Well-positioned for the Fourth Industrial Revolution

BSc Computer Science student Desireé Moeletsi is one step closer to realising her dream of becoming a programmer thanks to the MultiChoice Bursary Scheme, which helps approximately 200 students across South Africa every year.

Even though Desireé  never had the opportunity to dabble in programming during school, she always had an interest in the field – constantly watching YouTube videos on how to programme. Her older brother’s career in IT may have also played a role in piquing her interest. “My parents were very surprised when I told them I was going to study computer science. They always thought I’d become a doctor and even though they’d never heard of the course, they were very supportive,” she says.

Desireé was a recipient of the bursary in 2021 and applied again this year as she hopes to complete her Honours Degree.

The MultiChoice Bursary Scheme helped Desireé  focus all her attention on her studies and her parents, who are financially strained, did not have to worry about where the money would come from or who would purchase textbooks – all of which can be quite expensive. Desireé  is excited about the possibilities that the bursary has opened for her and fellow recipients. “Bursary schemes such as this will help South Africa play a more meaningful role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Technology is the future and if we want our country to be competitive globally, we have to place more emphasis on STEM [science, technology, engineering, mathematics] subjects,” she adds.

Like Desireé, CEO of MultiChoice South Africa Nyiko Shiburi agrees that as technological developments continue to advance at a rapid pace, there is a critical need for a dynamic workforce in the STEM fields in order for our country to keep up with the rest of the world.

The MultiChoice Bursary Scheme is open to students in all years of study, including students who have enrolled for their first post-graduate degree that is focused on the STEM discipline, particularly:

• Actuarial Science
• Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering
• Computer Science and Applied Mathematics
• Information Technology (AI and Robotics)
• Data and Information Science
• Digital Media Technologies

Looking ahead, Desireé  wants a career that focuses on cybersecurity because she believes that as more and more people start working and playing online, this will create growing concern over security and hacking.