By Palesa Matlala
- Siyanda and Siyandisile Ncobo each receive a monthly payment of R2,200 to learn about protecting computers from a private company.
- The twins walk to their daily class in Jabulani but worry about transport costs if the programme moves to Baragwanath.
Siyanda and Siyandisile Ncobo are 27-year-old twins from Jabulani in Soweto.
They are part of a cyber security skills training group run by a private computer company. The siblings were two of 50 people chosen for the course.
Siyanda said they found out about the programme through a WhatsApp group message.
He said they left home at 5am to join the queue but found themselves far back at numbers 76 and 77.
“Disappointed we went home and my prayer was, if only they could call one of us,” said Siyandisile.
She said getting good marks in mathematics in Grade 12 helped them get chosen for the programme.
The twins each receive a stipend of R2,200 a month. They use this money to buy groceries and toiletries.
To save money, they walk to their class every day instead of taking a taxi. They also put money into a 32-day savings plan at their bank.
Siyanda said: “In another six months we would have saved R4,000.”
Now they worry their transport costs will go up. Their teacher told them the classes might move closer to the Baragwanath taxi rank because it is central for everyone.
If the class moves, they will have to pay R18 for a single taxi trip. This will cost the twins R360 a week together.
Siyandisile said they thought about riding bicycles to Baragwanath to save money. She said this might be bad for Siyanda’s chest because winter is coming.
Research shows that the current skills development system for young people is outdated. The system struggles to offer useful paths for the youth to find work.
Pictured above: Soweto.
Image source: Pexels
