Durban — The Vodacom Group, Vodafone and Safaricom, in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, have launched a research paper, titled “How digital technologies can transform education in sub-Saharan Africa”, which unpacks the current state of education across the African continent.
Their aim is to improve African education systems and unlock the true potential of Africa’s young people by opening up new opportunities for African youth to learn, and for teachers to connect with pupils in the most remote areas, including rural communities.
According to the stakeholders, the project will also showcase how digital technologies and connectivity, combined with the necessary regulatory frameworks and support from governments as well as industry stakeholders, can be leveraged to mitigate barriers to education across the continent.
Vodacom Group chief executive officer Shameel Joosub said: “We have witnessed this first-hand via our ecosystem of education projects and initiatives, which seek to provide access to quality educational assets, support remote learning and seek to enhance the overall educational experience for teachers and learners in some of Africa’s most under-resourced communities.”
Joosub said it was about time that relevant parties understood Africa’s economic, social and political environment to bring together the right stakeholders – from those at the top in government to the pupils in classrooms in the most remote corners of the continent – to come up with solutions.”
He said it was important to have a collective effort in ensuring youth are equipped with everything they need to add value to their communities and properly participate in the digital economy.
The Acting CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Professor Verne Harris, said: “Access to quality education is critical to combating intergenerational cycles of poverty and inequality.
“Nelson Mandela always stressed how important education is, not only for self-actualisation and individual transformation but also in shifting the trajectory of society towards equity, justice and a shared dignity.”
One of the authors of the research paper, Professor Jonathan Jansen, said that despite stumbling blocks that included lack of reliable electricity, limited technical support, language barriers, political instability and restrictive social norms, with the right policies, infrastructure and investments in place, digitalisation can provide new opportunities for Africa’s young people to enjoy a more equitable, sustainable future.
“Each of these hurdles can be overcome through the right partnerships, interventions and ecosystems. Importantly, addressing these obstacles demands political buy-in and support from governments to ensure that the mechanisms put in place are appropriate in that they meet African learners and educators where they are,” said Professor Jansen.
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