Mwelela Cele interviews Thulasizwe Goba as part of the Memories of Inanda documentary, produced for the eThekwini Municipality’s Ulwazi Programme.
South Africa
I’m currently based in South Africa – these posts are about the work I am have done here.
Memories of Inanda: Ela Gandhi
Mwelela Cele interviews Ela Gandhi as part of the Memories of Inanda documentary, produced for the eThekwini Municipality’s Ulwazi Programme. Ela discusses her grandfather Mahatma Gandhi, the Phoenix Settlement and her work as an activist and politician.
Ela Gandhi (born July 1, 1940), granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi is a peace activist and was a Member of Parliament in South Africa from 1994-2004, where she aligned with the African National Congress (ANC) party representing the Phoenix area of Inanda in the KwaZulu Natal province. Her parliamentary committee assignments included the Welfare, and Public Enterprises committees as well as the ad-hoc committee on Surrogate Motherhood. She was an alternate member of the Justice Committee and served on Theme Committee 5 on Judiciary and Legal Systems.
Shot at the the Durban University of Technology in April 2010
The number in my pocket: the power of mobile technology for the exchange of indigenous knowledge
Greyling, E. and McNulty, N. 2011. The number in my pocket: the power of mobile technology for the exchange of indigenous knowledge. Knowledge Management for Development Journal. 7 (3): 256 – 273. Available HERE. See a summary in poster form HERE.
The last decade has seen the development of online databases becoming an established norm throughout the world for the preservation of indigenous knowledge. However, in the absence of desktop computers and ubiquitous Internet access, Africa is limping behind in this quest for global information, with the digital divide ever widening and the wealth of indigenous knowledge fast disappearing for the people of this continent. In a bid to address these seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Africa is recognizing the potential of the mobile phone to enable the continent to catch up with the global information society. Since 2000 some 316 million new mobile phone subscriptions have emerged on the African continent. For them the cell phone has become an information hub, the primary interface through which to connect to Africa and to the rest of the world. A recent, promising development has been the introduction of browsers on mobile phones. This, combined with the 3G network all cellular providers have migrated to, means that ordinary Africans are accessing the Internet from their phones in ever-increasing numbers. The success of a number of Internet-based mobile applications means that the average cell phone user now associates his phone with more than just the calls he makes or text messages he sends. He can also play music, show video, find out where he is via GPS and access local and global information. This paper describes a concept for the development of user-generated content compiled in an online indigenous knowledge database, making use of current mobile and web technologies. Informed by empirical practice based on a South African case-study, the different tools are discussed, highlighting the interaction between the library, the community and the technologies. The participating role of local communities leading to enrichment of the database is juxtaposed against the library’s anchor role as custodian of the knowledge resource. The preservation of context-related local knowledge creates a digital library of relevance to local communities. Technical functionality enables the social interaction that results from knowledge sharing. Short and long-term benefits that the community stands to gain are discussed and the limitations of the model pointed out.
SACE-endorsed Workshops for Digital Skills and Coding & Robotics
Both these workshops represent an important stride towards enhancing technological literacy and adapting education to the rapidly evolving digital landscape. They are structured to offer robust training that can be practically applied in the classroom, ensuring teachers are well-prepared to educate future generations in this increasingly tech-driven world.
Learning about Covid-19 at schools
How do you teach students about Covid-19 at schools? How do you explain the concept of a pandemic? And how to do you get across guidance around prevention? What does this look like for a six-year-old as opposed to a 16-year-old? These are some of the issues Cambridge University Press grappled with as we developed a series of worksheets to explain the virus and the situation we find ourselves in globally and in South Africa.
Working with Life Orientation specialist and author Edna Rooth, we have published these worksheets for use at home or in the class. The worksheets are a response to Covid-19 and function as a Social and Emotional learning (SEL) curriculum. We divided the worksheets by the four phases in the curriculum, covering all twelve grades. Each pack has between ten and fifteen worksheets with extensive teaching notes. The worksheets are printable, and we are encouraging users to share them via email or WhatsApp, so they reach the teachers and learners who needed them most. Parents can also use these worksheets with their children. Topics covered include information on pandemics, facts about the Covid-19 virus, prevention, stigma and depression. There are many practical tasks included in the worksheets, such as guidance on how to make a mask.
Sample Worksheets for teaching Covid-19 at schools
They are really brilliant! What great work, and clearly a lot of work. This is the most comprehensive set of materials for schools I have seen – probably the best in the world right now.
Dr James Lees. Senior Lecturer, HIV & AIDS Programme, University of the Western Cape
Yizani – resources for teaching isiXhosa as an additional language
The Incremental Implementation of African Languages (IIAL) is a programme by South Africa’s Department of Basic Education to introduce the learning of an African language as a second or third language for pupils at schools. This programme will start learning-language in grade 1 and then follow it through to the end of schooling in grade 12 – that’s where the incremental implementation part comes in. While a laudable initiative, there are not enough trained African languages teachers in schools currently. The public broadcaster SABC has attempted to assist with a terrifying puppet-show series, but it fails to provide adequate support to teachers and guidance on how to structure a lesson. With Yizani, we’ve attempted to bridge this gap.
Digital learning in South Africa
This page is a reading of digital learning in South Africa against a State of the Nation framing: skills, work and schooling, not a live commentary on the latest speech. Infrastructure, teacher skill and curriculum still decide whether digital tools matter.
Last reviewed: 31 August 2026. Figures quoted from older reports are historical. Do not treat them as this year’s census.
State of the Nation
SONA speeches have repeatedly named education, skills and the digital economy. Naming them is not the same as delivery. Read any speech against what schools can actually do with devices, data and time.
The future of work
Work is more digital than it was. That does not mean every learner needs the same software stack. It does mean literacy, numeracy, and the ability to learn a tool, remain the base.
Skills needed in South Africa
Technical and vocational routes, workplace learning, and science and mathematics teaching at school level still carry more of the load than a new app. Digital learning helps when it extends those, not when it replaces them on a weak connection.
How might this look?
Blended use in schools that already have power and a teacher who can run the class. Offline or low-data materials where they do not. National platforms only help if teachers are trained and the content matches CAPS or the school’s curriculum.
Related: benefits of digital education and are South African schools ready?
Computational thinking in African schools
At the recent Innovation Africa conference, many African educational ministries discussed ‘readying’ their learners for the much-hyped 4th Industrial Revolution and developing 21st Century Skills to advance their economies. These skills are an undefined issue, which many education ministries are attempting to solve through providing digital content and devices in the hope that these skills are acquired as a side effect of technology usage. In Botswana, the MOBE initiated a pilot of digital devices and content, with Microsoft and partners, to foster these skills.
In Zimbabwe, a new curriculum is rolling out with a subject Internet Communication Technology, including basic digital literacy as well as sections on digital citizenship and coding skills. The recent curriculum reform in Ghana sees a strong focus on ICT-integration and a new subject, Computing, which covers ICT (operating a computer, word processing, databases, etc.) and internet skills. Nigeria is a tech-aspirational market with a keen interest in internet technology and the entrepreneurial opportunities it offers. In South Africa, the message around the 4th Industrial Revolution is consistently reiterated through government as well as party political communication channels as well as ongoing communication from the Department of Basic Education.
South African Coding and Robotics Curriculum
According to the basic education minister, Angie Motshekga, the South African government is developing curricula for coding and robotics for grades R to 9 to create sustainable industrialisation and keep pace with the world.
Blended Learning for maths
Using print and digital resources to teach mathematics in South Africa
South Africa has an ongoing issue with the teaching and learning of mathematics. A University of Stellenbosch study in 2012 found that only 58% of grade 6 learners were functionally numerate, stating “at least a quarter of children have learnt so little in six years of formal full-time schooling that they have not even mastered functional literacy or numeracy”. The Department of Basic Education’s statistics shows that only 3% of grade nine learners got over a 50% average in mathematics. The problem is complex; factors include a poor grounding in numeracy in the Foundation Phase years, coupled with some teachers who are not comfortable with the subject. While in no ways a maths expert, I’ve been working on a digital and print blended maths product for the past year, which I hope could add to the resources teachers can draw on to assist learners understanding mathematical concepts.
The Study & Master Maths Online Workbooks integrate a print book with targeted practice exercise and an online mathematics teaching and learning platform to improve understanding of critical mathematical topics. A recent report by the UNESCO Working Group on Education states that blending traditional off-line education approaches with digital applications appears to be a more successful approach to digital learning, with activities that involve engaging with physical resources proving effective in a wide variety of contexts.
Mathematics Education in South Africa: Blended Learning for Schools
Integrating technology into education is imperative in an era characterized by technological advancements. The Blended Learning for School Mathematics project aimed to utilize an existing Cambridge digital math platform to create a blended learning product tailored to the educational needs of schools in South Africa. This initiative marked a significant step towards revolutionizing mathematics education by combining digital learning with traditional classroom methods.
As the Product Owner, I employed the Successive Approximation Model (SAM) for the instructional design process. SAM’s agile and iterative approach was deemed best suited for creating a blended learning product that seamlessly integrates technology into traditional classroom methods.
Project Objective
The project’s primary goal was to leverage the capabilities of an existing digital math platform and adapt it to the South African educational landscape. As the Product Owner, the responsibilities included:
- Overseeing the project.
- Appointing a project manager and mathematics specialist.
- Conducting market research.
- Aligning content to the local curriculum.
- Creating complementary print workbooks and a teacher guide.
- Handling product design.
- Developing marketing collateral.
- Conducting workshops for teachers.
In line with SAM’s ‘Preparation Phase’, the objectives were clearly defined and the requirements meticulously laid out. This phase included understanding the target audience and aligning the content with the South African curriculum. Moreover, appointing a project manager and a mathematics specialist was essential in gaining insights into the subject matter and educational landscape.
Implementation
The project began with extensive research on competitor products and discerning teachers’ requirements. The content of the existing digital platform was meticulously aligned with the local curriculum, forming the foundation of the blended learning product. Additionally, print workbooks were developed to complement the digital platform and facilitate classroom learning. A teacher guide was also created to acquaint educators with the optimal utilization of the platform and workbooks. Product design, marketing, and teacher workshops were integral to the project’s implementation.
During the ‘Iterative Design Phase’ of SAM, we worked through repeated design, development, and revision cycles. The content alignment, workbook creation, and teacher guide development underwent several iterations to ensure that they were fine-tuned to address the educational needs of South African schools.
The Digital Classroom Resource
I recently published a new technology resource book for South African schools, with award-winning ICT teacher Matt Hains. The Digital Classroom Resource is a print and digital reference tool to support learners in their understanding of the theoretical concepts presented in Computer Applications Technology. This book covers terminology for the FET Phase of the South African Computer Applications Technology curriculum, as prescribed by the CAPS (Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement), and is written in clear, easy-to-understand language with diagrams and images to illustrate concepts. One of the key assessment standards is being able to “describe the terminology of relevant computer hardware and software” and this title responds directly to this curriculum requirement.
Videos
We created a number of short video clips on topics in the book. These could be used by a teacher to introduce a lesson or material to engage learners in new ways, perhaps in a Level 2 activity structured according to the Digital Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Disruption in education – are South African schools ready for the 4th Industrial Revolution?
The “Fourth Industrial Revolution” is a slogan for a cluster of digital, automation and data changes in work and production. South African schools are not uniformly ready for that cluster. Readiness here means power, devices, teacher skill, curriculum and time, not a lab opening.
Last reviewed: 31 August 2026.
Skills for the 21st century
The useful core is still literacy, numeracy, collaboration, and being able to learn a new tool. Coding and robotics can sit on that core. They do not replace it.
The three Ls
Literacy, numeracy and, in a digital setting, a third literacy: judging information and using a device without being used by it. See internet and social media literacy.
Why this matters
Employers and universities still need people who can read a problem and persist. Digital tools change the surface of some jobs. They do not remove the need for those habits.
How can South African schools prepare learners?
Fix the basics in the classroom you have. Add digital tasks where access is real. Train teachers on the tool you actually use. Do not buy a platform as a substitute for those steps.
Related: digital learning in South Africa and Foundation Phase teaching.