Techzim

Zimbabwe and regional technology news and updates


Get all your ZIMSEC past exam papers, marking schemes, and notes on WhatsApp with Dzidzo paDen | Imfundwe’ndlini

Access to academic material is a bit tough in Zimbabwe, especially for Primary and Secondary education. There have been a wide variety of apps that are there to offer a solution however these are often reliant on the internet to be able to serve this material. And for most students data is quite the barrier […]


This local eLearning site is looking to bridge the gap for Grade 6 & 7 students

E-learning has been a steadily growing industry in Zimbabwe in the wake of the pandemic and for good reason because no one was prepared for the disruption that would be caused by the stay at home orders on students. Even now when we are returning to something resembling pre-Covid times, there is still a place […]


16 A’s at O-Level, now this young Zimbo has built an e-learning app

Takudzwa Nhongo in 2017, went about trying to find the problem with education in Zimbabwe. In the year prior the ZIMSEC pass rate was 29.96%. To understand what was going wrong, Takudzwa applied to write 18 subjects for his O-Levels and came out of that with 16 A’s and 2 B’s. This was quite a […]


Local e-learning platform Kytte is offering offline accessibility, bite-sized lessons & more

E-learning was one of the major talking points of 2020 what with every sector adjusting to the pandemic. The immediate need to have online and or remote platforms (like TV and radio) was pressing and this was echoed from the highest offices in the land to startups to find solutions. We saw quite a bit […]


NetOne’s 5GB ZWL$1,000 University bundle is a bargain for students

State-owned mobile network operator NetOne was on a launching spree towards the end of last year. The company entered the domestic remittance game with OneRemit and launched a gaming platform. To cap off the year NetOne announced the launch of a University only 5GB bundle that goes for ZWL$1,000. Here’s another exciting innovation for our […]


Zim gets a 3-star rating in UNICEF e-learning readiness report

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) conducted a study across 67 countries to assess their preparedness for e-learning in the event of emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic. UNICEF’s study used three data sources to rank countries on a scale of one to five stars for pre-primary to upper secondary level and they are: Household Level […]


Local e-learning platform partners with German startup hub

EduXpert is a local e-learning platform that allows anyone with expertise or knowledge in a field an avenue to monetise their skills. The site is similar to the US-based service Skillshare but offers Zimbabweans a less complicated way of getting the earnings from their courses because it is all local. EduXpert has announced today that […]


How to watch Udemy videos on your TV

Having pivoted from the finance world to the tech world, Udemy has been instrumental in helping me acquire some much-needed skills in my line of work. I am not a ninja developer but I can fix bugs and create simple plugins for my sites. Again I have mostly Udemy to thank for that. I do […]


Unqualified teacher’s successful WhatsApp class proves all e-learning should lean on WhatsApp

As someone who worked in the education industry for a couple of years, I feel for today’s students. The enforced extended holidays were fun for a while, till they realised their futures were at stake. You could literally see the anxiety on some of these teenagers’ faces. Schools reopened recently and ZIMSEC insists examinations will […]


This local e-learning startup is aiming to replace brick & mortar schools

Last week we reported on EduXpert, a local e-learning startup that offers lessons for pre-primary all the way to trade schools and tertiary education. The platform does this by giving anyone with the skills and qualifications an avenue to monetise their knowledge and experience. On the students’ side of things, they get to pick and […]


Local startup creates a platform where you can teach or learn anything

If you have been on YouTube over the last five years or so then you’ll be familiar with ads for a company called Skillshare. What the firm essentially does is offer anyone who wants to teach or learn a trade or skill the opportunity to do so. It’s basically like the aforementioned YouTube but with […]


Econet’s Akello expands digital learning offerings across Africa

Akello, the e-learning or Ed-tech arm of Econet Group offering digital products aligned to national curriculums and local identities and more, has today announced the launch of an end-to-end digital platform. This enterprise is set to broaden the access of learning opportunities for students across Africa according to the company’s CEO, Elizabeth Tanya Masiyiwa. “We […]


Vambo Academy the latest online African language learning platform

We have all at some point dabbled with learning another language or at the very least thought about it. For some, it may have been because they were in a country where English wasn’t spoken widely or at all. I remember my time in Univesity when I had to learn another language and beyond the […]


Teachers ask govt for free data to conduct online classes but is this the solution?

Teachers have approached the government asking for free data that would allow them to access online resources and platforms in order to conduct online lessons during the lockdown. In a report by NewsDzeZimbabwe, the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has said that there is still a lot that can be done to help teachers […]


Do buy Econet’s eLearning bundles

Why does Econet still have them up on its USSD?


Full Text: Ministry for ICT e-learning strategy

E-learning’s strategy going forward from an ICT perspective.


Only 2864 schools of the nearly 9K in Zim have internet access

Progress is moving at a glacial pace.


POTRAZ measures to facilitate e-learning for rural & underserved communities

The Postal and Telecommunications Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) has given a progress report on old e-learning initiatives as well as new ones set for this year


Has Zim begun the conversation on social justice in the age of digital economies?

Social Justice in the new age of digital economies.


Learning Factory, a multiformat e-learning platform

Learning Factory is an education technology business that is looking to offer O and A Level students with multiformat educational content.


I have been running an eLearning site for six years, here are the lessons I have learned

Here are some lessons about venturing into the elearning space a developer or someone who is looking to start a service over the many platforms available.


Rethinking the new normal in Zimbabwe’s education sector

Rethinking the new normal in Zimbabwe’s education sector. Will 2021 be any better for e-learning in the country or are we in for a repeat of 2020?


Looking back at e-learning in Zimbabwe in 2020 & what lies ahead in 2021

E-learning in Zimbabwe was a rollercoaster in 2020, nothing changed for some and a lot changed for others. Here’s a look at what happened this year.


A review of Smooth Lectures, a science exclusive educational website

Smooth Lectures is an ‘O’ and ‘A’ Level science online learning platform that is chock-full of information, easy to use and easy on the eyes too.


The Woes of E-Learning and how the new Dzidzo Paden|Imfundwe’ndlini App is levelling the playing field

A look at the issues surrounding e-learning in Zimbabwe, their social implications and the new educational app that could just help fix things.


Ministry of Education launches digital library with free books

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE) has launched an application/website hosting hundreds of free books and comics. The site will no doubt help hundreds of children with access to reading materials at no cost. MoPSEs library is based on Odilo which allows organisations to create libraries from over 3 million pieces of content. […]


DStv Partners With Udemy To Offer Online Courses At No Cost In The DStv App

Multichoice has announced that SA subscribers will be getting a special bonus as part of their subscription from May until the end of July. The broadcasting company announced that they are partnering with Massive Open Online Course platform Udemy to offer premium subscribers access to 600 courses within the DStv app. As South Africans continue […]


Press Release: A New Life Skills Short Course Administered Online

[Wednesday 6 May, 2020] Online education platform, AGRICOLLEGES international, has announced that it will launch a new Joys of Life Skills short course on 18 May 2020. The course is relevant to people from all walks of life and aims to help individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life, at […]