bancon backs Ambani Africa to bring mother‑tongue EdTech to South African classrooms

We are proud to announce the successful completion of our first collaborative schools project with Ambani Africa, the award‑winning social‑impact EdTech start‑up. The initiative equipped township early‑childhood centres with Ambani’s multilingual augmented‑reality books and the  Ambani Kids learning app, giving educators resources for teaching literacy, numeracy, and digital skills in learners’ own languages.

Why this partnership matters

South Africa recognises 12 official languages, yet most teaching materials remain available primarily in English and Afrikaans. Ambani Africa’s mission is to close that gap so that children “learn in the language they understand best,” says founder Mukundi Lambani. By sponsoring the rollout and providing technology consulting, we helped make advanced learning resources available without widening the digital divide for low‑income communities.

How we supported the project

We supported the project through our Enterprise & Supplier Development (ESD) programme in South Africa, co-designing a solution tailored to the unique needs of low-resource school environments. bancon provided sponsorship and strategic advisory, while Ambani’s in-house tech team led the technical implementation. Throughout the collaboration, we focused on enabling Ambani to realise its vision, offering behind-the-scenes support. Ambani described the delivery as “one of the smoothest processes” they’ve experienced with a corporate partner—a testament to the seamless integration of the bancon team’s commitment.

“bancon really allowed us to do what we do best and trusted us. Their team was responsive and genuinely invested in outcomes for our learners,” says Mukundi Lambani, Founder & CEO, Ambani Africa.

Measurable impact after just one month

• Literacy and numeracy gains – 39 % of children recorded higher knowledge scores after interacting with the AR books and app.
• Turning the curve – Nearly 40% of pupils who began as “low performers” moved into the “high performer” band following the introduction of Ambani Kids content.
• Teacher empowerment – educators reported reduced planning time, greater classroom engagement, and increased confidence with technology.
• Attendance boost – Even during South Africa’s winter break, learners insisted on coming to school for “morning ring” sessions featuring the new content.

Looking ahead

With Phase 1 now completed, we are working together to explore an expanded roll‑out to additional provinces in 2026. “Our ambition is to replicate this success at scale so that more children can learn in their mother tongue while gaining 21st‑century skills,” says Theunis Greef, Managing Director, bancon South Africa.

Watch the video here to find out more