East Africa takes the lead in tangible coding

Written by Cindy Preller

The award-winning Tangible Africa has lived up to its name by introducing the concept of tangible coding to more than ten countries on the continent.

All of this has been achieved in only three years with the first African country to get involved outside of the borders of South Africa being Namibia in 2021.

Tangible Africa is an engagement project of Nelson Mandela University Computing Sciences Department and the Leva Foundation, both based in Gqeberha in South Africa. Very little online resources are needed to play tangible coding games, by making use of Tangible Africa’s flagship applications, RANGERS and BOATS.

“The Tangible Africa project is a great solution for Africa due to its accessibility, addressing the digital divide, and empowering learners with valuable coding skills without needing computers. It's scalable, sustainable, and aligns with African development goals, promoting problem-solving and critical thinking,” said Tangible Africa Engagement Manager, Jackson Tshabalala.

Currently tangible coding is actively pursued and practiced by mostly youth and scholars from Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Lesotho. A future growth area has also been identified as North Africa (Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt).

“The programme encourages community involvement, has received critical acclaim and builds a future-ready workforce. Young people are being directly impacted, gaining confidence and essential skills that prepare them for better employment opportunities, driving significant positive change across the continent,” said Tshabalala.

Tangible Africa was the first runner up in the African Union (AU)’s Innovating Education in Africa 2022 Awards. They beat over 900 applicants to be one of only three organisations awarded grant funding and recognition for their innovative approach to education in Africa.

Huge growth in tangible coding awareness in East Africa

Tshabalala said the biggest growth region for tangible coding in Africa currently is East Africa, with Uganda and Kenya being the most active countries.

In Kenya over 100 trainers have been trained, 120 RANGERS kits have been issued to more than 30 partner schools and organisations, according to Kenya National Library Service (KNLS) ICT Officer Yusuf Ganyana.

Ganyana was introduced to tangible coding in September 2022 at a knowledge-sharing workshop in Uganda hosted by EIFL (Electronic Information for Libraries) under the project “Digital Skills at your Library”, where librarians from South Africa, Kenya, and Uganda came together to share ideas.

“This is where I first learned about the innovative unplugged coding project, I was intrigued by its potential impact and fit with our organisation's goals. At first, we concentrated on providing KNLS librarians and ICT officers with training. But thanks to Jackson Tshabalala of Tangible Africa, we expanded with the Let's Play Campaign, training and distributing coding kits to schools and organisations surrounding the three libraries,” said Ganyana.

With plans to expand digital literacy throughout Kenya, Ganyana hopes to increase awareness efforts, find like-minded partners, and continue to take part in coding events hosted by Tangible Africa.

“To bridge educational disparities and encourage 21st century skills among Kenyan learners, Tangible Africa as a partner is pivotal in bridging educational gaps and fostering innovation among the youth in Kenya. By empowering educators and learners with foundational coding skills, we are not only preparing them for the digital age but also creating opportunities for sustainable development. Our continuous commitment to Training of Trainers guarantees scalability and continuity while encouraging a culture of continuous learning and technology empowerment,” said Ganyana.

Uganda embraces tangible coding

The lives of youth from Uganda have also been transformed through tangible coding since it was introduced in the country in 2023.

Soroti University Librarian Barbra Apolot said the university embraced a partnership with Tangible Africa after realising that the project’s vision indeed tackles what she describes as the African problem.

“The problem is that even within the university student community, some students struggle to perform basic computer operations. This is something that can be eliminated only if the students become familiar with technology during their early childhood. Also, often in our schools in Uganda, when computers are donated, they are not utilised due to the challenge of electricity, lack of skills and the high cost of the internet,” said Apolot.

Since 2023 Soroti University students have received training in tangible coding and coding workshop for teachers and pupils have been conducted in the Teso, Lango and Karamoja sub regions.

“We have marketed the project through a conference paper presentation and also published a paper on our experiences. Internationally, we have got external stakeholders requesting partnership like Gonline Africa, public librarians from Gambia, Kenya and Nigeria and some local librarians wishing to replicate the project,” said Apolot.

Apolot said plans for the expansion of tangible coding in Uganda include sourcing external support and partnerships, spreading the project to other parts of the country and engaging the relevant ministry to adopt coding in the school curriculum.

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