As South Africa’s digital economy continues to grow, so does the demand for future-ready skills that enable individuals to succeed in an increasingly connected world. Building a sustainable digital workforce requires more than simply recruiting talent. It requires meaningful investment in education, access, and industry collaboration.

It is within this context that Ruby Digital has partnered with Omang through its Ruby Academy initiative. This collaboration is driven by a shared vision: to help equip learners with future-focused digital skills, provide greater exposure to career opportunities within digital marketing, and contribute to the development of South Africa’s next generation of digital professionals.

More than a partnership, this initiative represents a long-term commitment to strengthening the country’s digital talent pipeline while creating meaningful opportunities for learners to connect education with real-world career pathways.

Who Is Omang?

Omang provides a South African-developed Learning System focused on making quality education more accessible through technology-enabled learning solutions. 

Built with the goal of empowering learners and supporting educational outcomes, Omang provides the One Omang Learning System designed to connect learners with educational content, digital tools, and opportunities for personal development. Its mission is centred on improving access to learning while helping prepare individuals for an increasingly digital future. 

Rather than simply providing technology, the Omang Learning companion creates learning environments that support engagement, accessibility, and long-term development. 

How the One Omang Learning System Supports Learning

Through its purpose-built Learning System, Omang helps create structured and accessible learning experiences by providing:

  • Access to digital educational content
  • Built-in connectivity that supports learning on the go
  • Learner and educator management tools
  • Progress tracking and engagement insights
  • Structured pathways for digital learning and skills development

By combining technology with education, Omang helps reduce barriers to learning while creating opportunities for learners to access knowledge in a focused and supported environment.

Why Ruby Digital Is Involved

One of the most significant challenges facing South Africa today is the gap between education and workplace readiness.

While careers in digital industries continue to expand, many learners have limited visibility into the opportunities available within fields such as search marketing, content creation, data analytics, and performance marketing. Without early exposure to these career pathways, it becomes more difficult for learners to connect their education with future employment opportunities.

At the same time, businesses continue to face increasing demand for digitally skilled talent.

Partnerships between education and industry play an important role in bridging this gap. By contributing industry expertise to the learning journey, organisations can help learners better understand where their skills may be applied in the future.

Ruby Digital’s Contribution Through Ruby Academy

Through Ruby Academy, Ruby Digital is contributing industry knowledge and practical insight to help support digital skills development and career awareness.

This includes:

  • Supporting digital marketing education initiatives
  • Sharing real-world industry expertise
  • Introducing learners to digital marketing career pathways
  • Providing insight into modern digital work environments
  • Helping connect educational learning with practical industry application.

The focus is on helping learners discover digital marketing, understand the skills used in the industry and gain practical insight into a career field they may not previously have considered. By contributing directly to educational initiatives, Ruby Digital is helping create stronger connections between learning and the world of work.

“Many young people simply don’t know what a career in digital marketing can look like, or how the skills they are learning today can translate into future opportunities. This partnership allows us to help bridge that gap by giving learners early exposure to the industry, the disciplines within it, and the real-world skills that can help them thrive. For Ruby Digital, this is about contributing to a stronger, more prepared digital talent pipeline for South Africa.”

– Ebert Grobler, Co-Founder & Group Chief Executive Officer, Ruby Digital

Expanding Learner Access and Future Skills

A key benefit of this partnership is the opportunity to introduce learners to the wide range of careers that exist within today’s digital economy.

Digital marketing encompasses a variety of specialisations, including:

  • Search marketing and SEO
  • Content marketing and copywriting
  • Paid media and advertising
  • Data analytics and reporting
  • Marketing strategy and digital communications

For many learners, these opportunities remain largely unknown until much later in their educational journey. Earlier exposure creates awareness and helps individuals better understand the pathways available to them.

Supporting Future Workplace Readiness

Access to knowledge is only one part of the equation. Future success also depends on developing the skills and confidence needed to participate in a technology-driven workforce.

Through greater exposure to digital learning and industry insights, learners can begin to:

  • Build foundational digital knowledge
  • Explore career interests with greater confidence
  • Develop transferable workplace skills
  • Understand how technology shapes modern careers
  • Prepare for future opportunities within the digital economy

The partnership between Ruby Digital and Omang is designed to support this journey by helping learners connect education with future possibility.

“We believe potential should never be limited by a lack of exposure. Young people cannot pursue opportunities they have never had the chance to discover. Through FIT and partnerships with industry, we are putting real-world knowledge and skills directly into learners’ hands, giving them the opportunity to explore their interests, discover their strengths and begin building a future they can see themselves in. Our partnership with Ruby Digital brings that belief to life by opening the door to digital marketing and the possibilities that can grow from it.”

– Kiara Davidson, Content and Companion Psychology Lead, Omang

A Long-Term Investment in South Africa’s Digital Economy

At its core, this initiative reflects a long-term commitment to developing the talent that South Africa’s digital economy will depend on in the years ahead.

By engaging learners earlier and providing greater exposure to digital careers, the partnership aims to:

  • Increase awareness of opportunities within digital industries
  • Support the development of future-ready skills
  • Strengthen workforce preparedness
  • Encourage greater participation in the digital economy
  • Build stronger connections between education and industry

This is more than a short-term initiative. It is an investment in future employability, economic participation, and digital inclusion. As South Africa continues to embrace digital transformation, partnerships like these play an important role in creating sustainable pathways to opportunity for future generations.

Looking Ahead

The partnership between Ruby Digital and Omang marks the beginning of an ongoing journey focused on learner empowerment, digital skills development, and future career readiness. Together, both organisations share a commitment to expanding access to meaningful learning opportunities, increasing awareness of digital career pathways, and helping equip learners with the skills they need to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.

The future of South Africa’s digital economy begins with education, exposure, and the opportunity to develop skills that matter.

Learn More About Omang

To learn more about Omang and its mission to expand access to digital learning opportunities, visit Kitso, their AI Agent at omang.africa.

Stay connected with Ruby Digital as we continue investing in the future of South Africa’s digital marketing talent through Ruby Academy and other initiatives focused on education, skills development, and industry growth.