Curro is the leading independent school network that offers a range of options for parents who are looking for independent schooling, and the North-West University (NWU) had the privilege of hosting the second Curro esports Indaba, which ran from Thursday, 29 February until Saturday, 3 March 2024.

The conference was organised by Curro esports in partnership with Acer for Education, and the NWU sponsored the use of the facilities on the Potchefstroom Campus, while the African Cyber Gaming League (ACGL) was the main service provider for the practical workshops.

The symposium was attended by representatives from various Curro schools across the country, as well as members of the Curro Exco. It not only aimed to empower the esports coaches, but it intended to equip them with the knowledge and skills to drive esports forwards in their respective schools.

Following the three-day programme, the esports coaches were divided into different groups based on their different interests in esports and they attended different breakaway sessions. These sessions were facilitated by various keynote speakers who mentored them to focus on different aspect of esports such as LAN, Plenary and Minecraft, and the coaching thereof.

Glenn du Toit, country manager of Acer Africa, urged the teachers to use the knowledge they gained during the sessions to unlock the hidden potential of their learners and prepare them to survive in an augmented intelligence world.

Mr Russell Pitchers from Monument High School in Krugersdorp said he had a wonderful experience.

“As someone who comes from a gaming background, I really enjoyed connecting with teachers from other schools who also enjoy gaming. We all came together with one major goal in mind and that was to improve our learners through gaming. The Curro team, along with Acer and ACGL, has great synergy and I believe that if they continue to promote esports like this, then soon enough we can have esports in every school,” he said.

“This conference has truly been amazing,” said Julia Robinson, who is a professional esports player. She added: “My favourite was seeing all the teachers wearing their gamer tags on their backs and playing some Valorant against each other. It is important to understand what it means to be effective in your communication and grasping the strategy and everything that comprises being an esports gamer.”

Magdeleen de Kock, Project leader for Curro esports added: “It was wonderful to see all the excitement on the coaches’ faces when learning all the new skills. We would also like to thank all the staff from the university who made this event possible. From the initial meetings to solving problems on the day, your support for our programme is truly valued.”

All things considered, the Curro Esports Indaba marked a noteworthy turning point for the Esports community and showed the immense growth potential of this quickly developing industry.

Educators from Curro entering the Senaat Hall in building F1 on the Potchefstroom Campus for the conference’s opening session.

The Esports coaches enjoying their breakaway sessions playing games and where they were also mentored by experts.

 The educators were treated to a dinner on Friday, 1 March 2024 where they had an opportunity to network and create new contacts.