2020 saw the sharpest rise in digital transformation across the globe. The pandemic accelerated the introduction of online education workflows in an unprecedented fashion. The effects of the crisis-induced change in teaching and learning are permanent.

“When the worldwide lockdowns started, every school was scrambling to see how they can deliver value and ensure learning continuity during this terrible time. The crisis exposed the technology access gap between the poor and rich in many societies”, stated Edzai Zvobwo, the Founder and CEO of MathsGee a peer to peer learning platform for learners to help each other through subject-specific questions and answers.

Online learner support platforms like MathsGee, Brainly and Byjus among others saw experienced exponential growth as learners and teachers were scrambling for scalable solutions to help them weather the “learn from home” phenomenon.

The common feature among platforms that gained the most users during this period is the availability of free content. This inclusive approach to business enabled learners from all walks of life to have access to quality educational resources at no cost.

This trend is evidence that there is a need for new and innovative business models that serve all learners regardless of their economic situation.

One prevalent business model that has enabled inclusivity is the ads-based model whereby learners can consume all the content but are exposed to advertising from third parties.

Another model that has grown is the freemium model whereby learners have access to basic content or free trials for a given period and then to access more features they have to pay a monthly or annual subscription fee.

“The freemium model is half-good because it gives you access but not full access thereby depriving learners of the quality information behind the paywall, this is exclusivity”, said Zvobwo.

MathsGee is committed to providing tools that enhance learner outcomes regardless of extenuating circumstances like poverty thus it has maintained a “full buffet” model. The EdTech startup currently uses an ad-based model to get revenue but is in the process of phasing out this method. They now have a “Sponsor/Tip-jar” model that seeks to optimize information sharing among learners and tutors on the platform.

In line with trends in the open-source world, which have seen the emergence of companies such as Patreon, who facilitate for the payment of creators by fans. This is a new model that allows for fans to give back to creators who are freely adding value in their lives. Github, Reddit, Pixabay and many other open-source platform now have a “Sponsor” button.

MathsGee has decided to make peer to peer sponsorships and donations the main revenue model for both the platform and content creators. Every user has a unique link on their profile that allows for other users and visitors to donate to them. The platform gets a 10% commission inclusive of transaction charges from the payment gateways.

This model ensures that no content is hidden from anyone and if a creator is producing quality content, they are guaranteed to be supported by beneficiaries on a willing donor basis.It is vital that education tool providers continue innovating for the benefit of the learner.

Website: https://mathsgee.com

Example Profile and Donate Button: https://mathsgee.com/user/MathsGee

A recent announcement from Eiffel Corp, a leader in the Higher Education software and service digital education space, has announced that the company has decided to end its 21 year-long partnership with Blackboard, an international e-learning company.

Eiffel Corp has recently sent notice to Blackboard, highlighting its intention to terminate this long-standing partnership. Reportedly the motivation behind this decision was largely based in Eiffel Corp’s desire to structure and tailor its services in such a way that it can be more responsive to its core customer base in African Higher Education sector and beyond. Eiffel Corp believes that the separation will empower the company to align better with sentiments and macrotrends in the African higher education space. In addition, Eiffel Corp is looking forward to improving its multiple offerings to “effectively serve the local higher education landscape to an even greater degree,” says Ian Light, CEO, Eiffel Corp.

Light stated that much consideration had gone into this decision. He outlined that, although Eiffel Corp appreciates the success achieved with Blackboard during the course of the 21-year partnership, the time has come for Eiffel Corp to forge a new and separate path. Light made it clear that this decision was believed to be the best step in Eiffel Corp’s pursuit to align its services more directly with client needs. “Although our partnership is ending, we remain fully committed to our clients’ needs and ongoing contracts and programmes. We greatly value the relationships that we have built over the past two decades,” continues Light. This step also affords Eiffel Corp the opportunity to diversify its services beyond its current core e-learning offerings.

Through the process of working with and learning from experiences within the African higher education market, Eiffel Corp has continued to grow and tailor its services to fully meet the continually changing needs of the higher education space. This experience has afforded Eiffel Corp the position of being considered the number one software and service provider in digital and related services for higher education.Light believes that this experience, and the resultant industry expertise, equips Eiffel Corp to maintain its premier position and continue to service the South African Higher Education landscape effectively. This applies not only in the present but also in terms of predicting, shifting, and adjusting services to maintain excellence within this ever-evolving space.

“From 2020 onwards, we look forward to building on our mutual successes with all clients and partners and plan to share our exciting innovations with our current and prospective customers. We will be scheduling face-to-face updates with our clients early in the new year, and we are excited for what lies ahead,” concludes Light.

Eiffel Corp has made it clear that the organisation has a deep respect for Blackboard and the valuable connections and personal relationships made over the lengthy period of collaboration. Eiffel Corp wishes Blackboard all the very best both now and in future.

At a recent online conference, a team of ACCA experts who are involved in reviewing and marking ACCA exams offered their insights on the Applied Skills, Strategic Professional and Options (UK tax) exams. The conference provided a unique opportunity for Approved Learning Partners, like IBTC, tutors and other strategic partners to come together, network, and gain practical insights into ACCA’s examinations.

During the conference they reviewed the 2018 September and December exams to provide students with direction and guidance when writing their exams this year. Here is what they had to say about The Advanced Taxation- UK

According to the examiners, there are a few changes in the ATX UK subject. The technical changes you need to be on the lookout for are the following:

• Deemed domicile changes for personal taxes (IT, CGT and IHT)
• Changes to corporate loss relief
• Income tax implications of lump sum payments
• Changes to SSE conditions

Apart from these changes, the examiners found that there are several areas that students struggle in and definitely need to improve on.

"Candidates need to consider the scenario given before they start writing their answer and not simply state general tax rules. A lot of students make this mistake. Students need to understand that each client has their own set of circumstances, which the tax rules must be applied to. Each scenario is unique and must be treated as such," said the examiners.

The examiners gave the following advice:

• Slow down
• Note initial thoughts and plan
• Think, then write
• Think, then calculate
• Clearly address the requirements and be specific
• Provide clear, short and concise explanations
• Avoid irrelevant explanations/calculations
• It is suggested that students spend 1.8 min per mark

About International Business Training College

IBTC is a registered course provider delivering classroom tuition and distance learning courses for internationally recognised professional qualifications, such as CIMA, ACCA, CAT, ICB and CFA - offering a combination of distance learning and classroom courses designed to prepare students for their professional examinations.

Operating from Cape Town since 1995, IBTC provides classroom courses in major cities around South Africa and a comprehensive Home Study programme supported by experienced international tutors.

All our courses include a complete set of internationally acclaimed study material which has been developed to ensure that students have maximum control over what they learn, the way they learn it, and the pace at which they work.

IBTC also works closely with a variety of professional institutions to support skills training and education. We believe in providing local students with access to international qualifications, bringing you closer to your professional goals and success in the workplace.

IBTC’s role is to support students in the accounting and business management field in successfully completing their exams.

Courses include:

• CIMA - Certificate, Operational, Managerial, Gateway Assessment, and Strategic Level
• ACCA - Fundamental & Professional Level
• FIA - Introductory, Intermediate, Diploma and Certified Accounting Technician Level
• CFA - Level 1 – 3
• ICB ACCOUNTING - Foundation, Intermediate, Upper Intermediate & Advanced Level
• ICB ADMINISTRATION - Foundation, Intermediate & Advanced Level

Job Search e-learning empowers South Africa’s unemployed. We all know that unemployment is one of the greatest problems faced by South Africans, this has been the case for some time and will remain so until concrete, wide reaching and actionable interventions are developed and set in motion.

With an overall unemployment rate of around 27% and a youth unemployment rate hovering around 50% these interventions are needed urgently and in all spheres of the economy. From the creation of new job opportunities to empowering job seekers to be able to actively and successfully secure appropriate jobs. Angelo Pereira Managing Director of GOAL2WORK Jobseekers Toolkit said; “There are many programmes and interventions directed at attempting to reduce the unprecedented unemployment rate in South Africa.

However with the large scale of our unemployment crisis, reaching all of those affected personally becomes logistically almost impossible.” “We have found that whilst we were touching over a thousand individuals annually via our face to face workshops; which are designed to provide a clearly defined course of action aimed at viable positioning in the market in the shortest possible time, this was only a drop in the very large ocean of those needing to learn the essential skill of searching for and securing meaningful employment.”

When considering various options for expanding the reach of the GOAL2WORK programme it soon became apparent that e-learning was the most viable route to follow.

“Most of our target audience, even those in remote areas and with limited financial resources, had access to at least one device with which they could access the internet, mainly via their cell phones.” said Pereira.

With this in mind GOAL2WORK set about developing an e-learning version of their powerful lecture led workshops which teaches the abilities required to develop and implement a successful job search plan whilst reinforcing self-esteem and addressing many other obstacles a jobseeker may face. “It took us over a year to develop a programme which would provide all of the required content in an engaging, fun and interactive way.

The programme is fully animated with voice over, gamification, and interactive exercises.” On the technical front the programme was developed in modules which download as they play and are small enough not to require extensive data. Should users choose they can complete the programme using data on their phones or view small snippets “on the go” and then cover more of the programme when Wi-Fi is available or on home pc’s and tablets.

The GOAL2WORK e-learning programme is now completed and the company is exceptionally excited to make it available to as many unemployed South Africans as possible. Pereira added, ”we have already made the programme available for individuals to purchase via our website, however we are now actively looking for corporate, government and educational institution partnerships to spread the programme as widely as possible to those unemployed South Africans who so desperately need assistance.”

Contact: Angelo at 011 949-9000, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., www.goal2work.co.za for further information.

Cape Town Edtech startup Angaza Ltd has launched a disruptive smartphone app which helps high-school learners be brilliant at maths. MindZu (www.mindzu.com) is an exquisitely crafted learning experience, whose gorgeous graphics and slick interface just make you want to explore. 

Godfrey Parkin and Karen Parkin, of Cape Town’s digital strategy firm Britefire, are two of Angaza’s founders. According to Godfrey, “MindZu raises the bar for STEAM e-learning. Clichéd teacher videos are replaced with animated fantasy and fun, while comprehensively covering the full year’s curriculum. Learning is mission-based – you have to rescue your friends from the clutches of the Army of Meh, using maths as your super-power. Every second is colourful, stimulating and motivating. Learners are in control of what they learn, and how fast they learn it. Performance systems let them know what they missed, where they need to focus, and where they are brilliant. Gamified challenges and rewards are woven into personalised learning journeys. And learners are not alone – they can connect with others in their class or around the world. MindZu runs on basic Android smartphones, online or offline. And it’s all available for a fraction of the cost of conventional e-learning.”

Angaza’s goal is to make a superb learning experience universally affordable.

Over the coming months MindZu will roll out the maths and sciences curricula for the last two years of high school. According to Godfrey Parkin, the year before matric is the tipping point for most learners. “This is where maths gets hard, and where many learners start to hate it. This is the point where potential future doctors, engineers and scientists choose an alternate career path. It is where learners with an interest in the arts turn away from an opportunity to add new dimensions to their creative mind. This is the point where Angaza decided to make a difference.” For now, it's available only in India.

He explained that the bootstrapped startup has to quickly achieve operational profitability. “Why are we launching in India and not South Africa? To keep MindZu amazingly affordable, our margins are razor thin. So we need to launch in a market with real volume potential. India gives us a vast market already highly receptive to mobile education. But we will bring MindZu to Africa later this year, probably through a sponsor or business partner.”

MindZu is the culmination of years of work by a global team of educational writers, game developers, instructional designers, animators and user experience experts. Angaza’s founders are deeply experienced in education and technology. Khalaf Rashid was the resident partner and CEO of Macmillan Publishers in Tanzania. Karen Parkin is a UX expert with a history of computer games production and award winning digital projects in major European and US corporations. Kwang Lee is an artist, animator and creative director. Godfrey Parkin is a digital strategist, and was one of the original pioneers of e-learning in the US.

You can find out more about MindZu at www.mindzu.com.

Contact: Godfrey Parkin, CEO, at +27 21 794 7838 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Education is too expensive and does not prepare students for the workplace. These are the lamentations of both employers and students across Africa. Why are educational institutions not changing their curricula fast enough to provide relevant education that satisfies industry skills demands? What do students really pay for when getting an education?These are some of the questions that Edzai Conilias Zvobwo has been asking for years.

Out of disgruntlement from the rhetoric and low pace of change, Edzai, popularly known as “The MathsGenius” has decided to be the change he would like to see.Edzai is on a mission to facilitate the free delivery of relevant skills to anyone who wants to learn. “In the information age, knowledge is free, and students are merely paying for accreditation and associated prestige that comes with institutional names”, said Zvobwo who has created an online platform that offers free courses and educational insights on all subjects.According to information on the platform’s homepage, MathsGee is an online content recycling initiative.

The platform serves as a bank for educational content in the form of courses.

The content on MathsGee is free for everyone, everywhere and anytime. The courses are being developed in conjunction with organizations that are willing to share knowledge and contribute in solving the educational crisis across the continent.To bridge the expectation gap between students and employers, it is necessary to co-create learning paths that are focused on skills and not necessarily labelled as degrees or diplomas.

What industry needs are skills and not qualifications. MathsGee offers this opportunity to employers to communicate their expectations to the future workforce to avoid discord.In line with the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, MathsGee is also tackling the exclusivity of education by providing all courses for free. If one has an internet connection, then they will be able to learn any skill anytime and anywhere.It is important that all stakeholders rethink about what education is relevant and how it should be delivered.

For more information on the initiative you can send an //mathsgee.com/joburg-social-entrepreneur-on-a-mission-to-democratize-education-delivery-in-africa/This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">email  or simply use the “Contact Us” form on the platform.