Crandi

The Future Of Education How Edtech Is Shaping Learning In Africa

Leo Migdal
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the future of education how edtech is shaping learning in africa

These aren’t just numbers—they represent potential. But potential, without access to education, means nothing. And that’s where the challenge lies. Digital transformation is sweeping across every sector, and education is no exception. In fact, it is one of the areas where digitalization is most urgently needed. Africa is home to the world’s youngest population, with 70% of sub-Saharan Africa under 30.

By 2055, the global population will reach 10 billion, with 95% of that growth happening in low- and middle-income countries and Africa alone contributing 57% (1.4 billion people). By 2050, over 60% of the continent’s population will be under 25, and Africa will have the largest share of the global workforce, with 22 million young people entering the job market every year. These aren’t just numbers—they represent potential. But potential, without access to education, means nothing. And that’s where the challenge lies. While the demand for skills is rising, 98 million children in sub-Saharan Africa are out of school.

The traditional education model—relying on physical classrooms, limited teacher capacity, and a one-size-fits-all approach—is struggling to keep up with the sheer scale of Africa’s youth boom. Part of the book series: Studies in National Governance and Emerging Technologies ((SNGET)) Civic Technology (civic tech) is an emerging field in Africa that can potentially improve urban and rural governance. Civic tech and technology, more broadly, offer several benefits for social, economic, and developmental progress. In the African context, multiple, sometimes reinforcing challenges threaten socio-economic well-being. However, the potential of Education Technology (EdTech) to address these challenges is significant.

EdTech is a form of civic tech that uses technology to make education more accessible and suited to learners’ needs, representing a beacon of hope. The trend of online teaching (and learning), sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic, will likely remain a feature of the global educational model. Leveraging EdTech for Africa will be a key strategy for skills development to attain more sustainable job creation. Based on secondary research and insights from five EdTech projects from the African continent, this chapter analyses the key opportunities and threats of the Edtech sector in Africa. While African EdTech initiatives equip learners with key skills and critical thinking approaches, challenges remain in implementing and sustaining EdTech in different African countries. Notable challenges include the widening digital divide, uneven accessibility to the internet, the threats of internet shutdowns in some African countries, and varying degrees of digital and technological literacy.

We argue for greater government and policy support through delivering appropriate digital infrastructure and teacher training. The EdTech initiatives presented in this chapter showcase an entrepreneurial spirit alongside greater youth participation and collaboration in design processes and, ultimately, students’ curricula. This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access. Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout CTIN African Civic Tech Atlas. For more details on CTIN’s Database, see: https://civictech.africa/databases/.

A new Boston Consulting Group report, reveals both the potential—and the current roadblocks—of EdTech in transforming learning outcomes for the world’s youngest population group who have been set back by numerous challenges. Technology can strengthen education at all levels, starting from early childhood to adult training. The BCG analysis indicates, through multiple examples, the different ways in which digital solutions can be more inclusive, as they deliver scalable, cost-effective means to reach all populations. For instance, Sayna, a Malagasy provider of gamified courses in tech skills, connects its learners to lucrative IT micro-tasks. Another case is that of the Kenyan platform Eneza Education, which has hit five million users living in remote areas through basic phones, improving exam scores by 5%. “These statistics could grow, should Africa’s digitalisation expand,” says Badr Choufari, education, employment, and welfare lead, as well as managing director and partner at BCG Casablanca.

”Projections are encouraging: mobile penetration is expected to reach 51% in 2025, which is quite impressive, as it was only 3% in 2010.” Technology seems to be Africa’s most powerful tool for promoting education. However, three different challenges are looming. Keypoints: Coalition plans AI reach to 100m $100m blended finance to drive scale Focus on ‘small AI’ for local needs... Keypoints: AI birthday portraits are rising rapidly online Photographers insist AI cannot match real emotion Impact strongest in stock and... Keypoints: AI companions now key emotional outlets Teens seek help on taboo personal topics Experts warn of risky ‘sycophantic’ design...

Keypoints: AI shopping via WhatsApp and Instagram Creators gain full sales attribution Platform targets nine bn dollar market AFRICA’S digital... Africa faces the world’s most urgent learning crisis, and imported solutions cannot solve it. Our classrooms are under-resourced, our teachers overstretched, and millions of children learn best in their mother tongues, yet most tools overlook this reality In sub-Saharan Africa, the share of out-of-school children fell from 44% in 2000 to 29% in 2020. Yet, 98 million children are still out of school, and approximately 15 million teachers are needed to meet education goals by 2030. Alarmingly, nearly 90% of learners can’t read and understand a simple sentence by age 10.

In Kenya, primary enrollment is at 93%, but only 53% transition to secondary school. Counties like Turkana face extreme classroom overcrowding, with pupil-to-teacher ratios as high as 77:1. In remote and marginalized communities, dropouts are linked to long distances, poverty, and early marriage. During COVID-19, learning was disrupted for over 17 million children. These realities demand solutions that are scalable, locally built, and intentionally inclusive of learners who are furthest behind. There’s a real gap in inclusion.

For decades, the tools shaping African learning have excluded millions of learners in remote and low-connectivity areas, learners with disabilities, and learners who do not speak English or Kiswahili. We have relied on systems designed elsewhere, systems that overlook the cultural, linguistic, and contextual realities of African communities. This next era of African education must be inclusive by design and homegrown EdTech innovators are best placed to build solutions that understand our languages, our infrastructure gaps, and our learners’ realities. Tides are changing and Africa is already building it right here, in our languages, by our innovators, for our learners.

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