Just days ago, on 12 August, the world marked International Youth Day, a global celebration of young people’s potential and a reminder of the investment needed to secure it.
For Africa, home to the world’s youngest population, the occasion rang with both promise and urgency.
In sub-Saharan Africa alone, more than 98 million young people, according to UNESCO, are either missing out on schooling altogether or trapped in classrooms that offer little beyond rote learning.
The result is a silent but devastating deficit, not of potential but of opportunity. Every untaught lesson and every unopened book chips away at the continent’s capacity to innovate, compete, and grow.
Across the continent, a new generation of home-grown organisations is reimagining how Africa learns.
Their methods are as diverse as the landscapes they serve, from Lagos start-ups deploying gamified mobile learning to Kenyan innovators delivering lessons via basic SMS in areas where internet remains a luxury.
These initiatives do more than patch holes in broken systems.
They are laying the foundations for a different future, one where technology, creativity and local insight combine to give every child a fighting chance.
1. NewGlobe
Leading the pack is NewGlobe, which operates as an evidence-backed partner for public sector education reform.
With presence in Nigeria, Kenya, Liberia, Rwanda and Liberia, NewGlobe, in partnership with different governments, has equipped over 2.3 million children and nearly 35,000 teachers across more than 8,000 schools in Africa.
They also provide teachers with resources to improve teaching and organise training workshops.
This approach has shown tremendous results in Nigerian states like Lagos, Kwara, Jigawa, Edo, Bayelsa and many more.
2. Ubongo
Founded in 2013, the Tanzanian-based non-profit organisation aimed to bridge the gap in access to quality education through multi-platform solutions. Its education platform allows teachers to provide education regardless of the location, ensuring pupils aren’t left out of good education.
They also turn learning into an adventure through their educational comics.
3. Foondamate
By focusing on the direct needs of learners, Foondamate provides high-quality lessons and resources to high school students via popular chat applications like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.
Headquartered in South Africa, Foondamate leverages advanced natural language processing and machine learning to help previously excluded students in Africa access quality education and excel among their global peers.
4. Edves
Due to the high cost of establishing and running a standard school, many schools are unable to afford this.
Edves offers an all-in-one school management software that automates administrative tasks, helps to optimise the school’s resources, and provides valuable data insights.
Operating from Nigeria, its software is used by over 1,200 schools across Africa. Edve’s success demonstrates that to transform an education system, you don’t only focus on the individuals but the ecosystem that supports them.
5. Eneza Education:
Located in Kenya, Eneza Education aims to provide affordable and accessible education to underserved students in rural areas.
They offer millions of learners across Africa personalised learning experiences through their mobile phones at a low cost.
Through SMS based delivery, Eneza Education is delivering world-class education to African students regardless of their location, even where there is poor access to the internet.
The future, without a doubt, is digital, but also better collaboration. The work of these organisations shows that transforming Africa’s education system requires a mix of innovation, accessibility, and a deep understanding of local realities.
By leveraging technology to break down endemic barriers to education, they are giving millions of children a chance to learn and building a generation capable of competing on the global stage.
If sustained and scaled, their efforts would set the continent on a better trajectory, ensuring that Africa’s greatest resource, its people, are equipped with the knowledge and skills to build a prosperous and inclusive future.
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