E-learning is Transforming Education in Africa Amid Multiple Challenges

A 50-student classroom with one teacher and an awful looking building would come to mind if you attended public school in Africa. The continent has come a long way from that, with the advent of technology and e-learning. Not that classrooms with such inhumane-conditions don’t still exist. They do, but are being phased rapidly by technological advancement and modern opportunities in digital education.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, e-learning had already gained wide acceptance in the western world and was slowly being welcomed as a thing in Africa, in the face of a myriad of challenges. Then the virus hit and forced everyone to resort to the digital space for any form of education and communication.

Though the lockdowns were lifted, things would not remain the same. Dependence on digital space is no longer an option. Whether Africa was ready or not, everybody has had to embrace the new normal – digital schooling – especially as it has become evident that the virus would be with us for a longer time. We have to live with it, despite the barriers and the skepticism of many stakeholders.  

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Major areas of concern include, quality and reliability of available hardware and software, internet access, as well as quality and effectiveness of delivery in the area of practical skills. Africa’s e-learning market is growing rapidly. The market reached a value of around USD 905 million in 2020 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.5% between 2021 and 2026 to reach about USD 2073 million by 2026, according to a report by imarc.

The e-learning market is segmented into three types – packaged content, services, and platforms. According to the above report, packaged content accounts for the majority of the total market. Packaged contents are materials prepared according to the standard curriculum and the requirements of end-users. It is then accessed through payment of fees or subscriptions. In the corporate, skilled and vocational training sectors, packaged content is used for providing generic functional and process-relation training…

EDITOR’S NOTE: Read the entire piece here. It’s on page 74 of our latest edition, ’20 Trending & Most Profitable Business Ideas in 2021′.