South African pupils are using generative AI to design sneakers made with recycled materials as part of an international challenge involving schools around the world.
Learners from more than 30 schools gathered last month at the Amazon Think Big Space in Cape Town to begin the Amazon Think Big Community Challenge, run in partnership with performance footwear company Brooks Running.
Over the coming months, teams of pupils aged between 13 and 16 will develop designs for Brooks sneakers using an AI-powered application built on Amazon Web Services cloud and AI technology.
The app allows the learners to translate their ideas into sneaker concepts while introducing them to sustainable design, digital tools and the practical use of generative AI.
A judging panel will select 10 finalist teams from participating countries before choosing an overall winner. Each member of the winning team will receive a pair of Brooks sneakers customised with the team’s submitted design.
The programme gives learners an opportunity to use AI for a specific creative task instead of encountering it only through classroom explanations or general-purpose chatbots.
“We believe cloud and AI technology can help learners unlock their full potential,” said Paul Meaney, director of infrastructure operations at AWS.
“That’s why we created this programme: for students to learn how to partner with AI to bring their own ideas to life. It’s not a concept in a textbook; it’s a creative tool they can use right now.”
The challenge also introduces learners to questions around materials and sustainability. Their designs must consider the use of recycled materials, combining the visual appeal of a sneaker with some of the environmental decisions involved in making it.
For Brooks, the partnership provides a way to expose young people to footwear design and product development. For Amazon, it forms part of a broader effort to build familiarity with science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills.
The Cape Town gathering also launched the Coding4Africa Mandela Month campaign, a STEM education initiative that uses physical coding games to develop computational thinking, collaboration and problem-solving.
The campaign will culminate in the Tangible World Cup on 5 November 2026. Leading learners will compete with schools linked through Amazon Think Big Spaces and partner organisations in other countries.
The sneaker challenge comes as schools and employers grapple with a shortage of advanced digital skills. UNESCO estimates that sub-Saharan Africa will need another 6.3-million teachers to achieve universal primary education by 2030.
At the same time, almost four out of five employers globally regard AI talent as a priority, according to figures cited by Amazon, while 75% struggle to find people with the required skills.
Programmes aimed at pupils between 13 and 16 reach them at an age when many begin deciding whether to continue with STEM subjects.
The emphasis is also on using technology collaboratively. Learners work in teams, develop ideas together and use the design tool to refine their proposals.
“I have really enjoyed being part of the coding club,” said Bukho Lobola, a learner at Kraaifontein High School.
“The sessions are fun and interactive, and I have learnt new coding skills that I did not know before. I especially enjoy solving problems and creating projects with other learners.”
Lobola said the coding club had helped build confidence in problem-solving and creative thinking.
Amazon operates more than 116 Think Big Spaces internationally, which it says have provided STEM education to over 110,000 pupils.
The Cape Town site, opened in 2025, was the first Think Big Space established in Africa. Through partnerships with local non-profit organisations such as Tangible Africa, it aims to reach 10,000 Grade 8 to Grade 12 learners across six South African provinces.
For the pupils taking part in the latest challenge, however, the immediate goal is more tangible: designing a sneaker that a global sportswear company may eventually turn into a pair they can wear.