Empowering the youth through education and skills development

The Telkom Foundation has done sterling work every year since its inception. It was founded in 1998, and in 2002 it became a legally recognised trust. The foundation has developed long-term solutions to improve education, foster youth resilience through innovation and digital transformation in the classroom, and uplift community social welfare.

We caught up with Judy Vilakazi, the head of the Telkom Foundation, to get to know more about its initiatives.

Q: Give us a little insight into the objective of the Telkom Foundation

A: The objective of the Telkom Foundation is to improve the lives of South Africans by granting access to high-quality education, digital literacy, and skills that will open up economic opportunities, mostly in the ICT industry.

Q: What causes is the Foundation most passionate about, and why?

A: We want to empower young people and give them the tools to change their lives through education and skills development. Our interventions aim to build their mental resilience, and prepare them for economic opportunities. We enhance their future-fit skills and economic opportunities while building resilience and grit.

A key part of our work is to promote digital literacy and close the digital gap.

Through sustainable socio-economic development initiatives, the Foundation aims to help transform underprivileged and historically underprivileged communities. We are committed to working with the government, the private sector, civic society, and educational institutions to raise the standard of education in STEM (science, technology, English, and maths) and ICT skills in South Africa. There is a strong focus on supporting the South African government, specifically the Department of Education with its objective to improve the quality of education.

The Telkom Foundation provides holistic support to high school learners and out-of-school youth to upskill them in digital skills and increase employability opportunities. ​

Q: What are some of the Foundation’s most impactful initiatives so far?

A: In addition to the strategic programmes we focus on, we’ve also had success in our employee volunteering projects where our Group employees wore their hearts on their sleeves to make a difference in our communities.

In support of Mandela Day, the Telkom Foundation donated robotics kits to Ekurhuleni School for the Deaf in Katlehong. This is a significant step towards preparing the deaf youth for the digital age and growing critical soft skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving.

In addition to the robotics kits, Telkom employees volunteered their time to pack meals for the school in partnership with Rise Against Hunger. They supported the school by donating blankets, painting walls, and jungle gyms as part of the Winter Warmer Drive and Adopt-a-Project initiatives.

Leveraging our products and services across the Telkom Group we also sponsored the

National Teacher Awards hosted by the Department of Basic Education, and it warms my heart as four of the winners are getting coding and robotics kits for their schools. The awards were also attended by the Group Chairman and Group CEO.

Another milestone was the handover of an ICT Lab to the Steve Biko Foundation in Qonce, Eastern Cape. The lab honours the memory of Steve Biko and will serve as a vital resource for the community, offering advanced digital tools, virtual learning opportunities, streaming educational content and supporting unemployed youth.

Q: What legacy should the Telkom Foundation build for future generations?

A:In line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs), the National Development Plan (NDP) and the Telkom Group Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy, the Foundation is committed to enabling access to quality education by developing teachers and providing innovative learning opportunities.

The holistic approach offered in our programmes provides ICT Labs in schools, coding and robotics skills, academic support in STEM subjects and psychosocial support, ensures that learners have access to quality education, digital literacy and skills.

Post high school, the Foundation has programmes that equip youth with ICT skills to enable access to economic opportunities, reduce ICT skills shortage and increase digital literacy and employability. The Telkom Foundation intends to make a meaningful impact in South African society, through education by ensuring that our youth are empowered, mentally resilient and able to access economic opportunities.

Q: What are some of the Foundation’s 2024 highlights that make you proud? And what are you planning in 2025?

A: Through our Adopt a Project initiative, we’ve successfully expanded our support for disabled youth for the first time since the Telkom Foundation's establishment, providing the deaf kids with requisite digital skills. I’m also very proud of our partnership with the Steve Biko Foundation to bring ICT skills to the community.

To bring South Africa's past to life, the Telkom Foundation and Telkom Future Makers have sponsored a digital knowledge hub, connecting youth to their heritage through The Long March to Freedom Museum’s virtual platform.

This initiative leverages the Telkom Foundation's focus on technology and education, enhancing the existing virtual museum to empower young people with access to their history. It supports Telkom’s ESG strategy to advance digital literacy in South Africa and aligns with the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 4, promoting gender equality and education quality through technology.

Looking ahead to 2025, our priority is to strengthen alignment with our CSR objectives, fostering shared value with communities. Key efforts include expanding staff volunteer opportunities and promoting payroll giving, enabling employees to contribute to meaningful causes.