Sacred Heart College’s 15-year-old Grade 10 learner, Sifiso Nkabinde, is making a name for himself in the coding world.
He was recently named one of the top 15 geeks in the country by Geekulcha, an organisation that focuses on empowering young people in IT.
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He is the youngest nominee on the list.
The EXPRESS met with the self-taught programmer and he talked about his journey in the programming world.
“I’m humbled by being named one of the top geeks. This also means I must push myself to learn more and grow because coding is very diverse,” said Sifiso.
The youngster’s interest in coding started in 2013 and he joined the Sci-Bono Clubhouse in Newtown, one of five in the country.
“I always had an interest in computers. I wanted to know how computers work and that was when I started getting in coding,” said Sifiso.
He said the clubhouse improved his coding skill and exposed him to different opportunities and people in the field.
“Through the clubhouse, I had the opportunity to meet Andile Ngcaba, who is the founder of Cortex Hub. He inspires me because of what he has achieved in the technology world,” said Sifiso.
Sifiso’s knowledge improved by attending hackathons and developing apps. He codes whenever he has the chance and is not focused on school work.
He said attending a school like Sacred Heart has been an eye-opener because of the focus and time they put on coding.
“In my previous school, coding was just in the textbook. At Sacred Heart, learners have the opportunity to go into depth and do actual coding,” said Sifiso.
“The fourth industrial revolution is changing the career world. Schools need to prepare learners for future careers, and coding should be the starting point for schools,” said Sifiso.
He plans to study computer science and maths at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US.
Sfiso is already working on some apps of his own, which includes a travelling app.
“This app will allow you to call for transport from any part of the world. I’m still working on data challenges,” said Sifiso.
He also expressed an interest in developing an app for the health sector.
“I want to develop an app that will help doctors identify diseases faster to ensure treatment starts earlier,” said Sfisio.
He also encouraged other youngsters to join coding clubs.
“If you don’t have facilities like the clubhouse, but you have a smartphone, use it to gain knowledge,” said Sifiso.
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