New Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellows: Cohort 3

Education in South Africa is a complex system shaped by socio-economic challenges and unequal resource distribution. Many learners are left behind due to limited access to resources and poor-quality teaching, creating a significant divide in education outcomes. 

“At Injini, we are dedicated to bridging this gap,” says Krista Davidson, Executive Director of Injini. “We believe that EdTech, when used in impactful ways, can democratize education, enabling learners to access meaningful and relevant learning opportunities.”

Over the last two years, the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship has supported EdTech solutions that have achieved remarkable strides in improving educational outcomes in South Africa.

The first two cohorts of Fellows have collectively reached over one million new learners and nearly 20,000 schools, with more than half located in quintile 1 to 3 areas. Of these beneficiaries, 59.7% are female, and participating organisations have engaged with over 86,000 new teachers.

“When selecting this cohort, we prioritized the most urgent needs [KB1] of South Africa’s education system such as teacher training, infrastructure deficits and access to relevant and quality education”, says Davidson.

After a rigorous process, Injini has selected its third cohort of fellows for the 2025 Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship:

1. EduFeArn develops learning and teacher support materials for life skills, civic democracy, maths, and sciences, helping public schools (Grade R–12) quickly identify and address key developmental areas.
2. Edulution Learning aims to transform education in Africa with a scalable blended e-learning platform that helps learners catch up and master essential numeracy and ICT skills.
3. Edutech Institute provides personalised AI-driven learning solutions that help students learn at their own pace by identifying gaps and tailoring lessons to their needs.
4. Huddle Education provides high-quality, low-cost blended classrooms that combine engaging lessons from top teachers, in-person support, and smart technology.
5. Keller Education provides professional development for schools, equipping leaders and educators with cutting-edge methods like Mind Brain Education Science, Mindful Thinking, and Emotional Intelligence—helping teachers connect, engage, and create supportive environments where students thrive.
6. Limu is an educational app that makes learning indigenous African languages fun for children through storytelling, animation, music, and games, ensuring an engaging and immersive experience.
7. OLICO Maths Education helps learners from low-resource schools master mathematics through tutoring and technology making it more accessible and opening up future opportunities for students. 
8. OURS tackles the challenge of limited access to quality digital learning resources in rural and peri-urban South Africa focusing on bridging the connectivity gap through innovative solutions.
9. SchoolAdvisor simplifies procurement for schools, helping them find the right suppliers at the best prices through a transparent, supplier-neutral process, turning procurement into a value-adding experience for schools and suppliers.
10. Thuma Mina Teaching provides engaging video lessons and learning materials to accelerate access to quality education with the aim to support teachers and learners by delivering high-quality educational content.
11. TechWays provides high school learners with accessible, affordable tech courses in Python, game development, and cybersecurity, providing pathways for students to gain real-world digital skills and prepare for future careers.‍
12. Thooto is a video-first, self-paced learning platform offering accredited vocational courses to individuals and businesses preparing them to meet South Africa’s workforce demands.

Similar to the alumni cohorts, the Fellows will receive customized support focused on:

●  Expanding market access to reach learners at the bottom of the education pyramid.

●  Measuring impact effectively to demonstrate their solutions' value and scalability.

●  Strengthening business sustainability, including preparation for investment where appropriate. 

“Looking at the last two cohorts from South Africa and their EdTech solutions' impact on learners, we are confident that investing in technology for education makes learning inclusive. Through these local solutions, learners who were previously left out of the education ecosystem now have an opportunity to learn and prosper. We are optimistic that the next cohort will focus on inclusion”, added Rodwell Mangisi, Acting Director of the Mastercard Foundation Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning.

As South Africa continues to navigate its educational challenges, Injini remains committed to supporting innovative solutions that address inclusive, relevant innovations to improve education outcomes. The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship is not just an investment in technology but in the future of learning, teaching, and the broader community of South Africa.

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