Well done to Injini for releasing Volume 3 of the African EdTech Insights report! The insights, backed by solid research, serve as a valuable guide for anyone invested in improving education in our digital age. And really, shouldn’t that be all of us?
This volume highlights three key barriers to successful EdTech implementation:
📌 The limited impact of evidence on learning outcomes
📌 Accessibility barriers for learners, especially non-English speakers
📌 Infrastructure challenges in marginalised schools and households (see below image from Chapter 3 of the report)
From my experience, I wholeheartedly support the conclusions in Chapter 3 and would like to add my perspective:
💡 Access does not equal use. While 82% of Gauteng schools reportedly have access to computers (compared to 12% in the Eastern Cape), that doesn’t mean they’re being used. Too often, we work in schools where the WiFi is switched off, the computer lab is locked, or learners are given devices—but not the chargers.
💡 People matter as much as technology. The report highlights the importance of a dedicated facilitator. This is exactly what Flying Cows of Jozi is built on—coaching and support for teachers and learners. Yet, funding for these crucial roles is often overlooked, with the bulk of budgets going toward hardware and software.
💡 Readiness is about commitment, not just infrastructure. Most EdTech companies assess school readiness by looking at security, infrastructure, and device compatibility. But we’ve learned that motivation, agency, and accountability are just as critical.
In a recent project we did for Siyavula Education, the school with the least access to devices and connectivity had the best engagement and results. When I delved deeper into the reasons why, I found motivation and commitment present at every level—parents in the School Governing Board, the principal, the Heads of Department, the teachers, and the learners. They even found some budget to provide meals for our facilitators and driver on the long journey back.
This experience reinforced my practice of asking schools for this kind of commitment upfront, because it changes everything. The project shifts from being a ‘nice-to-have’ to something truly valued—and hopefully, this will start reflecting in the results.
I still believe that EdTech is a crucial component of improving education in our digital age. With AI in Education advancing rapidly, we need to make sure to get the foundation right, investing in people as much as in technology. Or more.
Do you agree that the focus of EdTech projects should shift from technology to the people who make it work? And what would that look like in practice?
Download the Injini report here: https://citi76660.activehosted.com/f/33
People drive EdTech success, not the technology
