Summarising the latest MyMachine South Africa cycle: brilliant! Our esteemed MyMachine South Africa team at Open Design Afrika in collaboration with The Initiative for Community Advancement, has guided students to invent, design and build Dream Machines invented by the participating primary school students. This co-creation cycle started in 2024 and finished off in 2025 by a grand exhibition at the prestigious Zeitz-MOCAA Museum in Cape Town. This was the first time the children from this community had the opportunity to visit an extraordinary place like the Zeitz MOCAA Museum

Each year, a primary school from a disadvantaged community is selected to ensure that the transformative power of creative education reaches those who need it most. Primary school learners are invited to dream big and design their own “Dream Machines.” Their imaginative concepts are transformed into fully functional prototypes by 3rd-year Industrial Design students from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), who work closely with the young innovators as their clients.

The university students introduced the children to the MyMachine concept and invited them to design their Dream Machines. In the end, five machines were selected to be developed into functional prototypes.

From a JellyFish Recycle Bot -helping to better recycle- to Positive BuddyBear – providing emotional support when children feel anxiety, loneliness, anger, frustration and a need to relax/wind down, you can find more details about them here.

Following the first workshop with the children at Zeitz MOCAA, the CPUT students presented a range of initial concepts based on the Dream Machines envisioned by the young learners. Through valuable peer feedback and team discussions, these concepts were refined and strengthened. The next crucial step was to take these conceptual ideas back to the children—engaging them once again to gather their further inputs, refine details, and ensure that their visions were truly reflected in the final Dream Machine designs. This iterative, collaborative process reinforced the importance of co-creation and deepened the learning experience for both the children and university students.

Zeitz-MOCAA explains: “As you explore the exhibition, witness the remarkable journey of these young creators whose “Dream Machines” embody resilience, imagination, and limitless potential. MyMachine South Africa is more than an educational project—it is a beacon of hope, a catalyst for aspirations and systemic change, a celebration of the power of creativity, and a platform that empowers our youth to step up and shape a brighter future for themselves, their communities, and the world. Anchored by strategic partnerships with the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) and the BMW Centre for Art Education at Zeitz MOCAA, MyMachine South Africa integrates Design Thinking and STEAM, project-based learning, and intergenerational collaboration to equip South Africa’s young with the skills, imagination, and resilience needed to thrive in an uncertain future.“

Here are two videos made by university students showing the whole process:

Thank you so much to all students and educators! And to our amazing team at MyMachine South Africa!