WeThinkCode

About WeThinkCode_

WeThinkCode_ is a South African non-profit coding school that trains young people to become software engineers. It was launched in 2015 and admitted its first students in January 2016. The school follows the peer-to-peer model of France's Ecole 42. There are no lecturers, so students learn by solving projects and checking each other's work. Its head office is at 84 Albertina Sisulu Street in Johannesburg, and recent intakes also run in Cape Town and Durban.

Corporate partners pay for the training. The founding sponsors included First National Bank, BBD and Derivco, and BCX later pledged R60 million over three years. Because of this, students do not pay tuition.

How WeThinkCode_ supports students

Strictly speaking, this is a free training programme rather than a cash bursary. Still, it removes the biggest barrier, which is the cost of a qualification. The curriculum covers programming, web and app development, cloud computing and other software skills. Hiring companies then take on graduates, which gives the school a direct link to jobs.

Selection does not depend on matric marks. Applicants complete online aptitude tests and games. The strongest candidates are then invited to a short selection bootcamp, where organisers watch how they learn and work with others. This gives people with talent but no university place a fair chance. In the early years, the bootcamp ran for about four weeks and only the top performers moved on to the full course. Expect it to be intense, because it tests how you cope with pressure as well as how quickly you learn.

What to know before applying

The programme was first a two-year course. More recent listings describe a full-time learnership of about 16 months that leads to an NQF Level 6 occupational certificate in software engineering. Details change, so confirm the current length on the official application site.

Reported requirements include being aged 17 to 35 and holding a valid South African ID. Applicants should not be studying full-time elsewhere. No earlier coding experience is needed. Main intakes are reported for March and September, although a Durban cohort has started mid-year. Applications can close as soon as bootcamp places are full, so apply early.

Think about the practical side, too. The course is full-time and demanding. You may need to relocate or find accommodation near a campus, and you should check what living support, if any, is offered. Some third-party pages mention a stipend, but we could not verify it. Ask the school before you commit.

Prepare for the aptitude test by practising logic puzzles and basic problem solving. In short, curiosity and persistence count for more than prior qualifications.