SA writer adapts international book about young tech girls into relatable South African tale perfect to inspire young girls to get into coding and other tech skills.
The New Girl Code is a series of novels about the wonders of working in tech, aimed at girls and young women. The project is an initiative of Inspiring Fifty, a non-profit that aims to increase diversity in tech by making role models more visible.
The book is an international concept by Janneke Niessen that has been specifically localised for the South African context by writer and editor Buhle Ngaba. The book has various editions aimed and marketed at girls in different countries, the original was made in the Netherlands but there is also a copy arriving in the US soon and now South Africa also has its very own adaption.
The story goes like this…
‘Tumi Letsatsi is a 15-year old melanin kween living in Rondebosch, Cape Town. Her favourite colour is yellow, she is still trying to figure out how not to dent her afro on the bus, and how one goes about (ahem!) “French kissing”. She’s a little awkward and a lot uncertain about her future, friendships and how to put together a cool outfit! But then she stumbles across the magic of coding and creates an app called “The New Girl Code” that goes viral and rockets her and her friends to fame. Then everything starts to fall apart as she deals with a catfish who befriends her and steals her code, nasty rumours at school and the newfound attention of a crush.’
According to Janneke, girls lose interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) at a very young age, and both female role models and the need to provide girls with the opportunity to express their creativity through hands-on experiences are seen as crucial to change this.
Around 90% of jobs are estimated to need at least some level of digital skills and we are already facing a big shortage of skilled people to fill all jobs in technology. A shortage that will only increase.
By creating a book that promotes tech skills such as coding, the hope is that young girls will continue to pursue them throught school.
The South African adaption is a great start to getting young girls intersted in coding, fashion and entrepreneurship, plus an added perk is that it also gets young girls reading. Another vital skill.
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