On a bright Valentine’s Day morning, love, laughter and celebration filled the air at Radineo Primary School in Mabopane, Pretoria. It was a graduation like no other — one that marked a powerful shift in bridging the digital divide for older persons in South Africa. 38 remarkable grandmothers, fondly known as gogos, had just completed a training programme designed to equip them with essential digital skills, such as saving contacts, creating email addresses, sending and receiving e-mails, browsing on the internet and watching videos on YouTube. This will allow them to navigate the online world with confidence and ease, with 36 graduating on the day. For these gogos, gone are the days of asking their grandkids for tech support, they are now as digitally savvy as any Gen-Z.
Digital ubuntu driven by abantu:
The initiative, spearheaded by goGOGOgo and executed in partnership with Vuma, South Africa’s leading fibre network provider, aims to empower gogos with the know-how to use smartphones, tablets, and the internet effectively. For these women, many of whom are the primary caregivers for their grandchildren, raising children from the ages of 6 to 21, technology had long been an unfamiliar and intimidating space. Now, thanks to the training, they can use WhatsApp to stay in touch with loved ones, send emails, browse the internet, support access for their grandchildren to online learning, and access crucial online government services.
Jane Simmonds, Executive Director and Founder of goGOGOgo, highlighted the importance of the initiative:
“Gogos are the backbone of so many families, providing love, care, and support to their grandchildren. In today’s digital world, we cannot allow them to be left behind. This programme isn’t just about teaching digital skills; it’s about empowerment, connection, and ensuring these incredible women can support their families in new and meaningful ways. It also gives them the ability to help their grandchildren when it comes to online learning.”
Taylor Kwong, Head of Marketing at Vuma, emphasised the importance of digital inclusion:
“Connectivity transforms lives. Seeing the gogos embrace technology and gain confidence in using digital tools is truly inspiring. We’re just glad to be able to open doors to new opportunities for these women. We love that we are also keeping families connected and ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital age.”
Equipped, empowered, engaged:
The training covered everything from turning on the device to adjusting the volume to more advanced skills such as accessing online government services, exploring educational platforms for grandchildren, using social media to stay connected and e-hailing. The programmes impact was clear to see on graduation day as the Gogos proudly accepted their certificates and received their own device, each of them now part of a growing network of tech-savvy grandmothers.
For Glory Khoza one of the graduates, the programme has been life-changing.
“I live with my children and grandchildren, and they all know how to use the internet. Now, I can connect with them and my friends without help. It makes me feel independent and capable. I was nervous at first, but now it’s a piece of cake.”
Her fellow graduate, Christina Mbiza, shared the same sentiment:
“When I first heard about the training, I wasn’t sure if I could learn. But now, I can send texts, browse the internet, and stay in touch with my family, no matter how far away they are. Having this knowledge makes me feel part of the modern world.”
With each graduation, more gogos are equipped with the tools to confidently step into the digital world. This initiative goes beyond technology, it’s about dignity, empowerment, and ensuring that no generation is left behind. As these grandmothers return home with tablets in hand and new skills at their fingertips, they carry with them the power to stay connected, informed, and engaged in a world that is changing faster than ever before.
And that’s a graduation worth celebrating.
GOGOs with VUMA has now produced 178 graduates across the country, going from Eersteriver in the Western Cape, Seshego in Limpopo, KwaMashu in KZN, Motherwell in the Eastern Cape, to Soweto, Atteridgeville, Alexandra, and now Mabopane, in Gauteng.