Through commitment to broadening digital access in Makhanda, 18 educational centres have been equipped with computers. Rhodes University Information Technology Support Services (ITSS) has donated 100 second hand PCs to local community organisations. This initiative aims to improve access to technology and digital learning tools in under-resourced areas, benefiting after school centres, public libraries, schools, and early childhood development (ECD) centres across the city.

The donation was made possible with the generous contribution from GBS Bank, which helped fund the setup of the towers. IT Solutions, a local business, further supported the project by offering its services to complete the necessary updates at a reduced rate, ensuring the PCs are ready for use by community members.

The 100 PCs have been set up at 18 sites in Makhanda, including important community hubs such as after school centres, local schools, the public library, and ECD centres. The project is expected to provide much-needed technological support, enabling learners, educators, and community members to access digital resources and engage with modern tools in their daily activities.

"This project is a testament to the power of community partnerships," said Di Hornby, Community Engagement Director at Rhodes University.

"We are proud to have leveraged community assets to better access to technology in Makhanda. Because these sites are already part of a tightly-knit ecosystem in Education, we hope these donations will have a lasting impact.”

The computer donations are not the end of the movement to improve digital access. 12 of the sites will use the computers to train learners, educators and community members in vital computer skills. Other sites will use the devices to modernise their administration, making sites more productive and efficient. 

Training programmes for basic and intermediate digital literacy skills are offered to partners and ongoing walk-in support is available from Rhodes through the Social Innovation Hub.