This new digital hub is bringing innovation and hope to the heart of Hillbrow

The heart of Johannesburg’s inner city is getting a major digital upgrade. A brand-new Digital Learning Centre (DLC) has officially opened its doors at the BG Alexander Estate in Hillbrow, aiming to bridge the digital divide for local youth.

Launched by Netstar and Altron in partnership with citizen movement Jozi My Jozi and the inner-city NGO MES (Mould Empower Serve), the purpose-built facility is designed to give Grade 7 to Grade 9 learners direct access to high-tech STEM resources. These are vital skills that many inner-city children typically wouldn't encounter before leaving school.

Rather than a standard computer lab, the hub features a dynamic, multi-room setup where students rotate through three cutting-edge streams:

• Robotics: Learning core engineering principles through team-based building challenges.
• Tinker: An innovative-thinking programme designed to sharpen spatial reasoning and creative problem-solving.
• IT and Digital Skills: Mastering foundational computer literacy and coding.

While the facility operates as a structured after-care environment for registered students, it is also opening its doors to neighbouring schools during the standard academic day, massively expanding its reach across the community.

The Hillbrow hub marks the second digital centre rolled out by the Altron and Jozi My Jozi partnership, following the successful launch of their first site at the Maharishi Invincibility Institute in Marshalltown late last year.

For young Joburgers invested in the future of the CBD, the initiative represents a tangible, sustainable step toward urban renewal. By transforming ordinary spaces into hubs of innovation, the project aims to equip the next generation of inner-city youth with the tools and confidence to become the city's future software developers, engineers, and tech entrepreneurs.

The centre will operate year-round, focusing on long-term academic outcomes for Hillbrow's youth.