Young residents in Gordon’s Bay are honing their problem-solving skills as Gordon’s Bay Library prepares for the continent-wide Coding4Africa Tournament.

Locals will compete against teams from 16 other City of Cape Town libraries.

The Coding4Africa initiative, run by Tangible in partnership with the Leva Foundation and Nelson Mandela University, uses a unique “unplugged” approach.

Participants learn computational logic, teamwork and algorithmic thinking through hands-on, game-based activities without computers or internet. Facilitators use the Tangible Tournament App to scan codes and submit scores.

Teams are divided into age categories, with foundation-phase learners tackling problem-solving activities supported by a WhatsApp Chatbot, intermediate learners competing in strategic game challenges, and senior learners engaging in advanced computational thinking challenges.

The virtual tournament runs until Tuesday 18 August. High-scoring teams may advance to the national tournament.

More than 300 youths are participating across the metro.

“It’s wonderful to see so many learners participating. Libraries are safe spaces where young people can have fun, make connections and broaden their skills,” said Francine Higham, Mayoral Committee member for Community Services and Health.