Access to education, like so many other aspects of life in South Africa, remains fundamentally unequal. While there are pockets of educational excellence in the country, only a very small proportion of children from poor backgrounds have the opportunity to receive quality education, especially in the fields of science and tech.

Indeed, the gap between South Africa’s privileged and underprivileged school is one of the most pronounced in the world. The most recent Trends in international mathematics and sciences survey (TIMSS survey), showcases South Africa’s overall dismal performance in global rankings. The internal performance gap in South Africa’s schools is even more revealing: The score differential between the bottom and top quintile schools in Grade 5 stands at 185 points in mathematics, while the gap in sciences is even larger, with a 266-point differential.

This lack of access to education is hugely consequential and arguably is the biggest single contributor to the generational cycle of poverty and unemployment.

Edunova seeks to break this cycle by providing young students with science and tech skills. Founded in 2004 as a non-profit company, with the support from corporate and public sector stakeholders, Edunova has to date trained 120,000 young South Africans and 10,000 teachers in 2,500 schools. Through its network of Learning Centres (including one located in Langa, in Cape Town), Edunova operates in the heart of the communities it is meant to benefit in all of South Africa’s provinces.

The organisation has a number of pressing challenges and would welcome outside perspectives on how to address them. To tackle the two critical issues of youth unemployment and the digital divide, it is testing a new micro-franchise Community Digital Enabler (CDE) model, with the ambition to scale and deploy 800 CDEs by 2026.

The CDE model operates on a technology platform similar to Uber, but instead of rides, young entrepreneurs deliver digital services in their communities. This micro-franchise model allows young people to earn an income through the platform, while providing sustainable employment opportunities. CDEs serve as local contact points and become financially independent through their work with schools and communities, helping with technology adoption and utilization.

The initial pilot was conducted in the Eastern Cape with 14 CDEs implementing a programme called “Triple D” (Data Driven Districts). These CDEs worked with schools to support school leaders and teachers in adopting and utilising technology systems. The income potential ranged from R1,500 to R6,000 per month, depending on the number of systems (typically 4-6) they supported.

The ultimate ambition is to reach 25,000 CDEs nationally, at least one per school in the country. To reach this level, Edunova will have to address recruitment issues, task sustainability and industry perceptions.

As EDUNOVA continues to test and refine the platform and model, they are focused on ensuring the solution truly speaks to the needs of communities and youth. The organisation maintains its commitment to using technology effectively while establishing appropriate guardrails and ethical frameworks to support local communities and youth development within the broader ecosystem.