Building brighter futures in South Africa, one computer at a time

Earlier this week, I spent part of the day at the New Nation School in Johannesburg to join the Daily Show’s Trevor Noah as he launched his foundation to bring opportunity to some of South Africa’s disadvantaged youth. New Nation – a school with about 500 orphans and other disadvantaged students – is the initial recipient of the Trevor Noah Foundation’s work to equip youth with the skills, technology and psychosocial support that they need to succeed in the classroom and beyond. It was inspiring to see Trevor’s vision come to life in the bright smiles throughout the school’s hallways – and I’m thrilled that Microsoft is playing a part as the foundation’s technology partner.

I first met Trevor in 2016 when his book tour brought him to Microsoft’s Redmond campus. He of course made us laugh, but what really struck me was the many other aspects of his personality and work, including his proficiency and passion for technology – and his understanding that access to PCs and digital skills opens doors. He credits his early success as a young DJ in Johannesburg in part to the internet, his Windows PC, an Excel spreadsheet, and a large external hard drive. Technology opened doors for Trevor. He wanted to return home and provide that same opportunity to South African youth, one school at a time. 

Initially we will provide the New Nation School with computers, software, and digital skills training for both students and teachers. Our plan is to grow our engagement both at New Nation and in other locations as the Foundation learns and grows. We plan to scale as they scale by broadening the support to include additional training and courses on a broader range of IT skills. And we’ll look for other ways to strengthen and deepen the partnership through Microsoft South Africa and our global team.

Trevor has a clear understanding of the country’s challenges and the role education can play in solving them, a clear strategy in bringing about change, and the humility to learn and refine his approach. As he so eloquently said, “We are here to listen, not tell.”

Our approach to both business and philanthropy has always been based on partnerships. Joining forces where we have a shared understanding of the challenge, a shared vision for how to tackle the challenge, and complimentary skills that can be a force multiplier for driving long-term and sustained change. I’m excited to work with Trevor as we continue to build precisely this type of partnership. We’re proud to support his foundation and play a role in bringing opportunity to South African youth.