Business Issues Report: Insights for Education Development

Overview 🔎

As a co-author of the report Towards the NDP 2030 Vision for Education: Emerging Insights from Rapid Conversations with the Private Sector on Improving Education and Training in South Africa, I collaborated with Godwin Khosa, Nimrod Mbele, and Cebisa Ncube to examine the role of the private sector in strengthening South Africa’s education system. The report, developed with insights from nine corporate organisations, analysed corporate social investment (CSI) in education, challenges to collaboration, and policy gaps affecting reform efforts.

Project Details 🤝

The report aimed to consolidate private sector perspectives on education improvement, identify key barriers to effective collaboration, and propose solutions for stronger public-private partnerships. Key findings included:

• Corporate Investment: Private companies collectively spend around R10 billion annually on education, with individual contributions ranging from R30 to R80 million annually.

• Challenges Identified: Misalignment between national and local policies, labour union interference, inadequate ICT infrastructure, and gaps in teacher preparation, particularly in STEM and early childhood education.

• Success Stories: Programs like Schools of the Future and university partnerships have positively impacted matric pass rates and STEM education.

• Recommendations: The report emphasised the need for structured engagement between business and government, improved digital infrastructure, stronger policy implementation, and better impact measurement of CSI initiatives.

Results ✨

The findings provided actionable insights for corporate stakeholders, policymakers, and education reform advocates. By highlighting both investment successes and systemic challenges, the report contributed to ongoing discussions about achieving the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 vision for education.

Conclusion 💥

This project underscored the critical role of the private sector in education reform and the need for long-term, strategic partnerships with government. Through research-driven analysis and stakeholder engagement, the report serves as a roadmap for impactful CSI investment and policy alignment to drive meaningful change in South Africa’s education landscape.