Teach with Africa

What Teach with Africa does

Teach With Africa is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2007 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, that operates reciprocal educator exchange programs between the United States and South Africa. The organization facilitates month-long classroom immersions for South African and U.S. teachers through its South Africa-U.S. Educator Exchange Program, partners with LEAP Science and Maths Schools to jointly operate the Global Teachers Institute (GTI) Future Leaders Program training new teachers across 30+ public schools in 5 South African provinces, and convenes an annual GTI Axis Summit that has drawn over 1,000 educators. Its core operating partners are LEAP Science and Maths Schools (serving 1,500 current students and 2,200 graduates in South African townships, with a 94% matriculation pass rate versus a 28% non-LEAP baseline) and GTI, which became a separate legal nonprofit in 2017.

The organization operates with no proprietary technology product, relying instead on direct service delivery, partner school placements in the Bay Area and South Africa, a host family network, and event-driven programming. Its technology footprint is limited to a WordPress-based website and third-party learning platforms (Google Classroom, IXL, Moodle) deployed at partner schools via team4tech. Revenue is generated exclusively through donations, corporate and foundation grants, board contributions, and event-based fundraising (e.g., the 18th Annual Celebration honoring John Gilmour), with no pricing tiers or commercial product offerings. Distribution is partnership-mediated: Bay Area schools such as Cathedral School for Boys, Hamlin School, Town School for Boys, Gateway Middle School, Nueva, and St. Ignatius host South African educators, while South African partner schools host U.S. GTI Fellows and visiting delegations.

The organization is led by co-founders Marjorie (Margie) Schlenoff and Larry Schlenoff, supported by Senior Community and Education Consultant Flora Mugambi-Mutunga, and governed by a Board of Directors. It holds GuideStar (Candid) Transparency Seal recognition and 501(c)(3) status (EIN 26-1649233). Recent strategic activity includes a 2023 Maryland program pilot expanding U.S. operations beyond the Bay Area, engagement with the South African Department of Basic Education to scale GTI into Northern Cape Province, and exploratory partnerships in Kenya (The SEED School, Kibera) and Zambia (Tongabezi Trust School) suggesting potential pan-African expansion.

Name

Teach with Africa

Legal name

Teach With Africa

Website

https://teachwithafrica.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Teach With Africa is a San Francisco-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2007 that runs reciprocal educator exchange programs between the United States and South Africa, partnering with LEAP Science and Maths Schools and the Global Teachers Institute to train teachers and serve township schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute to the organization's operations and programs. The organization runs donation campaigns including year-end matching gifts.
2. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Organizations like W.L. Butler provide grants ($5,000 year-end gift) and board members contribute collectively ($3,000).

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Teach With Africa facilitates reciprocal, month-long classroom exchanges between South African and U.S. (Bay Area) K-12 educators through its South Africa-U.S. Educator Exchange Program, and jointly runs the Global Teachers Institute (GTI) Fellowship/Future Leaders Program that trains new teachers in over 30 South African public schools across 5 provinces. Programs are delivered through partnerships with LEAP Science and Maths Schools and a network of Bay Area host schools and host families, complemented by an annual GTI Axis Summit and an engaged alumni community.

Product overview

Teach With Africa operates as a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of educational exchange programs connecting South African and U.S. educators. The core offerings include the South Africa-U.S. Educator Exchange Program (reciprocal month-long classroom exchanges), the Global Teachers Institute (GTI) Fellowship Program (teacher training through international placement), and the annual GTI Axis Summit (professional development conference). These programs are complemented by Social Responsibility Projects and an Alumni Network. The organization does not offer a technology product, software platform, or SaaS solution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• South Africa-U.S. Educator Exchange Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% of LEAP township students pass the High School Matriculation Test vs only 28% of non-LEAP students
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and primary.

• LEAP Science and Maths SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Core South African partner organization founded by John Gilmour. LEAP operates schools in South African townships serving black students from lowest economic strata. Teach With Africa partners with LEAP to provide educator exchanges and jointly established the Global Teachers Institute. LEAP has 2,200 graduates and 1,500 current students with 94% matriculation pass rate.
• Global Teachers Institute (GTI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Teacher development network established jointly by Teach With Africa and LEAP in 2012. GTI focuses on narrowing South Africa's teacher shortage through its Future Leaders Program, training new teachers in over 30 public schools in 5 provinces. Since 2017 as separate entity, GTI has graduated 68 Future Leaders who became teachers. Hosts annual Axis Summit with 1,000+ educators attending.
• team4techsupportingTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner that helped support LEAP schools during COVID-19 lockdown by introducing online platforms including Google Classroom, IXL, and Moodle.
• AmazonsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner that helped LEAP schools set up a computer lab through partnership support.
• Cathedral School for BoysprimaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBay Area independent school hosting South African educators in the exchange program. Alumni Cedusizi Mthethwa partnered with teacher Kristen Goggin.
• The Hamlin SchoolprimaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBay Area school for girls participating in educator exchange, hosting interns and sending delegations to South Africa for GTI Axis Summit.
• Town School for BoysprimaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBay Area school that has donated 10 Mac Airbook laptops to LEAP 3 Maths and Science School in Alexandra. Staff member Flora Mugambi-Mutunga serves as TWA Senior Community and Education Consultant.
• Gateway Middle SchoolsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBay Area charter school participating in educator exchange program hosting South African interns.
• Katherine Delmar Burke SchoolsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBay Area independent school hosting South African interns including those focused on mathematics education.
• NedbanksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth African bank that partnered with TWA Fellows for Mandela Day community outreach, assisting with food packaging for those in need.
• Virgin Unite (Pride 'n Purpose Preschools)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerVirgin Unite helped build and run Pride 'n Purpose Preschools in Dumphries, South Africa. TWA conducted workshops with these preschools.
• Tongabezi Trust SchoolsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreschool in Zambia where TWA continued partnership and coordinated pen pal exchange between kindergarten students.
• The SEED SchoolsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly childhood through 7th grade school in Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya (largest urban informal settlement in Africa). TWA team visited to assess professional development training needs.
• Department of Basic Education (South Africa)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth African government department acknowledged GTI's important work and expressed excitement about expanding GTI into Northern Cape Province. South Africa has over 24,000 teacher vacant posts.
• The Nueva SchoolsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBay Area school participating in TWA & GTI Virtual Educator's Exchange Summit.
• St. IgnatiussupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBay Area school participating in educator exchange and Axis Summit programs.
• The Bay School of San FranciscosupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBay Area school that participated in intern visits as part of expanding global networks.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AFS Intercultural Programs: Global nonprofit running intercultural exchange programs in 50+ countries with a long-standing reputation. Comparable as an exchange-based education nonprofit, though AFS focuses primarily on student (not educator) exchange.
• LEAP Science and Maths Schools: Core South African implementation partner running schools in townships with 2,200 graduates and a 94% matriculation pass rate. Directly comparable as a mission-aligned K-12 education nonprofit with measurable outcomes for underserved learners.
• Participate Learning (formerly VIF International Education): U.S.-based organization that recruits and places international educators in American K-12 classrooms. Comparable in facilitating cross-border educator exchange and building cultural understanding between partner countries.
• Global Teachers Institute: TWA's jointly established partner entity focused on South African teacher training through the Future Leaders Program. Spun off from LEAP in 2017 and operates in 30+ public schools across 5 provinces — the closest operational peer to TWA's GTI Fellowship and Axis Summit offerings.

Emerging players

• iEARN (International Education and Resource Network): Global K-12 network facilitating collaborative project-based learning and educator exchange across 140+ countries. Comparable as a nonprofit enabling cross-border educator connections, though with a more distributed/virtual model.
• African Leadership University: Pan-African higher education institution focused on developing ethical and entrepreneurial leaders; previously employed GTI's former Executive Director Dr. Fay Hodza. Comparable as an African education mission-driven institution with cross-cultural exchange elements.

Broad incumbents

• Teach For All: Global network of independent partner organizations in 60+ countries recruiting future leaders into teaching. Comparable as a teacher-development nonprofit with an international footprint, including Africa partners.
• Teach For America: Major U.S. nonprofit placing educators in underserved schools. Comparable mission around addressing educational inequity through teacher talent, though domestically focused rather than cross-border.
• Fulbright Scholar Program (U.S. Department of State): U.S. government flagship international academic exchange program placing U.S. educators and scholars abroad. Comparable as a high-reputation educator exchange program, though operating at vastly larger scale and scope.

Others

• Volunteers for International Partnership (VIP): Nonprofit placing volunteer U.S. professionals in international education roles across multiple countries. Comparable as a nonprofit facilitating cross-border educator placement and capacity building in partner countries.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TeachWithAfrica
• Facebookfacebook.com/teachwithafrica
• Instagraminstagram.com/teachwithafrica
• Xx.com/teachwithafrica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Teach with Africa