The African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD) has launched the draft African EdTech 2030: Vision, Plan and Policy framework for consultation and stakeholder input.
The new vision sets out an achievable roadmap to transform African education systems through technology whilst positioning the continent as the global leader in mobile-first, locally-relevant digital learning. The vision, mission and policy framework were unveiled during the STEMtastic Adventures! Africa symposium.
Aligned with Agenda 2063, STISA-2034, CESA 2026-2035, and the AU Digital Transformation Strategy, the vision, plan and policy framework envisage a Pan-African EdTech transformation grounded in continental leadership and local innovation.
“The draft vision, plan and policy framework aim to catalyse an accelerated transformation in education for the continent: leveraging local innovation and leadership in Edtech to make Africa’s education systems more inclusive, resilient and innovation-driven, as envisaged by Agenda 2063 and the AU Digital Education Strategy,” Said Dr. Barbara Glover, Program Officer, Integrated Vector Management Programme (IVM), AUDA-NEPAD.
The framework capitalises on Africa’s unique position to bypass traditional educational infrastructure constraints.
“Schools can harness offline and mobile-first technologies to reach marginalised learners,” noted framework developers, highlighting how solutions designed for intermittent connectivity and basic smartphones can be exported globally to serve similar conditions worldwide.
The framework establishes an ambitious yet achievable vision: “Every African learner—regardless of gender, location, disability or background—has affordable access to high-quality, localised digital learning resources on reliable devices, within an inclusive ecosystem that fosters innovation and entrepreneurship.”
The Vision & Plan responds to urgent continental challenges. With Africa’s youthful population, over 60% under age 25, projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050, quality education becomes critical for sustained growth.
“It is time for a Pan‑African EdTech transformation: one that turns connectivity and content investments into improved learning, inclusion, and economic opportunity for every learner,” emphasised John Kimotho, highlighting the urgency of coordinated continental action.
The African EdTech 2030 Vision & Plan advances six strategic objectives:
- Access and infrastructure: Expand digital access via low-cost devices, solar solutions, and offline-first technologies, building on the fact that smartphone ownership among teachers already exceeds 90% in South Africa and ranges between 30-65% in countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya.
- Courseware development: Promote locally made, curriculum-aligned, multilingual digital courseware, including successful examples such as Senegal’s Wolof-language XamXam platform serving 1.2 million users.
- Teacher capacity: Upskill teachers in digital pedagogy, content curation, and data use with specific emphasis on fostering positive attitudes and building confidence in using technology for learning.
- Interoperability and standards: Institutionalise vendor-neutral interoperability frameworks through AUDA-NEPAD’s standards-based vendor-neutral EdTech policy framework.
- Policy and governance: Support data privacy, equitable funding, and regulatory harmonisation across the continent.
- Data and research: Generate and use robust data and research to guide policy, monitor learning outcomes, and ensure continuous improvement.
Implementation will take place through three phases:
- Foundation building (2024-2026) develops continental policy frameworks enabling cross-border content sharing and establishes technical standards.
- System integration (2026-2028) scales interoperable Digital Public Infrastructure, enabling single sign-on access to multiple educational applications whilst deploying regionally developed courseware.
- Consolidation and export (2029-2030) positions Africa as a global EdTech exporter whilst launching the Pan-African EdTech Innovation and Research Hub.
The Digital Public Infrastructure as a public good approach means teachers won’t juggle multiple passwords and platforms, instead accessing integrated educational tools through unified systems whilst maintaining local language and curriculum relevance.