About mPowa

In February 2020 President Cyril Ramaphosa launched a youth employment intervention, a strategic national vision and plan poised to address youth unemployment.

At the centre of the strategy is SA Youth, a network of tech-based services that connects young South Africans with work, learning and work readiness opportunities in their areas. The network is managed by Harambee and supported by other major partners such as the Office of the Presidency, Department of Science and Innovation, World Bank Group, mLab, Saldru and OpenUp amongst others.

mPowa is one of the services at the centre of this initiative, an app developed by mLab. The app points users to resources and opportunities based on their preference settings. This means that the user can easily find realtime information on entrepreneurship-related workshops, courses, calls for proposals, etc., within their immediate location. With this app, job seekers won’t miss out on, for example, a soft skills workshop, a seminar on how to conduct an interview, a course in coding or other opportunities that may be happening there and then in their area. It also offers information on youth centres, colleges, free Wi-Fi spots, other resources that can help young people overcome the logistic obstacles they face when chasing that dream job.

The app is not only for those who wish to find employment but also for the young entrepreneurial mind. Whether they have been building a business for years, are nurturing a recent start-up or simply have a great business idea, the app will connect them with a plethora of resources such as financial assistance like those offered by seda or mentorship programmes such as one of mLab’s own multiple start-up accelerator programmes.

The app is friendly to use and is available for download from Google Play or the Apple app store.