Virginia, Free State, 4 September 2026 D3 Energy South Africa has officially opened the D3 Energy IT Training Centre in Virginia, Free State, creating a dedicated community space where local people can develop practical digital skills and build confidence using technology.
The Centre was officially opened on 4 September 2026, with representatives from the Petroleum Agency of South Africa, the Matjhabeng Local Municipality and local stakeholder groups joining D3 Energy and members of the community for the occasion.
The Centre has been established for the wider community, including school learners, job seekers, adults, entrepreneurs and small business owners. It will provide access to technology and practical training that can support education, employment, business activities and everyday life.
Developing practical digital skills
Although access to the internet has increased, many people still have limited experience using computers for education, employment and business purposes.
The Centre will give participants an opportunity to develop practical skills such as preparing a CV, creating documents, working with spreadsheets, sending formal emails, conducting online research and managing electronic files.
Through practical, hands-on training, the Centre aims to help participants become more capable and confident users of technology.
Supporting opportunity in the Free State
The Centre is located within the Matjhabeng Local Municipality, an area facing significant economic and skills challenges. According to Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey, the official unemployment rate in the Free State was 37.3% in the second quarter of 2026.
While no single initiative can address unemployment or the full extent of the skills challenge, access to practical digital skills can help people prepare for and pursue education, employment and business opportunities.
D3 Energy South Africa’s Exploration Right ER315 and PR016, are in the Free State area, where the company is advancing the exploration and potential development of natural gas and helium resources.
Virginia is also home to D3 Energy’s South African operational base.
D3 Energy South Africa Country Manager Daphne Mentor said:
“Our investment in the Free State is not only about what lies beneath the ground. It is also about investing in the potential of the people and communities around us. The IT Training Centre is a practical way for us to create access to skills that people can use in education, employment, business and everyday life.”
A lasting community resource
The opening of the Centre reflects D3 Energy’s commitment to making practical contributions in the communities surrounding its operations.
D3 Energy will work with local stakeholders and learn from how the Centre is used to help ensure that its training programmes remain relevant and responsive to community needs.
The immediate focus is on establishing the Virginia Centre as a useful and accessible community resource where people can learn, build confidence and develop practical skills.
For a company whose work involves identifying potential beneath the ground, the Centre recognises another important source of potential: the people in the communities where D3 Energy operates.
D3 Energy representatives and ForgeX project representatives at the official opening of the IT Training Centre.Building capability alongside development
The IT Training Centre places community capability alongside project development. By providing a dedicated venue for digital learning in Virginia, D3 Energy South Africa aims to widen access to practical skills and technology and to support local participation in an increasingly digital economy.
The opening is the beginning of the Centre’s work. Training programmes and participant schedules will be developed with local stakeholders so that the facility can respond to community needs and serve a broad range of users.
D3 Energy and Petroleum Agency of South Africa representatives at the opening celebration.
Community representatives and invited guests mark the launch of the Centre.
