Traditionally, technological fields in South Africa has been male-dominated, but the planned launch of Africa’s first privately owned satellite later this year is widely expected to kick-start transformation of the landscape.
The satellite project is under an ambitious programme created by MEDO (Meta Economic Development Organisation) to spark girls’ interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) careers, which is decidedly male-dominated.
Highlighting the country’s predicament, MEDO CEO, Judi Sandrock, says: “Many corporates MEDO works with experience a lack of skilled STEM employees. By 2020, 80% of all future jobs will be STEM related, with almost double the pay of non-STEM related careers. So what we are trying to do is to give young women the best chance out there.”
Ironically, while there is high unemployment in the country, there is an acute skills shortage of technological fields, where maths and science are critical. Only 7.6% of 2015 matriculants passed maths with more than 60%, which means they won’t even get into university or technikon.
The Women in STEM programme was developed in partnership with Morehead State University in Kentucky, USA, a highly recognised research and development centre in nano-satellite technologies.
