Akello, a digital edtech company focused on transforming African education through technology, today launched an end-to-end digital learning platform that is set to broaden access to learning opportunities for millions across Africa.
“We want to increase access to education across sub-Saharan Africa and level the digital learning field by offering products that target all learners, from those in early childhood learning right up to young adults that are looking to develop new skills and expand their knowledge base,” said Elizabeth Tanya Masiyiwa, the chief executive of Akello.
According to Masiyiwa, two-thirds of sub-Saharan African youth between the ages 5 and 24 are considered under-educated due to limited access to learning opportunities.
“Akello seeks to address that by transforming and elevating the way young Africans learn by ensuring digital access to the best education from wherever they may be on the African continent,” she said.
Akello, a subsidiary of the Econet Group, will offer digital products aligned to national curriculums and local identities including, among others, Akello Smart Learning and Akello Pre-School.
“We are excited to offer Akello Smart Learning, a revolutionary product providing an interactive digital learning platform experience for primary and high school learners, along with Akello Pre- School, a seamless learning platform for early years educators, tutors and home-schooling parents, which allows ease of teaching and learning,” Masiyiwa said, adding that the company would soon be rolling out additional products, among them Akello Library, Akello Hub and Akello Quiz.
Akello General Manager Ms Vimbai Gwata, said Akello’s strategy was to make quality, online learning products as widely accessible as possible to all Africans, despite the negative impact the COVID pandemic has had on learning opportunities on the continent.
“With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns, learners more than ever before require alternative learning tools to help them advance their education.
“Our Akello digital learning platform is positioned to do just that, and tackle the gap created by missed learning opportunities, whether they are due to the existing shortage of physical textbooks and teachers in some nations, or due to the impact of the current lockdowns on learners across the continent,” Gwata said.