Schoolnet South Africa

What Schoolnet South Africa does

SchoolNet South Africa is a registered non-profit company (NPO 030-817, PBO 130003557) and Level 1 BBBEE contributor headquartered in Johannesburg, founded in the 1990s to advance ICT integration in South African education. It operates a portfolio of interconnected programs built around the Educators' Network (EDN) online platform, including the SACE-accredited C-DELTA digital leadership training, the ICT4RED tablet-integration course, the Intel Teach program, and a curated Curriculum Resources ToolKit. The organization also runs a bi-annual Digital Learning Conference rotating across provinces and the 2025-vintage InnovateEd: Code & Create coding/robotics initiative, and acts as the South African implementing partner for global vendors and the Commonwealth of Learning's C-DELTA framework.

The organization's technology stack is modest and pragmatic: a WordPress-based public website, an EDN self-serve membership platform at edn.schoolnet.org.za, Diigo-based resource curation, YouTube-hosted webinar recordings, and delivery of training through digital and low-tech methods suited to load-shedding and connectivity-constrained environments. Proprietary assets are content- and curriculum-oriented rather than software-oriented, with the 2026 Curriculum Resources document serving as the primary IP-rich asset.

SchoolNet's revenue model is a non-profit hybrid: donations and corporate sponsorships (with Section 18A tax certificates), a Premium Membership Programme for educators, ticketed conference revenue sold through Webtickets and Pick n Pay, and project-based grants from partners such as DGMT, Vodacom Foundation, Ciena, and the Department of Basic Education. Most training programs and resources are delivered free to educators, with funding intermediated through the organization's donor, government, and corporate partnership portfolio.

Name

Schoolnet South Africa

Legal name

SchoolNet South Africa

Website

https://schoolnet.org.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SchoolNet South Africa is a Johannesburg-based non-profit, founded in the 1990s, that delivers ICT professional development, digital curriculum resources, and the Educators' Network platform to teachers, schools, and education departments across South Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Teacher Professional Development

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Curriculum, Lesson Planning & Instructional Content Platforms (EDAJAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Teacher-Led Digital Lesson Packages & Instructional Resources (EDAFACAL), K–12 Instructional Design & Curriculum Development Services (EDAGAKAA)

Keywords

• Teacher professional development
• Digital education resources
• ICT integration training
• Educator networking
• Coding and robotics education

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorships: As a non-profit organization, SchoolNet SA relies heavily on donations and sponsorships from corporate partners, government departments, and civil society organizations. They hold Level 1 BBBEE contributor status and PBO (Public Benefit Organisation) status, enabling them to provide Section 18A sponsorship letters for tax purposes to donors.
2. Membership Programme: SchoolNet offers a Premium Member Programme providing enhanced benefits to educators who join the network. The Educators' Network platform facilitates membership signup and database access.
3. Conference Fees: Revenue generated from ticket sales for the bi-annual Digital Learning Conference. Tickets are sold through Webtickets, Pick n Pay stores, and direct bank deposit.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

SchoolNet South Africa provides teacher professional development programmes, digital education resources, and the Educators' Network online community for educators across South Africa. The organisation delivers ICT integration training, hosts the annual Digital Learning Conference, and runs specialised programmes such as C-DELTA, ICT4RED, Intel Teach, and InnovateEd: Code & Create. It operates as a registered non-profit (NPO 030-817, PBO 130003557) focused on improving teaching practice in resource-constrained South African school environments.

Product overview

SchoolNet South Africa operates as a non-profit organization focused on digital education transformation in South African schools. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected products and programs: the core SchoolNet Educators Network (EDN) platform provides the central hub for educator membership and access to resources, while specific training initiatives like the ICT4RED course, C-DELTA program, and Intel Teach programme deliver structured professional development. The Curriculum Resources ToolKit serves as a curated resource library integrated within this ecosystem, and the InnovateEd: Code & Create project extends coding and robotics education. The bi-annual Digital Learning Conference serves as a flagship event for showcasing and advancing digital education practices across the country.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SchoolNet Educators Network (EDN) Online community platform that connects educators across South Africa, providing a space to share digital education resources, discuss teaching practices, and access professional development opportunities.
• Digital Learning Conference Annual in-person conference that brings together South African educators to explore digital learning, ICT integration, and innovative classroom practice.
• ICT4RED Teacher Professional Development Course Structured course training teachers on ICT integration into classroom practice, designed specifically for resource-constrained South African school environments.
• C-DELTA Program Curriculum and Digital Learning for Teachers in Africa programme developed with international partners to advance digital teaching practice across the continent.
• Curriculum Resources ToolKit Digital collection of curriculum resources and teaching materials aligned with the South African CAPS curriculum, designed for teacher use in lesson planning and classroom delivery.
• Intel Teach Programme Teacher training programme delivered in partnership with Intel, focused on integrating technology into classroom instruction and digital pedagogy.
• InnovateEd: Code & Create Coding and robotics education programme targeted at SMMEs and business leaders to build digital skills and innovation capacity in the South African workforce.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500 SMME leaders trained in digital literacy through UKZN partnership
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• MicrosoftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with Microsoft including participation in Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert (MIEE) program, access to Microsoft tools and technologies, and collaboration on professional development initiatives. SchoolNet SA team members have been selected for MIEE status.
• Commonwealth of Learning (COL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver C-DELTA (Commonwealth Digital Education Leadership Training in Action) program in South Africa. SchoolNet SA serves as the implementing partner for national teacher professional development using the C-DELTA platform.
• TelkomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTelkom Connected Schools Programme implementing digital education initiatives in schools. SchoolNet SA provides training and support through Digital Support Specialists monitoring technical issues and internet connectivity.
• VodacommajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner supporting SchoolNet SA's digital education initiatives through the Vodacom Foundation.
• IntelmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership delivering Intel Teach program providing professional development courses for educators on technology integration.
• Digital PromisemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration through the Ciena Solutions Challenge, a global challenge-based learning program. SchoolNet SA won the 2025 Sustainability Award for 'InnovateEd: Code & Create'.
• CienamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Ciena Solutions Challenge supporting coding and robotics education in South African schools through the $3,000 USD Sustainability Award.
• University of Fort HareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership supporting digital education initiatives and research.
• University of KwaZulu-NatalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver 'Introduction to Digital Literacy Fundamentals' program to 500 SMME business leaders and cooperative representatives.
• CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration through the CSIR Meraka Institute on ICT research and development for education.
• Department of Basic EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner supporting national education initiatives and curriculum implementation.
• KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Education DepartmentmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of the 2024 Digital Learning Conference with over 350 educators attending.
• MTNminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner supporting digital education initiatives.
• British CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational cultural relations organization partnering on education initiatives.
• RotaryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerService organization partnership supporting educational projects and community initiatives.
• iEARNminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Education and Resource Network facilitating global collaborative projects for schools.
• Nal'ibaliminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Storyplay workshops connecting storytelling with play-based learning for early literacy.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• ADvTECH: Largest private education group in South Africa operating schools, colleges, and tertiary institutions. Comparable only in the broadest sense as a major South African education ecosystem player whose schools are potential users of SchoolNet's teacher-training programs.
• Khan Academy: Global non-profit providing free, standards-aligned K-12 educational video lessons and practice tools with translation into many languages. Comparable as a large-scale K-12 digital curriculum and teacher resource non-profit competing for the same educator mindshare.
• Via Afrika: Established South African educational publisher providing CAPS-aligned textbooks, digital content, and teacher support materials. Comparable to SchoolNet SA as a domestic K-12 content and curriculum provider, though operating as a for-profit commercial publisher.
• Commonwealth of Learning: Intergovernmental organization supporting open learning and distance education across Commonwealth countries. Comparable as the international body that provides C-DELTA, the framework SchoolNet SA implements, and that has featured SchoolNet in published case studies.

Direct peers

• Nal'ibali: South African literacy-focused non-profit driving reading-for-pleasure campaigns and Storyplay workshops in schools. Directly comparable as a South African education non-profit partnering with SchoolNet SA on shared literacy initiatives.
• African Storybook: Non-profit initiative producing openly licensed picture storybooks for African-language literacy. Directly comparable as a South Africa-based literacy-focused non-profit and existing SchoolNet SA partner.
• Snapplify: South African digital education content distribution platform serving schools and publishers with e-textbooks, LMS tools, and learning apps. Comparable to SchoolNet SA as a fellow South African edtech intermediary supporting K-12 digital content delivery.
• Siyavula: South African edtech company producing open, CAPS-aligned digital STEM textbooks and practice tools for K-12 learners. Directly comparable to SchoolNet SA in its focus on South African school curriculum and digital learning resources for under-resourced contexts.

Emerging players

• uLesson: Nigerian-backed edtech company producing video-based curriculum content for African secondary-school learners via app and offline packs. Comparable as an emerging African K-12 edtech player expanding across the continent with similar low-bandwidth design considerations.

Others

• DGMT (DG Murray Trust): South African philanthropic foundation investing in education, technology, and early childhood development. Comparable as a funder in the same South African education ecosystem; listed in SchoolNet SA's data as a major financial partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/SchoolNetSA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SchoolNetSA/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/SchoolNet-SA/125361914200052
• Instagraminstagram.com/schoolnetsa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schoolnet-south-africa

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 Schoolnet South Africa