$1.5 billion. This is the value of the distance education market in Africa by 2030, according to the consulting firm Ambient Insight. Figures that say a lot about the potential. In Africa, even if there are challenges such as internet access in certain areas, there is agreement that e-learning is clearly the future of education. Both by the flexibility it allows, and by the possibility of offering more modern offers to learners.
Rebecca Stromeyer CEO and founder of e-Learning Africa is playing her part with e-learning Africa Academy. After the success of the first two series and due to high demand, it has just launched a five-module course. The presentation of the different courses says a lot about relevance. The initial module, she explains. Taught by seasoned experts like Ferhana Dostmohamed, senior consultant in learning and talent development, the courses vary. For example, some modules, says Rebecca Stromeyer, "help organizations navigate transformations, from developing strategies to workforce development to providing guided support for implementation." fluidity of technologies, the creation of organized content for digital and others”.
“The African educational technology market is growing very quickly”
Although there is still a long way to go, the awareness is real. According to Rebecca Stromeyer, “the African educational technology market is growing very quickly. Businesses see the potential, while policy and planners know that technological advances have created a historic opportunity to ensure sustainable and permanent economic growth. This is also the reason why she dedicated the last edition of her conference held in Dakar in May 2023 to innovation and AI which, according to her, mark a moment of transformation in African education. “This is the era of new solutions, problem solving methods. It’s about rethinking the empowerment of people and making it easier for them to acquire the skills they need,” she persisted.
Multiple initiatives
Today mayonnaise seems to have caught on to such an extent that initiatives continue to spring up almost everywhere. This is the case of the Africa digital campus project, co-constructed by the IRD. In addition to the scripting, design and implementation of online courses, then the evaluation of distance learning, teacher-researchers are working, for example, on the establishment of an African educational digital community.
In Senegal, to meet strong demand, the State launched the Virtual University of Senegal. It has become, according to its officials, the first fully digital public university in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa and the second in terms of numbers in Senegal. Furthermore, during the political crises that shook the country in June, Senegalese public universities were forced to close. Online teaching has made it possible to fill the gap. In Morocco, thanks to relatively cheaper prices and accessibility, online teaching is very successful. Today, more than 110,000 digital resources are now available on all university platforms. Better still, since the launch of distance learning, 3,000 digital resources have been created and use of the platform has reached 600,000 per day, even though the country does not have virtual universities.