Girls Game Jam: Inspiring the next generation of game developers

On Saturday 9 August 2025, sixteen young women from all-girls schools across South Africa came together for the inaugural Girls Game Jam South Africa, a one-day workshop followed by a 24-hour challenge to design and build original video games. Organised by 24 Bit Games, and hosted at St Andrew’s School for Girls in Johannesburg, the jam introduced participants to the fundamentals of game design before they worked in small teams to create their very first games using Scratch. By the end of the weekend, they had produced eight original projects, ranging from puzzles to playful adventures.

The initiative was supported by Global Game Jam and the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), and in keeping with the French theme of the day, the students were invited to base their games on three light-hearted prompts: Berets and Baguettes, Madame Croissant’s Cat, or Bonjour, madame couturier. The results were inventive, witty, and technically impressive, showcasing creativity and the collaborative spirit of the participants.

The Girls Game Jam SA is a new initiative designed to inspire young women to explore careers in IT and game development, from coding and design to art, storytelling, sound, and production. More than a technical exercise, the event was about building confidence, sparking curiosity, and showing that young women belong in technology and creative industries.

The winning team, Danica Adlam and Trich Semakula, are set to travel to Playtopia Festival in Cape Town later this year to meet developers and gain exposure to the wider industry. See their winning game, BERETS AND BAGUETTES, here.