Karabo Matlali has been learning how to code since she was six years old.
The Grade 5 pupil at Maria Montessori House in Four-ways, northern Johannesburg is now 10, and her love for coding has not only enhanced her skills in mathematics but has also helped her to build and develop a moving robot.
She used two months to build the robot and said she had to consider many variables such as the weight and length of the robot in order to give the correct instructions for it to move.
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Matlali was introduced to coding by her parents.
Her father is an electrical engineer and her mother runs a coding school, Africa Teen Geeks, which provides computer programming lessons to underprivileged children.
Her mother, Lindiwe Matlali said she has over the years been encouraging her children to learn and use computer programming to create innovative ideas.
“It was not possible for me to go to communities and tell them to enrol their children in our classes when my own children are sitting at home busy watching TV.
“I wanted to lead by example,” she was quoted by news site pressreader.
Karabo’s ultimate dream is to pursue a career in fashion design. Nonetheless, she would like to use the knowledge she has gained in computer programming to create more innovations.
The 10-year-old genius is currently working on developing and completing a 10-month-old app that is aimed at delivering cakes quickly.
Coding, which is basically the computer language used to develop apps, websites and software, has not caught on with many in South Africa, and people like Karabo and organisations like her mother’s could change the status quo.
