Building Our Community in South Africa: A Responsible Computing Challenge Update

In preparation for the launch of the next phase of the Responsible Computing Challenge in South Africa, the team held a series of in-person meetings with universities in the Western Cape and Gauteng to discuss regional topics and focus areas relating to education and responsible technology.

The Responsible Computing Challenge (RCC) is educating a new wave of graduating technologists who will bring holistic thinking to the design of new technologies, fueling an industry-wide culture shift. The Challenge supports the conceptualization, development, and piloting of curricula that empowers students to think about the social and political context of computing.

Recognizing that South Africa has one of the largest and most diversified economies on the continent, including a burgeoning ICT sector, RCC will support university faculty and community organizations to build a healthier tech ecosystem and grapple with emerging technologies like AI through effective curriculum intervention. RCC also hopes to directly engage student experiences through inclusive activities and collaborative initiatives with student groups, with the help of our new South Africa Student Youth Coordinator.

Several members of the RCC team were warmly welcomed by the University of the Western Cape (UWC), the University of Cape Town (UCT), Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), Stellenbosch University (SU), University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), and the University of Johannesburg (UJ). During these meetings, the planned RCC South Africa strategy was presented to key executive academic staff and faculty members for feedback, providing invaluable insight into specific regional challenges and perspectives to help shape our design and implementation.

RCC’s SA expansion hopes to build and grow the responsible computing ecosystem in the country, particularly around national priority areas like AI and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Following successful launches in Kenya, India and the U.S., we are excited to complement global lessons from each region with local perspectives to transform the work of all RCC regions as a whole.

Says Jaselle Edward-Gill, RCC Senior Program Associate: "Outreach and engagement remain an essential step in launching a successful Responsible Computing Challenge phase. Being able to supplement the online presentation of our planned regional strategy with in-person meetings and directly meet with faculty members allowed our team to gain a greater understanding of the academic landscape and regional priorities in South Africa. These insights will shape the way in which we design RCC South Africa and we look forward to meeting with additional institutions next month."

The team will be holding a second phase of in-person meetings in April and May for universities across the remaining 7 provinces to further develop a robust and inclusive understanding of regional topics, and meet with executive leadership teams and faculty. Calls for Proposals are planned to open in May 2024 with projects beginning early next year.

Mozilla’s RCC work is supported by USAID, the Omidyar Network, Schmidt Futures, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Mellon Foundation, and Rockefeller Brothers Fund. South Africa will join a global RCC community that includes the U.S., Kenya and India. The expansion follows other significant investments by Mozilla in the country and on the continent, including Mozilla Ventures’ recent investment in Johannesburg-based Lelapa AI and Mozilla’s Africa Innovation Mradi.