Sibongile Mbele tutoring his students. Photo courtesy of Sibongile Mbele.
13 May 2014
Sibongile Mbele is an Information Technology (IT) specialist from Khayelitsha. He owns a business that assists people in the township mostly with computer problems. At the same time, he tutors young people from ages five to fifteen.
Mbele says, “The programme is done in different levels depending on how old the students are. The first level is for kids between the ages of five and eight. With them, I try to make IT software familiar and fashionable.”
“I teach them how to play with a mouse and to click. When they master that, then I teach them Microsoft [programmes],” he says.
“I have a programme that enables them to dress up a cartoon and that in reality teaches the kids how to dress themselves.”
Currently, Mbele teaches 18 children; the oldest is 15. He also runs programmes for young adults.
Mbele has turned his home into a computer hub.
“The objective is to bridge the digital divide between rich and poor … to have township kids at the same computer comprehension level as rich kids,” says Mbele. He explains that he wants to develop a business model for teaching computer skills in “disadvantaged local schools and communities”.
Mbele was born in Gugulethu, grew up in Langa, and in his late teens moved to Khayelitsha.
“I grew up like most township boys, where negative activities seem to be the norm. I was raised by a single mom who was a domestic worker. We faced many difficulties … it was hard to make ends meet,” he says.
When he was a teenager, he avoided crime and its peer pressure by playing soccer.
Mbele attended Luhlaza Senior Secondary in Khayelitsha and this is where he found his passion for IT. He also realised that he enjoyed sharing his knowledge.
“I used to be one of the best Pacman game players at school, and through computer games I wanted to know more about technology.”
“My interest in IT lead me to tutor adults in St. Francis in Langa after school for the love of it. Through my tutoring I then got a bursary from Old Mutual to attend one of the most sought after computer colleges of its era, WS&L Training.”
Mbele started his company, Mbele Social Concepts, in June 2012. It is a Khayelitsha based enterprise. The company is 100% black owned.
“This is a new business concept altogether in the township, and this is the only IT company that primarily focuses on kids,” he says.
For more details contact Mbele on:
Mobile: 076 900 1858
Office: 021 839 4561
Website: www.mbelesocialconcepts.co..za
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MbeleSocialConcepts
Slideshare: www.slideshare.net/KodiQuartz/mbele-social-presentation