Injini Think Tank Releases Volume 2 of its African EdTech Insights Report

Injini is proud to announce the release of  its African EdTech Insights Report: Volume 2, “Exploring Interdependencies in the EdTech Ecosystem for Sustainable Impact.”

This report, produced by the Injini Think Tank, investigates the intertwined roles of key education stakeholders (including EdTech founders, learners, teachers, parents, government, and investors) and their impact on the effective implementation and sustainability of EdTech solutions.

“This study represents a significant milestone in our journey, reflecting the evolving depth of our inquiries and our expanding focus within the education sector,” remarked Krista Davidson, Executive Director at Injini. “Over time, our dialogue with stakeholders has become more nuanced, echoing the intricacies of the challenges we strive to address. The insights showcase our progress and highlight potential pathways to tackle these multifaceted issues.”

Injini remains steadfast in its commitment to driving educational innovation through comprehensive research and stakeholder engagement. This extensive study aims to enrich the collective understanding of EdTech’s evolving role across Africa and its potential to address the continent’s unique educational challenges.

“Our goal is to unravel some of the intricate connections between various actors in the education ecosystem,” Davidson explains. “By gaining a deeper understanding of their perspectives and realities, we hope to enable more purposeful innovation and foster collaboration in pursuit of our shared vision: creating an equitable and inclusive learning environment.”

Each chapter delves into a different stakeholder and their relationship with EdTech products.

• Chapter 1 investigates the interconnections between EdTech solutions and the parents and teachers who often bridge the gap between young learners and these products. It explores how solutions that creatively address the needs and pain points of these key stakeholders, alongside the requirements of learners, are more likely to reach their target audience sustainably. Case studies in this chapter reveal that 75% of parents surveyed strongly preferred physical reading materials for early childhood development (ECD), highlighting the need for EdTech solutions to consider parental attitudes towards screen time and the potential for hybrid digital-physical learning materials.

• The dynamics between the government and the EdTech market within South Africa are examined in Chapter 2. Through engagements with government stakeholders, we unpack their challenges and perspectives to understand how strengthening the linkages between the government and EdTech companies can improve access to quality education. This chapter highlights the misalignment between government educational strategies and EdTech innovations as a significant barrier to integrating technology into public education.

• Chapter 3 focuses on the dynamics and signals that precede capital entering the ecosystem. Particularly, it explores how EdTech can enhance its appeal to investors and address the current misalignment between venture capitalists’ expectations for growth and scale, and the unique characteristics of EdTech ventures. This chapter notes that African-based EdTech startups face significant challenges in attracting venture capital, with the sector securing less than 1% of global venture capital equity funding in 2023. This emphasises the critical need for EdTech ventures to explore diverse funding sources beyond traditional venture capital.

While the report certainly does not tackle every challenge and cannot provide all the answers, it does begin to pose and unpack some of the most pressing questions that all stakeholders in this sector should be asking to ensure success.

Davidson concludes, “We look forward to further unpacking the insights from this report with the broader community over the coming months. We intend to  engage more deeply on these and other topics through strategic engagement sessions designed to foster collaboration and growth.”

The full report is available here for those interested in deepening their knowledge of the EdTech ecosystem’s complexities and opportunities for impactful change.

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Read More: Injini announces second cohort for the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship

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