NMU alumni creates app to help rural pupils

An app that gives pupils in rural areas instant access to information and communication technology study materials is in its final stages of development.

The study index app is the brainchild of Nelson Mandela University alumni and entrepreneur Siyamthanda Xakavu, 27, from the Eastern Cape.

The study index app will allow pupils to access the Sector Education and Training Authority (Seta) certified course materials from anywhere at a minimal cost — essentially the price of data.

The aim is to equip pupils with understanding of material to allow them to make informed decisions about potential career paths. 

The app is expected to be available later this year.

Xakavu, the founder of One Vision Academy, said he has always had the desire to see others grow through knowledge.

All courses offered by One Vision Academy are accredited by the Seta, the governing body that oversees skills and training development in SA.  

“Our main objective is bringing skills development to the poor of the poorest in SA.”  

“I founded the training institution after graduating from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University with an LLB in 2016.

“Though qualified to practice law, I found my calling in empowering others through education. It was in university where my passion for skills development came from.”  

According to Xakavu, one of the biggest challenges they faced was reaching pupils in remote or rural areas.

Xakavu believes ICT  training was critical in preparing the next generation — and in turn SA — for the fourth industrial revolution.

He believes the training will help break the minimum wage debt trap that so many South Africans find themselves stuck in by equipping pupils and employees with essential skills.  

His long-term goal is to establish an entrepreneurial hub where youth from marginalised areas can get ICT training while being mentored and taught how to run a sustainable business.

“We want to see the youth attain economic freedom through learning to run their own businesses and creating more opportunities for others.

“I’m proud of transforming people’s lives through the work that we do. This app will make that even more possible,” Xakavu said.