Youth from 22 African countries are eagerly waiting for the final results as judging concludes in the inaugural African Code Challenge.
The challenge was launched by SAP Africa Code Week for the first time this year. The coding competition involved youth aged 8 to 16 who were tasked with coding a game using the Scratch programming language to answer the question; How will your tech change the future of education?
The youth were able to enter individually and in teams of up to five people, tapping into a wide range of essential skills from problem-solving and coding all the way to teamwork and communications.
Each entry had to include a two-minute YouTube video showing how the game works and why it should win.
In total, 40 countries participated, with over 100 project videos submitted. The top three entries from 36 countries made it into the continental final, with 22 countries making it to the final judging stage. The winner will be announced in January 2021.
According to Olajide Ademola Ajayi, Africa Code Week Global Coordinator, the engagement by youth has been inspiring throughout the challenge. “Despite the pandemic disrupting schooling for hundreds of millions of kids across Africa, the continent’s youth have stepped up to share their vision for the future of education. While there can ultimately be only one winner, the quality of entries at the inaugural African Code Challenge inspire hope and optimism about Africa’s future, one shaped by the largest youth population in the world,” she added.
According to Claire Gillissen-Duval, Director of EMEA Corporate Social Responsibility and Co-founder of Africa Code Week at SAP, African youth are highly creative and community-oriented. They have a key role to play in building a safer and better future for the continent.
The 22 countries that made it through to the final round are Algeria, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia and Zimbabwe.