancing the women building its future.

A story doesn’t tell itself.

The Independent Animators Capacity Building Programme brings together 20 creators working across 2D animation, 3D character animation, motion graphics, modelling and rigging - each with a distinct voice and a story the African animation industry needs to hear.

From frame-by-frame storytelling to immersive visual worlds, the cohort spent months developing original concepts, refining their craft, and shaping work that contributes to the future of African animation.

CAPACITI, a division of UVU Africa, is implementing the programme in partnership with UNDP timbuktoo, supporting independent animators to build sustainable creative practices and navigate the industry on their own terms.

UNDP Africa

"I came here not knowing anything about building AI applications, but I'm leaving with a skill that will help me in the future."

That's just one of the many stories shared by participants who completed the AI Skills Accelerator.

Swipe through to hear, in their own words, how practical AI skills, hands-on learning and supportive facilitators helped build their confidence and prepare them for what's next.

If you're an unemployed South African youth aged 18–34 looking to build future-ready skills, this could be your next opportunity.

Applications are open: https://zfrmz.com/sArrWTPBJ3ey6SNZV5sH?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_content=testimonialcarousel&utm_campaign=asa2026

CAPACITI builds employer-led talent systems that connect digital skills to economic participation.

As digital transformation reshapes industries, the need for demand-led, employer-aligned talent systems has become increasingly urgent.

Across Africa, many young people remain excluded from participation in the innovation economy because the systems connecting talent to opportunity remain fragmented.

CAPACITI’s talent engine is designed to address this challenge.

By aligning digital and AI skills development with employer demand and industry partnerships, CAPACITI creates pathways that support both workforce readiness and long-term economic participation.

This approach recognises that skills development is most impactful when it is connected to real opportunities, responsive to industry needs, and embedded within broader innovation ecosystems.
https://forms.zohopublic.com/uvuafrica1/form/Test/formperma/f_MKVpfWfgiQ3kw-qnSNUlCeIIXMgsC1cwE5sph-30o

Partner with us to help shape pathways into the future economy

Skills for a shared future starts with redefining what employability actually means

This year's World Youth Skills Day theme is a useful prompt, but the real question it raises is bigger than one day: what does it actually take to make a young person employable?

Qualifications open doors. But too many qualified people in South Africa and across the continent remain unemployed, which means the gap isn't just about access to training, it's about a mismatch between what's being taught and what the market actually needs.

Industry-aligned skills development, workplace readiness, and professional capabilities like communication, collaboration and problem-solving are what close that gap. Technical skills get people in the door. These are what keep them there.

"In a region where too many young, qualified people remain unemployed, the challenge is about so much more than creating job opportunities. It's about understanding what the market needs. It's about shifting our perceptions and rethinking how we define talent." - Chanel Oldfield, Chief Executive of CAPACITI.

Compete in Today's Job Market by Learning AI Skills in 1 Week.

The AI Skills Accelerator is a fully funded 1-week programme for unemployed South African youth aged 18–34. Gain digital confidence, workplace readiness, and practical AI skills to expand your career opportunities.

This 1-week programme includes:

- Mentorship and guided support

- Internationally recognized certificate

- Beginner-friendly learning environment

Applications are open. Secure your spot today: https://zfrmz.com/sArrWTPBJ3ey6SNZV5sH?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_content=ipadgirl&utm_campaign=asa2026

A room with people who could actually move the needle on South Africa's skills gap, rather than just describe it.

CAPACITI joined Coursera and UVU Africa last week for the Cape Town Workforce Readiness Roundtable, where government and industry leaders looked at what it takes to move people from training into employment.

"Africa doesn't lack talent. It needs stronger bridges between learning and opportunity.” Chesarae K Pillay, CAPACITI

That's why it was an honour for UVU Africa and CAPACITI to partner with Coursera in convening leaders who can shape the future of workforce development.

As Coursera expands its presence across Africa, we look forward to building the partnerships that make lifelong learning the engine for employment, growth and shared prosperity.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to an important conversation- and, more importantly, the work that follows.

"We don't need to teach creativity. We need to build the scaffolding that surrounds it."

Our own Kelly Maroon, Talent Executive, unpacks what it will take to move Africa's creative sector from fragmented individual excellence to a connected industry that competes globally. Kelly's been working closely with creative talent through Création Africa and our UNDP Independent Animators Capacity Building Programme, so this comes from someone who's inside the work, not observing it from a distance.

Digital design, animation, gaming, film, fashion: the continent has one of the most accessible entry points into a creative career anywhere in the world. But accessibility isn't the same as investability. Kelly's argument is that we need to rethink how we measure creative value, and build the infrastructure, IP ownership, and cross-border production pathways that turn creativity into a high-growth economic vertical, not a nice-to-have.

Read the full piece here: https://iol.co.za/business-report/economy/2026-06-28-building-the-scaffolding-for-africas-creative-economy-to-thrive-to-the-global-stage/

Youth Month often brings renewed attention to the challenges and conversations around youth employment in South Africa. Chanél Oldfield, Chief Executive of CAPACITI, reflects on what needs to shift if we are serious about creating meaningful pathways to work: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-june-taught-us-work-still-ahead-capacitiza-5mwbf