Elixirr Academy: From Participants to Professionals
December 2025
December 2025
For the past four years, the Elixirr Academy has trained over 70 emerging talents across South Africa and Croatia in the latest data and AI trends. Designed to bridge the gap between learning and real-world application, the Academy equips participants with hands-on skills that prepare them for the fast-evolving digital industry.
Whether you’ve heard about the Elixirr Academy before or you’re just discovering it for the first time, there’s no better way to understand what it’s like than by hearing from those who’ve been through the experience.
Meet Fabian Linden and Phila Mkhungo, two former Academy participants who turned their learning journey into a professional, fulfilling career at Elixirr Digital.
Meet Fabian: Former mechanical engineer, now an AI innovator
Fabian joined Elixirr Digital in May 2025 as an AI Engineer, shortly after completing the Academy. Coming from a background in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Cape Town, he saw the Academy as the perfect bridge to explore his growing curiosity about AI and machine learning.
“I came across the Academy while job hunting and saw it as a great way to move into the AI space and strengthen my coding skills.”
Fabian’s learning experience
Fabian was surprised by how immersive and content-heavy the program was. Mornings began with mentor-led sessions, followed by daily assignments that encouraged problem-solving and collaboration.
He said, “Everyone was willing to help one another. We had a large variety of participants in terms of experience, it was very refreshing to see those who knew more than others help each other. This helped form a close bond between everyone who participated in the Academy.”
The Academy introduced Fabian to technologies such as Python, SQL, and Amazon Web Services (AWS), along with hands-on experience using AI tools like LangChain, LangGraph, and LLMs such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini.
His favourite project involved building an AI Agent workflow for proofreading and fact-checking internal content. Combining backend, frontend, and AI elements into one complete solution.
Of the experience overall, Fabian concluded, “This experience is life changing. I’ve pivoted from traditional engineering into AI engineering. That’s quite the shift!”
Meet Phila: Turning passion for data into a career
Phila joined as a Data Engineer at Elixirr Digital after completing the 2024 Academy. With a degree in Mechanical Engineering, she was looking for a way to apply her technical foundation in a more data-driven environment.
“A friend sent me the Academy advert, and it felt like the right opportunity to move into the data and AI space. I wanted hands-on learning and mentorship, and that’s exactly what I found.”
Phila’s learning experience
Phila describes the Academy as fast-paced and deeply practical. Participants didn’t just follow instructions, they learned to think critically, troubleshoot, and collaborate.
She said, “The mentors guided us without giving answers right away. They helped us build confidence in finding our own solutions.”
Her final project focused on building an interactive learning platform using Olympic Games data, transforming raw datasets into structured information that could teach geography, statistics, and history. With tools like AWS Glue and Lambda, she gained first-hand experience in data engineering and cloud automation.
“Understanding how data moves through a system, from raw files to real insights, was eye-opening. It showed me how powerful good data engineering can be.”
A community that learns and grows together
Both Fabian and Phila highlight the same thing: the supportive, collaborative atmosphere of the Elixirr Academy. Participants help each other before turning to mentors, fostering a sense of shared growth and teamwork that mirrors real consulting environments.
“The environment was uplifting, everyone wanted to see each other succeed,” says Phila.
More than just a learning programme
Both graduates agree - the Academy is more than a learning programme; it’s a career-launching experience.
“I’ve already recommended it to friends. It’s an incredible way to upskill, change direction, and learn from experts who genuinely care.” - Fabian
“It’s a transformative, hands-on program that prepares you for real-world data challenges. It’s the perfect starting point for anyone passionate about technology and innovation.” - Phila
Ready to start your own Academy journey?
If you’re ready to kick off your IT career with hands-on learning in a supportive environment, apply for the Elixirr Data & AI Academy starting in February 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa and Rijeka, Croatia.
You’ll gain the skills, confidence, and mentorship to thrive in the world of Data & AI, and who knows, you might just be the next success story we share.
Pick your city and apply today. Start your IT journey with us!
