Capaciti Tech Career Accelerator

30/09/2026

Building Real Pathways to Employment for South African Youth

More than 8,000 young people trained. Over 1,000 entrepreneurs supported. Behind those numbers is a partnership built around a shared commitment to creating meaningful economic opportunity for South Africa’s youth.

Through our partnership with Naspers Labs, CAPACITI is helping build a stronger pipeline from skills development to sustainable livelihoods. Together, we are equipping young people with in-demand capabilities across AI, cybersecurity, DevOps, entrepreneurship and creative technology, while developing the confidence, resilience and workplace readiness needed to turn those skills into opportunity.

This partnership demonstrates what is possible when industry investment, skills development and employment pathways are deliberately connected.

As Africa’s digital economy evolves, the skills gap continues to determine who can participate in its growth. Our work with Naspers Labs is focused on closing that gap by ensuring that training is not the end goal. Employment, entrepreneurship and economic participation are.

News24 has featured the partnership and the ecosystem we are building to create a genuine pipeline to meaningful employment.

The numbers are growing, but the ambition remains clear: connect South African youth to the skills, networks and opportunities that can change their economic trajectory.

Read the full feature: https://projects.24.com/how-naspers-labs-and-capaciti-are-building-a-genuine-pipeline-to-meaningful-employment/index.html

Naspers Labs is equipping young people with skills in software development, cybersecurity, AI, cloud administration and more. With 6,241 entry-level job opportunities since 2022, the bridge from learning to earning is real.

25/09/2026

Celebrating 20 African animators and the stories they told their own way.

The Independent Animators Capacity Building Programme has officially closed, and 20 independent animators leave with sharper skills, stronger pitches and stories told exactly the way they wanted to tell them.

Across the programme, participants moved their ideas through key stages of development from writing scripts and creating character designs to producing animatics, developing pitch decks and researching potential funders and investors.

During the showcase and certificate handover event, their ideas premiered on screen. Some of the animators took to the stage to reflect on their experiences and they all had an opportunity to connect with industry leaders, partners and audiences.

Congratulations to the 20 animators!
Your creativity and commitment carried this programme, and it was a privilege to watch the work you developed take the stage. Keep growing, keep creating and keep telling your stories, because Africa and the world are ready to watch.

To our speakers, mentors, partners, industry guests, supporters and audiences thank you for being part of the celebration.

25/09/2026

The CAPACITI and UNDP’s timbuktoo programme supports independent animators to build sustainable creative practices and careers.

“Animation is going to give me the chance to have a voice.” - Mandisi Heshu, 2D Amimation Creative.

For Mandisi, animation is more than a creative medium. It is a way to tell stories, connect generations and bring South African culture into spaces where it can be seen, heard and understood.

We asked Mandisi to finish the line:
“Animation gives me the chance to…”

25/09/2026

A New Chapter for the Western Cape’s Creative Entrepreneurs

To celebrate the conclusion of an intensive business development programme 36 creative entrepreneurs were given the opportunity to showcase their businesses and exhibit their products to their peers, corporates, investors and potential collaborators.

Selected entrepreneurs took part in a fireside chat, called The Business of Creativity, where they discussed their journey as a business, and through the programme, bringing weeks of work into one room and sharing what it really takes to grow a creative business in South Africa today.

Delivered by CAPACITI (a division of UVU Africa) and supported by the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism, the programme was designed for established creative businesses primed to sharpen their positioning, strategy, and readiness to scale, by giving them exclusive access to mentorship by industry experts.

Congratulations to our newest cohort of certified creative entrepreneurs. If you were part of our cohort, tag your businesses in the comments below.

25/09/2026

For Althea Jarvis, Motion Design & Creative Media animator, animation creates space for possibility, even when life presents difficult realities.

As one of 20 animators in the Independent Animators Capacity Building Programme, Althea is strengthening the foundations behind her creative practice alongside a cohort of independent animators from across Africa.

We asked Althea to finish the line:
“Animation gives me the chance to…”

Here’s what it means to her.

25/09/2026

Before animation became a career, it was something Ziyaad Rahman used to make his friends play.

In Grade 1 and 2, Ziyaad drew characters from METAR Bots for his classmates and discovered what it felt like to create something that other people wanted to see.

Today, Ziyaad is one of 20 animators in the Independent Animators Capacity Building Programme, where CAPACITI and UNDP’s timbuktoo are supporting independent creatives to strengthen the professional foundations behind their animation careers.

Sometimes, the first spark is simply discovering that what comes out of your head can mean something to someone else.

We asked Ziyaad, 2D Animation Creative, animator:

“Take me back to the first time you remember drawing or telling a story. What do you remember about that?”

25/09/2026

After months of learning and creating, 20 original stories are making their way to the showcase.

Inside the Independent Animators Capacity Building Programme, the work has moved from concept into production. Every animator in this cohort has now completed their pre-production pack.

20 scripts written. 20 sets of character designs in progress. 20 animatics produced. 20 funder shortlists researched and submitted. 20 pitch decks drafted, in both grant and investor language.

Numbers like these are proof that creative confidence and business literacy can, and should, be built side-by-side.

20 plans. 20 futures. All in motion.

31/08/2026

How Narrowing Focus Unlocks Real Tech Growth

Mastering a specific skill set and becoming a go-to expert in your field can kickstart a successful tech career.

CAPACITI alumna, Yusrah Safedien, experienced firsthand how narrowing her focus transformed her professional trajectory. By deciding to dedicate her time and efforts on a specific skillset, she was able to unlock her career growth, boost her earning potential, and open doors to unexpected opportunities.

Specialisation gave her the leverage needed to transition from an intern to a Software Developer at a leading tech company.

Read Yusrah’s full story to see how targeted expertise can propel a tech career forward: https://capaciti.org.za/blog/how-narrowing-focus-unlocks-real-tech-growth/

31/08/2026

Creating a better future for her family.

Gugu Xulu is earning an income that has changed what she can do for herself and her family.

From contributing towards building her family home to paying her son's school fees, her career has given her the ability to support the people who matter most to her.

Through CAPACITI, Gugu has taken a step towards greater financial independence. For her progress isn't only about where her career takes her, it's also about what progress makes possible for the people around her.

She is using her experience to motivate women to strive and excel in whatever they do.

31/08/2026

What does success look like in animation?

Gemma Piscopo is a 3D Animation & Rigging animator, that creates work to communicate how she feels, while having the freedom to imagine beyond what is immediately in front of her.

As part of the Independent Animators Capacity Building Programme, Gemma is building on her creative practice while developing the professional and business foundations needed to take her work further.