Samsung Innovation Campus & CUT Celebrate Graduation of 34 Students, Advancing Tech Skills & Gender Equity

Three-Year Partnership Drives Youth Employability & Diversity in South Africa’s Technology Sector

In celebration of the three-year partnership and the achievements of 34 students from the Central University of Technology (CUT) – a graduation ceremony was held recently to showcase the vital role played by the Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) programme in fostering innovation and critical skills development in Free State’s youth and South Africa as a whole.

In particular, this graduation was the perfect time to recognise the successful partnership between CUT and Samsung Electronics over the last three years. This event provided an opportunity to put the spotlight on how the SIC programme has empowered CUT students with cutting-edge Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) skills that are able to significantly boost employability in the country’s technology sector.

The main focus of this SIC programme in collaboration with CUT has been improving employment opportunities – a much-needed approach in a province that is full of potential, but is placed among the most affected when it comes to unemployment numbers in the country. This three-year milestone began with a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed in November 2022 – making CUT the second institution in South Africa to host the SIC programme.

Over the last three years, this collaboration has focused on training CUT students in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Coding & programming (C&P). Additionally, the curriculum focus of the SIC programme at CUT has combined both theoretical learning with practical applications and capstone projects to prepare students for real-world technology challenges.

Prof. Mashele, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research Innovation and Engagement at Central University of Technology.

“On behalf of the Central University of Technology, I extend our sincere appreciation to Samsung for its steadfast commitment to youth empowerment and digital transformation. The Samsung Innovation Campus is more than a corporate initiative; it is an investment in human potential. Through this partnership, critical 4IR capabilities in coding, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are no longer abstract concepts—they are lived competencies within our student community,” says Prof. Mashele, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research Innovation and Engagement at Central University of Technology.

“To the leadership of Samsung South Africa, thank you for walking this journey with us since the launch of the CUT Samsung Innovation Campus in 2022. Your confidence in this institution and in our students affirms that meaningful public–private collaboration can reshape the talent pipeline of our country. Let us remember that today is not an endpoint. It is a threshold. The certificates handed over are not conclusions—they are commissions. They commission you, our graduates, to lead in the digital economy, to create solutions for our communities, and to ensure that Africa does not merely consume technology but shapes it,” continues Prof. Mashele.

The first cohort of this SIC programme was a group of 20 CUT students who graduated in August 2023 – having specialised in AI as well as C&P in Python. It’s expanded success was evident again in September 2024 – where 46 students graduated across two cohorts: 20 in AI and 26 in Python programming. And then, in the middle of last year – the programme showcased its impact even further when it reached a total of 84 graduates.

Lefa Makgato, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager for Samsung Electronics in South Africa said: “We are pleased to see another group of budding youngsters graduate from one of the country’s most impactful technology programmes. This SIC programme highlights the role that our company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives have played in the development of 4IR skills in the country’s youth, which in turn contributes to the advancement of local underprivileged communities.”

Other remarkable milestones that this SIC programme in partnership with CUT has realised include how it has prioritised gender representation – achieving 52% female representation in recent graduating cohorts. For Samsung, this SIC programme is evidence of the company’s proven track record of supporting education-related initiatives that not only prioritise gender inclusivity, but boost employment opportunities and foster innovation through technology-focused initiatives such as these.

“As Samsung, we are happy with the number of beneficiaries’ whose lives have been touched by this programme, coupled by the essential skills that these CUT students have now acquired over the last three years. This experience has not only prepared them for the demands of the modern tech industry; but have also turned them into a group of eligible young professionals. As a company, we are also more than thrilled to see how this strategic partnership has enabled a significant number of this province’s youth – that participated in the SIC programme – to secure permanent employment in the local market,” concluded Makgato.