POLOKWANE – Coding enables you to follow instructions to create programs and games for computers. Phuti Ragophala made it her life mission to teach South Africa’s youth to prepare for the future, and on Saturday she hosted a #Coding4Mandela to introduce young children to the world of coding.

Phuti is a teacher who saw the future of teaching with technology in 1965 with her Gr 1 class that was located under a tree. Even then, she included activities to prepare children for the future, such as giving and following instructions.

In the years past, she created a name in the coding industry as Technogranny. She teaches others to code, and to love doing it.

A team of coding lovers

Some of the coding lovers who assisted her on Saturday are Sonnyboy Sethole, Ngoako Rapanyane, Kwena Makgakwa and Ramatsobane Manthata.

Sonnyboy Sethole

Sonnyboy Sethole have been in the coding industry for the past five years. While integrating technology in the class, he also taught other teachers to embrace these developments.

Sonnyboy has won various awards with projects like Transforming Education Through Technology. He also partnered with schools in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

He also won the National Teaching Awards in 2025.

Next week, he will take part in the District champs, then the provincial and late National Awards.

Ngoako Rapanyane

Ngoako Rapanyane got the opportunity to attend different coding opportunities and gained interest in the topic. For the past year, he has shared his knowledge with others.

Kwena Makgakwa

Kwena Makgakwa started coding in 2021 after being introduced to an online platform. She saw how others enjoyed the activities and became a coding student. She was then hired to share her knowledge.

Ramatsobane Manthata

Ramatsobane Manthata saw a coding course being advertised and registered.

She started a coding club, Mogaleadi Foundation, with the aim of supporting the community in exploring technology and preparing young people for the fourth industrial revolution.