Youth will now be able to sign up for Microsoft Office for free and have access to up to 5TB Cloud OneDrive storage using the Mahala scheme.
A partnership to curb youth unemployment
The latest statistics show that 74,7% of youth between the age of 15 to 24 in South Africa are unemployed.
Microsoft recently partnered with SAtion, a skills development firm, to equip youth with digital skills for greater chances of employment and connectivity.
According to ITWEB, the partnership’s online platform − the SAtion Digital Skills Hub − will invest in the country’s socio-economic progress by providing young South Africans from the ages of eight to 24 free access to Microsoft Office 365, free digital literacy resources and Microsoft Cloud Society resources.
According to the organisation, the initiative will ensure public decision-makers and private sector entities are working together towards swift and sustainable economic growth in a 21st century context, rather than working against each other.
“President Ramaphosa’s conviction that SA’s youth will be at the centre of our economic recovery has never been more true – and the stakes have never been higher,” Adam Craker, CEO of IQbusiness and enabling partner to SAtion, said.
“Our determination to secure a competitive digital future for our youth and the unemployed has driven us to conclude this momentous partnership,” he added.
How do you sign up?
First and foremost, you need to be between the age of 8 and 24, with a valid ID number, as well as an email address. According to Business Insider, this will provide you access to the Office 365 portal (Mahala.ms), where a licence for the Microsoft Office 365 suite can be claimed, for use on virtually any computer or smartphone.
Mahala scheme for Microsoft Office
Mahala scheme launched in 2018, initially to help the student do their schoolwork efficiently. It is now available to unemployed youth too, with a service that Microsoft would normally charge at R1800.