Invest in Africa Now! : eLearning Africa conference set for 26-28 September in Kigali
“From the perspectives of both learning and private sector development, it is time for Africa to leapfrog to technology for skills development in businesses” this is how M’Hamed Cherif, the founder & general director of Invest in Africa Now! describes the use of new technologies for professional training in businesses, the theme of the session that will be organised at the prestigious eLearning Africa, scheduled to take place in Kigali, Rwanda, on next 26-28 September.
The session, themed Funding of Technologies for Training in Businesses and curated by Invest In Africa Now!, will be presented and animated by a panel composed of policy makers, business leaders and financiers aiming at exploring the nexus between learning & skills development, technology and funding, framing a lively and interactive exchange of ideas and information on this topic.
The education global market is currently estimated to be worth around $5 trillion, and it is forecasted that investment in education technology alone will reach over $250 billion by the year 2020. Edtech companies are being started at a staggering rate. In this global context, Africa is becoming one of the most dynamic e-learning markets and Edtech companies have begun getting funding, especially in startup hubs in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria.
- Read >> 4 Key Essentials of E-learning in Africa
- Read >>3 basic EdTech features everyone should know
Africa is successfully leveraging its mobile technologies for the educational needs. An increasing number of small and large-scale initiatives distribute already educational materials, support reading, enable peer-to-peer learning and remote tutoring through social networking services and improve communication between concerned parties. Cost-effective solutions are now available even to SMEs for training and skills upgrading.
Both investors and entrepreneurs are rightly savvy and circumspect about how capital is shaping the companies and products for learning and development. However, for technology to successfully serve the learning and development market, financiers and entrepreneurs face a subtle and complex reality. Therefore, there is a need to glimpse into the landscape of funding Edtech and to better understand investors’ – and their partners – motivation and how the money flows into Edtech companies, as well their ecosystem.
Speaking about the outputs of the session, which is expected to be one of the most innovative, Mr. Cherif says: “The session is expected to lead to a concrete proposal on how to leverage eLearning Africa to enable African entrepreneurs to share their insights on how to develop and scale up their ventures, as well as pitch their businesses to mentors, ecosystem enablers, advisors, ad investors. The proposal should operationalize the findings of the exploration of the nexus between learning & development, technology and funding.”
