As digital graduates step into work, Atlantis SEZ and UWC position the town as a growing hub for inclusive innovation and AI-driven industry.
Staff Reporter
Siyamthanda Mazokwana did not leave the University of the Western Cape’s Future Innovation Lab with a certificate alone. He left with a job.
Weeks after completing the CoLab for e-Inclusion and Social Innovation programme, the Atlantis graduate has been appointed as a software developer at HG Travel Services, where he will continue developing a platform first prototyped during his training.
For Mazokwana, the programme was less about coding than about problem-solving. He describes it as a shift from writing lines of code to building solutions with real commercial value.
“For me, this program has been a game changer because it was not only about working with code, but about working with real world solutions, learning to think like an innovator. This program has pushed us to become more than just developers, to think smarter and to build better. And I am really proud of being part of this journey and I thank the people who made this journey possible for us.”
His story formed the centrepiece of the Cohort 5 graduation ceremony, hosted in partnership with the Atlantis Special Economic Zone. More than a technical milestone, the event signalled a broader ambition: positioning Atlantis not simply as an industrial node, but as an emerging site of digital production and inclusive economic mobility.
Lois Dippenaar, institutional planner at UWC, said the partnership illustrates how industry and academia can widen access to opportunity. Graduates leave with applied experience, professional networks and exposure to live projects rather than abstract coursework.
“This collaboration demonstrates the real impact that industry academic partnerships can have on social mobility and inclusive innovation. Our graduates leave this programme with practical experience, professional networks and a strong sense of purpose to shape South Africa’s digital future.”
ASEZ supported the programme through local recruitment and logistics coordination, drawing young people from Atlantis into the digital skills pipeline.
According to the zone’s executive for integrated ecosystems, Selwyn Willoughby, such programmes are cultivating practical digital talent capable of strengthening productivity within local firms.
“We congratulate the Future-Innovation Lab on the success of Cohort 5 and its continued contribution to e-Inclusion and Social Innovation. Programmes like this are developing young digital talent who can build practical solutions for real operational environments, strengthening productivity and industry competitiveness.”
The next step is an AI in Industry showcase, where business leaders in Atlantis and surrounding business parks will be invited to see how graduates can contribute to operational environments shaped by automation and artificial intelligence.