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CodeGirls South Africa has graduated 30 women in web development and Python, strengthening pathways for women in tech and opening new economic opportunities in underserved communities.
By MAHMOOD SANGLAY
CodeGirls South Africa marked a significant milestone on Saturday, December 6, 2025, when five cohorts of aspiring women technologists graduated at a ceremony held at the organisation’s training lab in Waverley Business Park, Cape Town.
The event celebrated the growing impact of a global programme that has become one of the most accessible pathways for women entering the digital economy.
Founded in Pakistan in 2017 and launched in South Africa in 2023, CodeGirls has evolved into a multi-country initiative equipping women with the skills and confidence to step into the tech workforce.
Operated by ConsulNet Corporation in partnership with United Global Initiative and WomenInTechPK, the programme has trained more than 1 400 women globally. According to its 2025 Impact Report, CodeGirls reflects an 84 per cent retention rate and a 70 per cent job placement record.
This year’s Cape Town graduation recognised learners who completed courses in Web Development (Phase 1) and Python Programming (Phase 2). Eleven women completed the web course and nineteen advanced through the programming stream. The ten- to nineteen-week courses equip graduates to build functional websites, create games and develop beginner-level applications—skills increasingly demanded across South Africa’s tech sector.
However, the ceremony was defined as much by the students’ stories as by their qualifications. One graduate, Sa-eedah Meyer, walked more than 10 kilometres from Hanover Park to Observatory to attend classes, showing the deep personal commitment the programme inspires. Another student completed her coursework while battling cancer. One graduate was dismissed from her job for enrolling but persisted and completed the programme.
Among the standout stories was that of Phase 1 graduate Naafiah Abrahams, who became a Training Assistant, saved her earnings and bought her first car—an example of the economic impact the programme seeks to achieve.
Programme Manager Abdeyah Fredericks said these journeys reflect the programme’s broader purpose: ‘Women arrive with no coding experience and leave having built real projects, earned income and uplifted their families. That is empowerment—and empowerment becomes generational.’
A model built on accessibility
The South African arm of CodeGirls began with a pilot cohort in October 2023, followed by its first full cohort in January 2024. Since then, demand has grown as women from diverse communities pursue digital careers previously out of reach. CodeGirls South Africa aligns with five UN Sustainable Development Goals, including poverty reduction, gender equality and quality education.
The programme remains fully sponsored. Comparable university-based bootcamps in Cape Town often cost more than R40 000, placing tech training beyond the means of many women. CodeGirls removes these financial barriers entirely, with most participants coming from low-income households. According to Impact Report data, 47 per cent of global participants have completed only secondary school, and 76 per cent come from single-income families earning less than USD 300 a month.
The programme structure spans foundational web development, specialised tech tracks and a freelancing phase, creating pathways into careers in front-end development, UI/UX design, data analytics, digital marketing and software testing. Global success stories from Pakistan indicate that every USD 392 invested in a participant generates more than USD 7 000 in average five-year earnings—an eighteen-fold return.
Building a pipeline of women technologists
The graduation also marked new strategic developments for CodeGirls SA. The organisation strengthened its Advisory Board with the appointment of Farayi Kambarami, Head of Central Planning and Data at Woolworths, who will guide long-term planning and deepen industry alignment.
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To support employability, CodeGirls has partnered with Yazid Bohardien of LaunchPath Recruitment, which provides job-readiness training, internship placement and pathways into full-time work. This partnership aims to turn training outcomes into tangible economic opportunities for graduates.
Looking toward 2026, Fredericks is designing an Excellence Hub that will offer training beyond coding—expanding into business analysis, quality assurance, service desk support and agile delivery methods. The hub aims to build one of the most comprehensive women-in-tech pipelines in the country.
Scaling up for 2026
Applications for the 2026 intake are open, with CodeGirls aiming to graduate 120 women next year. Class sizes will increase from 16 to 20 students. The morning cohort for 2026 has already reached capacity, with limited places remaining in the afternoon stream.
‘Seeing women walk into a classroom uncertain and walk out ready for the tech world is what drives this programme forward,’ Fredericks said. ‘We are watching careers change, families stabilise and communities strengthen.’
CodeGirls SA is a movement with a vision to reshape the gender dynamics of the tech sector. By offering free, high-quality training and sustained mentorship, the initiative is expanding economic participation and creating a new generation of women technologists.
CodeGirls a Global Awards Winner!
In an exciting new development, on 10 December 2025 CodeGirls was announced the Gold Winner of the ‘Community Initiative of the Year (Non-Corporate)’ at the WomenTech Global Awards 2025 — a global recognition of its work in empowering women into technology careers.
This award underscores CodeGirls’ growing impact, affirming that the initiative first highlighted above — training, mentoring, and placing thirty women into tech roles — is part of a broader, globally acknowledged effort. The honour brings further visibility to their mission and is likely to open new doors for future cohorts.
