Gameful Design for Skills Development Among Urban Youths in South Africa

Ethical clearance reference number: 213263521/2019/13This research addresses the lack of necessary skills among youths in marginalised urban communities to obtain employment in a digital economy that requires highly skilled individuals. The fourth industrial revolution (4IR) further exacerbates the situation for these youths. While training with digital technologies has become the norm, motivating and engaging youth to learn new skills remains a challenge. Gameful design can be an effective tool for creating engagement and motivation. Still, there is a dearth of literature on how to use gameful design to train youths in non-formal education contexts in marginalised communities, particularly in developing countries. Additionally, designing a system for "effective use" necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the complexities surrounding these youths in their context. As a result, this study aimed to investigate the considerations, both social and technical, required to design a gameful system that can motivate and engage youths in marginalised urban communities in South Africa to acquire skills, thereby mitigating the challenges of skills acquisition for opportunities in the digital era and supporting the goal of the national development plan for 2030.