IT Repair Training at Xitlhelani Solar Community Hub

Amandla Community Projects (ACP) run a Centre communautaire solaire in Xitlhelani village near Malemulele in Limpopo province. The Hub was established with Computer Aid International (CAI) in February 2024 thanks to support from Dell Technologies, Utelizeet SITA.

Located within a local school, the lab has successfully become a useful resource for the community to access the Internet, technology resources and basic computer skills training. The team also provides support to local unemployed youth helping them to create their CVs, complete university and scholarship applications, search for jobs, and seek careers guidance.
The services provided at the hub are not limited to IT resources. Last year, in collaboration with the local school, Amandla installed a 10,000L water tank at the solar hub compound. With the addition of reliable water, the team has also created a vegetable garden.

In 2025 with the support of Dell, CAI and Amandla launched a new initiative at the hub to provide affordable refurbished IT equipment to the community. Due to high prices, IT device ownership is very low among the Xitlhelani community. This initiative aims to provide the necessary equipment for school students, those entering higher education, and people seeking devices for employment or business purposes, for instance, small businesses and entrepreneurs.
To make sure that all supplied devices can be repaired locally, the hub is also becoming a digital device repair centre.

Amandla team members have recently been trained and will oversee routine laptop maintenance, troubleshooting and fixes.

The four-day course was structured around practical modules:

• Day 1: Foundation Knowledge and Safety
• Day 2: Hardware Skills
• Day 3: Software and Systems Skills
• Day 4: Maintenance and Documentation

Chris Sithole from CAI South Africa delivered the training, drawing on his recent CompTIA A+ certification. His course was designed specifically to give participants hands-on skills which they could use immediately in their work. The course included:

1. Diagnostic and Troubleshooting: Amandla staff were trained to diagnose and resolve common laptop issues. This included identifying and addressing slow performance (through disk clean-up, RAM optimisation, and start-up program management), resolving keyboard malfunctions, troubleshooting connectivity challenges (both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth), and diagnosing power issues when laptops fail to turn on. Staff learned to use diagnostic tools and follow logical problem-solving frameworks to identify root causes rather than symptoms, enabling them to resolve issues efficiently and accurately.
2. Hardware Repair and Maintenance: Amandla staff were introduced to the fundamentals of laptop hardware repair, including safely opening various laptop models, identifying internal components, and performing component replacements. Training covered RAM upgrades and replacement, SSD installation, battery replacement, and cosmetic repairs such as keyboard and screen fixes. The training combined theory with hands-on practice. Amandla staff successfully diagnosed, repaired, and restored three previously non-functioning laptops from their own inventory.
3. Software Installation and System Management: Amandla staff gained experience in operating system management, including clean Windows installations, system updates, driver installation, and troubleshooting. They learned to navigate between the Windows user interface and BIOS settings, enabling them to adjust configurations, and optimise system performance. Staff also gained proficiency in installing software applications.
4. Toolkit: Amandla staff were provided with a repair toolkit containing equipment for ongoing laptop maintenance and repair work. This ensures that the team can independently address future issues without needing to buy their own equipment.

Prior to the training, the team coordinated with Chris asking for help with laptops that they understood to be broken. The training showed that in many instances these devices simply need some basic maintenance to work properly.

The team will continue to get support from Chris whenever necessary and Chris will plan more remote training on a regular basis.
Any equipment that can’t be repaired will be sent to CAI South Africa recycling partner, Xperien, based in Johannesburg.