Rethinking Digital Inclusion Beyond Coding
Responding to this, Ms. Lerato Mphaka highlighted the importance of broadening the national strategy and unpacking what role every individual can play in the ICT4D ecosystem.
“It’s not just for coders,” she emphasized. “The Learning Mindset doesn’t teach coding — it teaches data visualization, natural language processing, and other skills that complement coders. We need to challenge ourselves to think differently about how we catch people up to date.”
Her message was clear: building ICT capacity is not solely about producing software developers. Instead, it’s about creating an ecosystem of supportive roles that help transform ideas into functional, impactful digital products.
Cultivating Future- Ready skills
When asked how Lesotho can strategically integrate digital literacy and advanced ICT skills into the national curriculum and vocational training programs, Ms. Mphaka pointed to gamification as a powerful tool.
“Think about how addictive we are to games or TikTok. It’s because of the small incentives built into the experience. If we gamify education, we make it engaging and repeatable, encouraging people to want to do it again and again.”
She explained that gamification can keep learners motivated, particularly those outside traditional school systems, by transforming education into an interactive and rewarding journey.
The Power of Global Exposure
Ms. Mphaka also stressed the importance of external exposure in preparing youth for the global digital economy.
Through partnerships, such as with organizations in Switzerland, her foundation ensures that learners are connected with global tech ecosystems — from Google to IBM to Apple.
“The sooner young people are exposed to international professionals, the less daunting working for global companies becomes,” she said. “Exposure makes learning practical, builds confidence, and keeps learners motivated beyond local interventions.”
Ms. Mphaka outlined many core strategies that have proven effective but we will just mention a few:
- Make learning modular – so that learners achieve visible progress in short cycles.
- Gamify the process – to make digital literacy and ICT skills engaging and habit-forming.
- Provide global exposure – connecting learners with international communities and real-world challenges.
By embedding these approaches into Lesotho’s ICT and education strategies, the nation can bridge the digital divide, empower its youth, and accelerate the deployment of affordable and robust ICT infrastructure.
