How Injini Became Africa’s First EdTech Incubator
How Injini Became Africa’s First EdTech Incubator. Injini is described as Africa’s first EdTech incubator and it is based in Cape Town, South Africa. The company’s mission is to increase quality, access and relevance of education throughout Sub-Saharan Africa through supporting EdTech entrepreneurs with high potential innovations and generating localised EdTech research that drives data-led decision making.
Since 2017, Injini has run dozens of programmes and events all aiming to stimulate growth and development across sub-Saharan Africa’s EdTech ecosystem. One of Injini’s primary EdTech Ecosystem Development initiatives has historically taken the form of bootcamp or “sprint week” programmes designed to equip ideation-stage innovators and early-stage entrepreneurs with the fundamentals they’ll need to run an EdTech business in the sub-Saharan African context. Among other support, Injini and partners work with beneficiaries to help them gain a better understanding of the myths and evidence in education, design viable EdTech business models and pitch their EdTech solutions to stakeholders and prospective partners. The also hosts and powers EdTech events throughout Africa that are designed to prompt local stakeholders to engage in meaningful conversations on the need for innovation in education delivery in their communities with the aim to identify potential solutions to fill the gaps.
So far, Injini has hosted or co-hosted events and programmes in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Tanzania, Zambia, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria – with plans to reach EdTech innovators in even more African markets in the coming years. Improving educational outcomes on the African continent is not achievable without a strong community intent on changing the status Quo. The company believes that in order to make progress in addressing the daunting challenges facing the African education sector, stakeholders across the board need to rally together.
Injini’s EdTech events are all about bringing people together to discuss education issues on the ground, while the programmes Injini runs aim to build up capacity amongst entrepreneurs and future changemakers in the sector. These small steps will bring the company closer to a future where quality education is accessible and relevant to all Africans.
