Our Activity
From local educational challenges to lasting partnerships — how we work, together with South African students, to close the education gap.
The Challenges We Face
While South Africa's finance and IT sectors are growing, unemployment among young people (aged 15–34) exceeds 45% (versus roughly 32% nationally), and there is thought to be a skills mismatch of over 50% between industry needs and young people's abilities. In response to this structural stagnation, South Africa's Department of Basic Education has formally adopted Coding & Robotics (digital skills education) into the curriculum — yet the education gap behind these numbers remains large, and closing it is not something any single country can do alone. That is exactly why partnership between Japan and South Africa is needed.
We see the digital education gap behind these numbers as a combination of (1) an "infrastructure" gap and (2) a "utilization" gap.
(1) Infrastructure Gap
Differences in infrastructure depending on where one lives — a lack of fixed-line connections, LAN, and devices tied to geography.
(2) Utilization Gap
Differences in know-how between public and private schools, a shortage of STEM/digital-skills teachers, and gaps in students' basic literacy and prior learning experience.
Our Activities
We work across two pillars: running education programs directly with children and teachers, and building the partnerships that make that work possible.
Education
We listen closely to voices on the ground — children, teachers, and local coordinators — and bring together academic knowledge from the University of Tokyo with hands-on action to solve the challenges we find.
- Running pilot lessons with local schools
- Ongoing dialogue with teachers
- Developing and improving teaching materials
Creating Partnerships
We've visited the University of Pretoria, the University of Cape Town, and Stellenbosch University, and maintain an ongoing pipeline with local student organizations — building real collaboration between these universities and the University of Tokyo. We work from the belief that no one understands a community's educational challenges better than the people who live there, so we invest in that local partnership first.
- University visits and partnership-building (Pretoria, Cape Town, Stellenbosch)
- An ongoing pipeline with local student organizations
Strengthening Japan–South Africa Relations
Alongside our education work, we invest in a second pillar: building real ties between students and universities in Japan and South Africa.
The Value We Create
This work creates value not only for the children we work with, but for everyone involved.
Solving Local Challenges
By mobilizing the University of Tokyo's academic knowledge together with a genuine working relationship between local university students and Japanese students, we aim to solve the challenges South African communities actually face.
Developing University Students
Not only University of Tokyo students but also the Japanese and South African students who take part gain the chance to translate everyday learning into real social impact through hands-on activity, building agency along the way. Learning in this international setting nurtures internationally-minded citizens who go on to contribute to a fairer society.
Ties with Africa & Stronger Japan–South Africa Relations
This work strengthens ties with Africa both for the University of Tokyo as an institution and for Japan more broadly — deepening the relationship between our two countries through the people who will shape its future.