A RocketHour student coding at his computer in a dark room

South Africa’s Tech-Focused Online Academy

Learn the skills
schools don’t teach.

Once a week · Online · Instructor led

Why RocketHour

There is an hour missing from your child’s timetable.

Schools have thirty hours a week, and not one of them covers cryptography, game design, algorithms or building with AI.

Once a week · Online · Instructor led

Find your programme.

Junior

Grades 3–4

Computer Fluency, Creativity & Graphical Code. A playful programme that builds digital creativity and teaches children to master the computer as a professional tool.

  • 3D modelling and graphical code in Minecraft
  • Maze navigation algorithms, codes and randomness
  • Games and animations in TurboWarp
Duration1–3 yearsPriceR1,350 per month

Intermediate

Grades 5–6

Game Design, Python Programming & AI-assisted Development. The flagship RocketHour programme deepens logical reasoning and teaches students to architect, engineer and craft complex games.

  • 3D modelling in Minecraft, driven by Python
  • Maze algorithms, cryptography and simulations
  • A year of game building in VS Code
Duration1–2 yearsPriceR1,350 per month

Senior

Grades 7–9

Algorithms, Engineering & Advanced AI-assisted Development. An extension programme that stretches students into serious theory with real curiosity.

  • Complex Minecraft builds written in Python
  • Cryptography, randomness and simulations
  • Advanced topics: APIs, databases, peer to peer
Duration1–2 yearsPriceR1,350 per month

How it works

It’s just so simple.

No commute, no complicated setup. One live class a week, same time, same instructor.

A student's hand resting on a mouse mid-lesson, with a classmate typing at the next desk

Say your slot is Tuesday, 4pm

3:55 One click to class

The reminder pings and your child hops on.

4:00 Class connects

Same instructor, same classmates, every week.

4:10 Learn it, then build with it

A short, punchy instruction session. The rest of the hour is making and problem solving.

4:55 Show and tell

The class shares their highlights.

Later Feedback in your inbox

A short note from their instructor on how it went.

Book a starter session.

A 50-minute introduction to RocketHour. Your child meets a RocketHour instructor and plays through a few game-like assessments, and we tell you exactly which programme fits.

  • Length50 minutes
  • WhereOnline, from home
  • PriceR149
John Naiker teaching a live RocketHour class from home, headset on, block code on the screen beside him

Pick a time

None of these work?

Try it out

Three steps to your first class.

You have seen the programmes, the weekly routine and the times. Here is exactly what happens from here.

1

Book a starter session

A 50-minute session with a real instructor, R149.

2

Get our recommendation

We tell you which programme fits your child.

3

Pick your weekly slot

Choose a day and time. That hour is yours.

Setup is a few simple installs on your computer. We walk you through it before class one.

The team

We are team RocketHour.

We are a team of students, educators, parents, creatives and misfits. We are driven by curiosity and love, and we can’t wait to become part of your family.

The whole RocketHour team together in one room, with the dog

The wall of love

Loved by 1,400+ families.

Rated 5.0 from 173 Google reviews

RocketHour is so much better than we could ever have imagined that it's almost impossible to describe our experience. As a technically literate grandfather, it has been an absolute delight to watch my granddaughter transform from curious beginner to accomplished young programmer in just a few short months.
Don Glass · Google review
In just four lessons, my 13-year-old daughter built a fully functional AI-powered website.
Sasha Herrmann · Parent of Noa
Absolutely excellent! I was a little afraid of it being fully online and not face-to-face per se, but boy oh boy is my 12yr old Son LOVING it! My Son's confidence has increased and I quote "Every week the lesson is better than the week before". The teachers are patient and informative with great teaching techniques.
Cherise King · Google review
This is the first extramural in the history of having kids do extramurals where I feel included. I am kept up to date, get review of the lesson after each session, I live for that feedback. They bent backwards to ensure my son doesn't miss a lesson... incredible!!
Matiisetso Madito · Google review
How do you show gratitude to a team that goes the extra mile & more to accommodate your autistic child. Growing & shaping their minds for the future & never giving up on motivating them in the best way possible. We are blessed to have them in our lives.
Lynora Middleditch · Google review
Excellent online coding tutoring. I have used another company for my son in the past and RocketHour far outshines them. My son thoroughly enjoys his classes as well as the assignments. RocketHour is super professional with excellent communication and feedback. I highly recommend them.
Craig Kluckow · Google review
This is so far the best academic gift I have given to my son. The staff is professional and friendly. My son looks forward to all his lessons since he started and wishes they were done on a daily basis. Am so happy 😊
Venitah Sakhile · Google review
RocketHour's goal is to light a flame in every one of our students - a bright passion for building that burns for a lifetime.
John Naiker · Founder

Before you book

Frequently asked.

The classes

Who teaches the classes?

RocketHour instructors: sharp, properly vetted and genuinely excited about this stuff. Your child gets the same instructor at the same time every week, so a real relationship forms.

What tools do they use?

The same ones professionals use: real code editors, Python, JavaScript and modern AI-assisted development workflows. Graphical code in the Junior programme is the one set of training wheels, and it comes off quickly.

Where do classes happen?

RocketHour is fully online, run from Cape Town. Your child joins class from home using our software, with their instructor live on the call and classmates alongside them.

How do I know how my child is doing?

You hear from us every week. After each class your child's instructor sends feedback on what was covered, how your child engaged and what they are building. No waiting for a term report.

Payments & dates

How do payments work?

The starter session is R149, paid securely online when you book, and it comes off the programme fee when you enroll. The programme runs 40 weekly lessons across the year and costs R13,500 for the year, or R1,350 monthly. Monthly means 11 payments: December is a payment holiday, so nothing goes off that month. Payments are handled by PayFast; we never see your card details.

What is your yearly schedule?

We run four teaching terms a year, with holiday projects over the breaks. See the exact term and holiday dates for this year and next on our schedule page.

Projects & progress

What are the quarterly projects?

Every quarter closes with a project. Students take the concepts from that block of lessons and build something of their own, from scratch, then show it off.

Do students build a portfolio?

Yes. Everything your child makes goes into their own growing portfolio, so by the end of the year there is real, visible proof of what they can do.

What happens in the school holidays?

Classes pause between our four terms, and over the breaks we set special holiday projects so the momentum never dips. Some of our students' best work happens in July.

Logistics & setup

What tech do I need?

A desktop or laptop with at least 8GB of RAM and a reasonably recent processor, plus an internet connection of 20Mbps or better. A tablet or phone will not cut it for real building. Not sure about your machine? Ask us and we will check it with you.

Are we required to install any software?

Yes. Depending on your child's programme there is a small suite to install. We are proud that students work in real industry tools rather than toy platforms, and the trade-off is a little setup, which our support team walks you through before the first class.

What if our schedule changes?

Life happens. If your weekly slot stops working, talk to us and we will move your child to another class time that fits.

The first step

Ready when you are.

A 50-minute online session for R149, and we tell you exactly which programme fits your child.