There are 54 countries in Africa, and it is the continent that has the youngest population compared to the other continents.
Around 40% of the population is 15 years old or younger, which lays the perfect groundwork for democratizing education across Africa.
However, there are multiple challenges to the African education system, as things still need to be fixed due to political and financial issues.
Here, EdTech is a ray of hope. Now, the use of EdTech is rapidly rising and playing a key role in transforming education.
The future of education technology in Africa is bright, as multiple opportunities are yet to be unlocked.
From a statistical point of view, the African e-learning market is more than $2.8 billion, and by 2028, it is expected to reach $5.2 billion at a CAGR (2023–2028) of 11%.
Other stats show that by 2027, the number of online learning platform users is expected to reach 24.3 million.
If you are curious about the use of technology in African education, we have created an article.
While reading this article, you’ll get more valuable information about the importance of technology in African education.
So, let’s continue with this blog.
It is important to understand the challenges or roadblocks to education in Africa to understand the importance of technology in education.
One of the top reasons behind the low education ratio in Africa is the lack of quality education resources such as schools, teachers, and other facilities. So, here is the list of challenges with the African education system.
The top-most challenge to education across Africa is the need for more academic institute facilities. Most of the schools and towns have very limited school facilities.
A school is a dream for over 38 million children in Africa. Even in remote areas, there are no educational facilities.
On the African continent, two-thirds of teachers do not have the appropriate qualifications and education to teach children, as per the 21st century’s education trends. They do not have any kind of training to prepare the students for a better future and knowledge gain.
Climate change is also a major roadblock to education, as due to climate change in most parts of Africa, natural disasters strike countries three times a year. One of the examples is Madagascar.
Here, homes, schools, institutes, and others get destroyed due to droughts, earthquakes, epidemics, floods, and cyclones.
The lack of basic facilities also bars children and their parents from taking an interest in education. For example, in South Africa, over 20,000 schools lack laboratories, libraries, sanitation facilities, desks, and other facilities.
Inappropriate availability of transportation facilities also keeps children away from school education.
Most of the schools in Africa do not have any type of transportation facility, so the students need to come to school on their own.
In Africa, around 431 million people are surviving below the extreme poverty line, which means education is still a dream for many.
The children are forced to work somewhere else or with their parents to work on their farm to earn daily bread and butter.
The above-mentioned challenges are tougher, which is why something needs to be done so the kids have a better future. Here, e-learning development can help governments ensure a high education ratio among African children and youngsters.
However, efforts are going on where agencies like UNICEF, eLearning Africa, and others play an important role.
The good news is that the African education landscape is transforming now with technology, where e-learning and LMS software are helping to address educational challenges such as a lack of quality education, teaching resources, and other facilities.
Now, in some far-flung areas, students are accessing learning resources using the internet.
So, here are the trends to watch regarding the rise of EdTech in Africa.
M-Learning stands for mobile learning that happens with the help of internet-enabled mobile devices. There are 650 million mobile phone users in Africa, more than in the United States or Europe.
Max users are youths empowered to access and learn educational content from mobile. It helps students from rural areas where facilities are limited. Platforms like MsingiPACK, Ubongo, and others are helping students with quality learning.
Online learning platforms are also among the trends bridging the gap between education and African students. The online learning platform market is exponentially rising and is projected to reach a revenue of $711.80 million by 2028.
In Africa, LMS development is also experiencing significant growth as more students seek accessible and flexible education options.
Online learning communities like Ubuntu Education HUB, eLearning Africa, Ed Tech Hub, and others are significantly empowering students for eLearning in Africa.
Additionally, since COVID-19, there have been more than 92 education projects in running mode. In the future, there will be more that are helping to democratize education across Africa.
The students and teachers are benefiting from these communities for training and preparing themselves to bring about good change.
Whether it is daily life, healthcare, or education, technology always brings change. The African continent is one of the best use cases these days.
Two of its best examples are augmented reality and virtual reality. Ed-tech companies like LMISI 3D (Nigeria) are helping students learn concepts using AR-VR technology. This technology helps create an immersive learning experience.
Artificial intelligence is a promising technology for multiple sectors, including education. In Africa, quality education is limited and a dream for many, but AI is helping to fill the gap.
Edtech startups like Mtabe, M-Shule, Codar Africa, and MsingiPACK are leveraging AI to provide personalized learning experiences to African students.
Now, most of the edtech firms in Africa are focusing on implementing gamification via custom LMS software development to make learning easy and fun. It connects the students with the subject easily, and learning remains interactive throughout the session.
The usage of open educational resources, which are publicly available and openly licensed works, has grown in popularity.
It reduces expenditures while increasing access to academic content. The OER includes Moocs, Open Courses, and more.
On the one hand, where the African education system depends on a course curriculum similar to that in the USA, UK, and other countries, the local governments in different parts of Africa focus on initiatives and partnerships for edtech.
Some of the best examples are Smart Rwanda, Digital Literacy Programs in Kenya, South Africa Connect, and the African Union’s Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA).
Africa’s ed-tech startups have raised over $24.6 million, with cumulative funding of $1.1B+, including 390 investors.
Some top examples are the Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB) ($15 million for an ed-tech accelerator program) and the Edtech Fellowship Programme (which invested in 72 startups across Nigeria and Kenya).
So, here is the list of key ed-tech startups helping to democratize education across Africa.
1. Go1 South Africa offers digital learning programs for upskilling the workforce.
2. Ubongo Tanzania: it creates localized digital content and empowers 500 million African kids to learn.
3. Esoma Solutions is a platform that provides digital learning material for African educators and students.
4. Moringa School is a digital coding school that helps students learn coding in Kenya and Ghana.
5. Enzea Education is a learning platform that provides learning content to Kenyan and Gahan students.
6. MsingiPACK is an e-learning platform in Kenya, and the goal is to bring a school online for every African kid.
7. ScholarX is a scholarship search and digital learning platform for African students.
8. Funzi is a mobile learning platform that provides educational content.
Undoubtedly, there are multiple challenges with the African education system. However, these can be resolved with the help of eLearning development.
Ed-tech is helping African nations impart the best education to their children and transform them into future human assets for intellectual and economic growth.
Still, more changes need to be made where technology will play a central role. Elearning platform development or LMS development is a perfect way to overcome challenges and democratize education across Africa.
As a custom eLearning software development company, we also wish the best for the African education system and its students.
Suppose you need any assistance or want to know more about the benefits of using eLearning in African countries. In that case, we’ll do our best to help you. You can connect with us anytime.
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