While the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on many small businesses, non-profit organizations and social enterprises, there are some business models that were able to take strategic advantage of the opportunities that lockdown and the rapid migration to online solutions have provided.
Interestingly, many social enterprises and not-for-profit companies were well poised to scale their offering to meet the increased market demand. One inspiring example of this is Cape Town-based education technology pioneers, School in a Box (SIB).
From January – September 2021, the organization increased its sales income by 473% and branched out into two new African countries. School in a Box now provides tablet-based educational solutions at 245 sites across three countries in the SADC region, offering over 22,000 resources to users across the educational landscape.
With the ongoing challenges in the education sector, the SIB model for virtual learning is well-placed to give learners an early start to vital online educational support. The game changer that School in a Box brings is that learners and teachers can access all this interactive content on their tablets even when offline, through a bespoke tech solution that SIB has developed over the past five years. This includes a UPS system that allows for uninterrupted learning even where electricity is inconsistent.
The current focus is on moving towards a full school offering, incorporating CAPS-aligned content from Grade R to Grade 12 and including teacher lessons and resources as part of the package.
Given the challenges and lack of resources that so many young South Africans face in accessing decent education, it is heartening to see organizations like School in a Box creating lasting and sustainable impact across an ever-increasing number of communities.
