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Help these two locals become game developers

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Make Games SA is a cool organization, not just because they’re a bunch of really nice and interesting people. While much of the time they exist as a framework within which locals can meet, share ideas and collaborate, they also take on bigger projects – and you can help with this one.

As a non-profit organization, Make Games SA seeks to grow and promote the game development industry in South Africa. You may remember how they organized that awesome indie gaming stand at rAge and they also organize monthly community events in Joburg and Cape Town for game developers, creatives and enthusiasts to meet up and work together.

This time, they’re looking to help the industry directly by securing bursaries for two promising candidates:

Make Games SA wants to sponsor Thsetso Radebe and Tumelo Thabane the funds to attend the Game Design course at University of the Witwatersrand in 2014. They were both raised in Sebokeng, a township in southern Gauteng. They have exceptional matric results, and show a lot of promise and passion for game design. The state bursaries will pay for all of their other courses but they desperately need funds for them to take the two Game Design courses in 2014

Bursary students

A little about them both: Thsetso Radebe (left) is from Zone 3 Sebokeng and is passionate about game design, a career he’s dreamed about since childhood. Tumelo Thabane (right) is also from Sebokeng and wants to know about the ways people interact with games, also having always dreamed of working in the game industry.

I’m all about giving opportunities to people who work hard. Thsetso and Tumelo have obviously worked hard at school to gain entry into Wits, and be granted bursaries by the state for their non-gaming courses. I always believed that hard work and dedication could pay off, especially when it comes to education. However, sometimes funding really can get in the way. So, let’s band together and help these guys! How much money needs to be raised? Well, according to the bursary page, R22,728.00 (about $2,255.00 with exchange rate loses included). MGSA has currently raised $926.25 via PayPal (not sure if the ticket will show how much they receive via EFT). Almost halfway there – let’s help them get the rest of the way. Who knows, maybe in a few years you’ll get to play a game from these bright young men. Go here and throw money at Make Games SA – if it makes it easier, just pretend it’s a Steam Sale.

Last Updated: February 14, 2014

26 Comments

  1. VampyreSquirrel

    February 14, 2014 at 13:38

    This is an impressive thing to do! Hopefully they can help these guys fulfill their dreams!

    Reply

  2. General JJ the ashamed

    February 14, 2014 at 14:07

    Always willing to support locals

    Reply

  3. Unavengedavo

    February 14, 2014 at 14:08

    Dammit, did they have to do it in the middle of the month? :O

    Reply

    • VampyreSquirrel

      February 14, 2014 at 14:09

      Know the feeling man

      Reply

    • Make Games SA

      February 14, 2014 at 15:18

      It’s just awkward timing as we only found out about them needing funding recently :P. You have until middle of March to donate, though! 🙂

      Reply

      • Unavengedavo

        February 14, 2014 at 15:27

        Just a random question, but how far are you from the goal? And what will you do with the extra cash once you’ve passed?

        Reply

  4. RinceandLeSIGH

    February 14, 2014 at 15:02

    Nice work MGSA 🙂 See you next Friday.

    Reply

  5. RinceandLeSIGH

    February 14, 2014 at 15:02

    PS Is there a cut off date?

    Reply

    • Make Games SA

      February 14, 2014 at 15:17

      Middle of March :).

      Reply

  6. Johan du Preez

    February 14, 2014 at 15:09

    Once I see a Indian, coloured, Chinese and white underprivileged kids being helped then I would think about donating. Allot of kids cant even get into Uni even due to money constraints and now these guys want even more donations ???? Na Il rather keep donating to the local orphanage monthly ….

    If they really are passionate they can teach themselves like most passionate people do.

    Reply

    • Make Games SA

      February 14, 2014 at 15:19

      Arts bursaries are pretty hard to come by with government funding – since it falls under digital arts, it’s a bit of a problem :/.

      Reply

    • Brady miaau

      February 14, 2014 at 15:32

      Yes. I do the same, donate to the local orphanage, as in the one closest to my house.

      Feel better about looking close to home. I feel I can better support the local than, say, Bramley or something like that.

      Reply

    • Make Games SA

      February 14, 2014 at 15:43

      The Make Games SA bursary provides for those who are needy – these are simply the first students we’ve been within our means to assist. They’re also highly promising students with excellent results and a natural passion for game design.

      We respect your choice not to donate, but note that the success of this smaller bursary will lead to a full bursary: http://makegamessa.com/discussion/1601/the-make-games-south-africa-members-bursary/p1

      The bursary programme would also be expanded into a scholarship and internship programme with enough support and funding :).

      Reply

      • Rick

        February 18, 2014 at 16:07

        Please can you let us know your selection criteria? How did you come across these promising young students?

        The article states that these two are “passionate about game design, a career he’s dreamed about since childhood”. Can you give a description about the mini games they have designed/programmed? If it has been a life ambition I am sure they would have done quite a few even if only flash games.

        thanks.

        Reply

        • Make Games SA

          February 18, 2014 at 17:30

          There wasn’t any selection criteria – this was a spur of the moment thing. The Wits lecturer identified two students who could only do the course with external funding and asked for help from MGSA. 🙂

          She’s looked at over 1000 students applying to the course over 3 years, resulting in only 90 students in total currently doing the course. She’s used to picking the most promising students from a massive horde of people, so we trust her judgement here. 🙂

          They haven’t made any games – but this common among applications to the course. Less than 10% of people have made any games when they apply to the course. Instead, they have specialties in other related fields: writing, art, science/maths (engineering). These abilities in other fields are grown concurrently with their game making and design skills. Both these students were accepted into the arts programme at Wits, which is also quite competitive.

          When a full bursary programme is set up, a more rigorous selection process will of course be established :).

          Keep commenting if you have any other questions :).

          Reply

          • Rick

            February 18, 2014 at 19:30

            Thanks for the response. You trusted the wits lecturer and she may have been biased with no one double checking her.

            I agree that once an official bursary program is set up there should be a transparent selection criteria.

            Once that is set up and there can be confidence that race is a non issue then I will happily donate.

            Apologies if I seem too pessimistic , it just doesn’t feel right. Out of so many people , the two best candidates both being from Sebokeng?

            Again I apologize if my paranoia is unfounded and this is just by chance.

            thanks.

          • Make Games SA

            February 18, 2014 at 20:49

            Sure, she may be biased – but in this case there was simply no bias possible. These were the only candidates we could help with our current resources :). There was no bias because there was no choice between candidates to be made :). When we do have a choice to make we’ll do our best to eliminate any form of bias, I assure you :).

            Lol – pessimism is always a valued approach in anything :). Although, I’d point out (gently) that while arguing against racism, you yourself have been prejudiced in your incredulity that the two best candidates are from Sebokeng :). Just a thought. 🙂

            In any case, further discussion might only get needlessly heated and pointless so let’s just hope we’ll prove ourselves in the future :). We hope out selection criteria is acceptable enough -when it is established- to ensure your support :).

    • Rags

      February 15, 2014 at 18:17

      It seems a bit odd that only part of the course are covered. I paid my university fees by actually working part time. Doubt these guys can get a student loan as it needs to be covered.

      So whats with the race thing man? These are two kids who want to be part of the industry what does it matter their race? If you want to help white folk, go donate towards helpende hand or some other white focus charity.

      Reply

      • Rick

        February 18, 2014 at 16:03

        Hi Rags

        I think he simply skeptical about the selection criteria as am I. We are bombarded with quotas in the corporate world nowadays. If I donate I want to ensure that I am not donating to another racist organization?

        Where did they find these kids? Did they go to an underprivileged black community to find promising black students? If so , why did they not also go to an underprivileged white/indian/chinese community and do the same and then compare everyone as a whole?

        Everyone is trying to be too politically correct. Racism in all its forms (bee , quotas) should be eradicated. Even if it is masquerading as a non profit charity organization.

        Reply

        • Make Games SA

          February 18, 2014 at 17:31

          As we point out above, their race is quite incidental here.

          Reply

        • Rags

          February 18, 2014 at 19:48

          I can almost bring myself to sympathise with that. But even if they only went to a place where there are poor black people, what difference does it make? You are not discriminating against anyone, you are just selecting the people you want to support. There is nothing wrong with that. If helpende hand wants to only help white people, let them. If you are non racist you will give funds to those who need it most regardless of race or the focus area of said charity. Thus even a black person will donate to helpende hand and a white person to a charity who focus on blacks.

          If you don’t want to support because you want a even playing field for everyone(speaking of being too politically correct, lol) then maybe this is not the right cause for you to support.

          If you want to support two kids who want to pursue their dream then this is for you.

          Reply

          • Rick

            February 18, 2014 at 20:27

            Hi Rags

            Agreed.

            Personally I would like to donate to a charity that helps no matter what the color of the person is. So in your above statement – if this is how helpende hand does things then they are also not suitable for me.

            My concern with Make Games SA is simply that it seems to me to be a handout to people that have no interest in game design. I will prove my point:

            In the article above the two statements from the recipients are:

            “Thsetso Radebe (left) is from Zone 3 Sebokeng and is passionate about game design, a career he’s dreamed about since childhood.”

            “Tumelo Thabane (right) is also from Sebokeng and wants to know about the ways people interact with games, also having always dreamed of working in the game industry.”

            Then when asked whether they have any examples of this interest in making games (flash games / ideas on paper) make games sa said:

            “They haven’t made any games – but this common among applications to the course. Less than 10% of people have made any games when they apply to the course. Instead, they have specialties in other related fields: writing, art, science/maths (engineering). These abilities in other fields are grown concurrently with their game making and design skills.”

            I am sorry but if you have always dreamed about making games since you were a kid , you have at least put a few ideas on paper. You should already know game design concepts – not study it simply because it is an artistic direction?

            I am sure you can find some people who are truly deserving of this money. However based on the above , these two are not it.

            /rant over
            thanks.

          • Rags

            February 18, 2014 at 23:21

            I agree with you too. But I give them benefit of the doubt. It’s quite possible that these don’t have access to technology or information for development of even a basic game. I had a dream of joining the industry too when I was their age. And had I not had a PC capable of running Unreal Ed I too would’ve had nothing to show for it and only had ideas and dreams. 😛

  7. Tuism

    February 14, 2014 at 15:11

    If you’re interested in the background of this, please read it up on our forum: http://www.makegamessa.com/discussion/1662/urgent-funding-request-for-two-underprivileged-students#Item_1

    Reply

  8. iPixelPierre

    February 14, 2014 at 17:43

    I approve of this 🙂

    Reply

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