“South African EdTech Week 2026 concluded in Sandton after bringing together nearly 400 participants, including more than 100 classroom teachers, to examine how computing, artificial intelligence, coding and assistive technology can improve education. Organised by Injini in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, the event emphasised teacher participation in technology development, responsible AI adoption and practical digital tools designed to reduce workloads and support learners with different educational needs.”
South African EdTech Week puts teachers at the centre of classroom computing
A new direction for educational technology
South Africa’s educational technology sector is increasingly focused on a fundamental question: how can computing improve everyday teaching rather than simply introduce more devices and software into classrooms? This issue took centre stage at South African EdTech Week 2026, which concluded in Sandton, Johannesburg, after two days of discussions, practical demonstrations and collaboration between educators, technology developers and education stakeholders.
Published on 15 October 2026, a report by Lifestyle & Tech highlighted the event’s emphasis on teacher empowerment and human-centred educational technology. The fifth edition took place on 12 and 13 October at Focus Rooms in Sandton. Injini, an educational technology incubator, accelerator and research organisation, partnered with the Mastercard Foundation to convene participants around the theme, “Reclaiming the Classroom: EdTech as a Tool for Teacher Empowerment.”
The event marked the first time South African EdTech Week had been hosted in Gauteng. According to the report, it attracted close to 400 participants, including more than 100 classroom teachers, school leaders, government decision-makers, entrepreneurs, delivery partners and funders.
The gathering reflected a broader shift in computing: the success of educational technology depends not only on technical capabilities but also on whether people can use it effectively, affordably and responsibly.
Moving beyond devices and connectivity
For many years, discussions about digital education have concentrated on access to computers, internet connectivity, tablets and learning platforms. These remain important foundations. However, providing hardware does not automatically improve educational outcomes.
Schools also need relevant digital content, reliable technical support, teacher training and systems that work within the realities of their classrooms. A sophisticated application may have little practical value if educators cannot integrate it into lessons or if learners cannot access it consistently.
South African EdTech Week addressed this challenge by encouraging participants to consider how technology fits into existing teaching practices. Instead of treating educators as passive recipients of products designed elsewhere, the event promoted their participation in developing and evaluating digital learning solutions.
This approach matters because teachers understand the practical difficulties that educational software must address. They know where administrative work consumes valuable time, which classroom activities require additional support and how different learners respond to teaching materials.
By bringing teachers into direct conversations with technology founders, the event created opportunities to identify weaknesses, suggest improvements and assess whether digital tools are genuinely useful.
The central message was straightforward: computing should respond to educational needs rather than require schools to reorganise their work around technology for its own sake.
Artificial intelligence offers opportunities to reduce workloads
Artificial intelligence was one of the important themes of the event. AI-powered educational systems can assist with administrative processes, generate learning materials, support feedback and help teachers manage repetitive tasks.
The event’s showcase included tools reported to be capable of reducing teachers’ marking time by as much as 80%. This figure describes the potential of showcased solutions; it should not be interpreted as a verified, universal result across South African schools.
If such tools perform effectively under real classroom conditions, they could give teachers more time to explain difficult concepts, support individual learners and prepare lessons. Nevertheless, the actual benefit will depend on the subject, assessment type, quality of the software and level of human supervision required.
Marking is not merely a mechanical process. Teachers must recognise misunderstandings, evaluate reasoning and offer feedback that helps students improve. An automated system may assist with routine tasks, but it cannot automatically replace professional judgement in every educational context.
Schools adopting AI should therefore test systems against clear learning objectives and verify their accuracy before relying on their recommendations. Educators must remain responsible for decisions that significantly affect students.
AI tools also need to protect student information, explain their limitations and avoid reproducing discriminatory patterns in their outputs. These safeguards are particularly important when technology processes children’s work or generates assessments that influence academic progress.
Coding and assistive technology broaden participation
The EdTech showcase also featured offline coding games and assistive platforms intended for learners with special educational needs. These examples demonstrate that computing in education extends well beyond conventional desktop computers and online learning websites.
Coding games can introduce computational thinking through structured challenges, problem-solving exercises and interactive activities. Learners can begin exploring sequences, logic and instructions without necessarily having advanced equipment or previous programming experience.
Offline functionality is particularly relevant where internet access is unreliable or expensive. Applications that operate without continuous connectivity can help schools incorporate digital learning into environments where broadband availability remains a practical obstacle.
However, offline tools still require appropriate devices, accessible content and maintenance. Schools need to consider how software is installed, updated and supported, particularly when connectivity is limited.
Assistive technology can also help learners participate more fully in education. Depending on the product, these systems may offer alternative ways to access information, communicate, navigate digital content or complete classroom activities.
Their effectiveness depends on individual needs and thoughtful implementation. Schools should involve learners, families, teachers and relevant specialists when selecting solutions, rather than assuming a single product will suit everyone.
Together, coding games and assistive platforms illustrate how computing can support participation, creativity and independent learning when developers design around actual users.
Teachers become co-designers of digital solutions
One of the event’s strongest themes was the importance of involving educators directly in product development. According to the published report, teachers tested solutions with founders during an interactive exhibition and participated in workshops facilitated by Citizen Leader Lab and Teachers Can.
This collaboration can improve educational technology in several ways.
First, it allows developers to observe how their products perform in realistic situations. A feature that appears useful during a demonstration may create additional work when applied to a full class or integrated into an existing school timetable.
Second, teacher feedback can help companies identify accessibility problems, confusing interfaces and missing functionality before investing heavily in wider deployment.
Third, involving educators creates an opportunity to assess whether the technology improves teaching rather than simply increasing the number of digital activities completed.
The approach also has implications for public and private investment. Funding decisions should consider not only whether a product uses advanced computing but whether it solves a demonstrable problem and can be maintained over time.
In this respect, teacher participation is more than a consultation exercise. It can become part of the development process, connecting technical innovation with practical experience.
The challenge now is to ensure that feedback collected during events and demonstrations informs actual product changes, school trials and longer-term evaluation.
Responsible AI requires clear school policies
As artificial intelligence enters classrooms, schools need rules governing appropriate use, student privacy, academic integrity and accountability.
The Lifestyle & Tech report said the event encouraged school principals, circuit managers and district officials to work towards clear AI position statements, safeguarding protocols and leadership frameworks.
Such frameworks can help schools distinguish between acceptable assistance and inappropriate dependence on automated systems. For example, learners may use an AI application to explore a topic or receive explanations, while still being expected to demonstrate their own understanding during assessments.
Teachers also need practical guidance for identifying fabricated information, checking generated answers and explaining when AI assistance should be disclosed. Students must understand that convincing language does not guarantee factual accuracy.
Data protection is another priority. Educational platforms may process names, assessment results, communications and other sensitive information. Schools should understand what data a service collects, how long it retains information and whether third parties can access it.
Institutions should assess providers before adoption and avoid uploading identifiable student information into unapproved tools.
Clear governance should not simply prohibit experimentation. Instead, it should provide boundaries within which teachers and learners can explore useful applications while protecting safety, fairness and educational standards.
The digital divide remains a practical challenge
Despite the promise of educational computing, implementation will depend on resources. Devices, electricity, connectivity, software subscriptions, technical support and staff development all influence whether digital solutions can be used consistently.
A school with dependable connectivity and dedicated technical staff may adopt a cloud-based learning platform more easily than a school with limited infrastructure. If policymakers ignore these differences, digital education could reinforce existing inequalities.
Offline coding tools and accessible applications may help address particular barriers, but they cannot resolve every infrastructure problem.
Schools also need realistic budgets for replacing ageing equipment, repairing damaged devices and updating software. Initial procurement costs alone do not represent the full expense of a technology programme.
Training deserves similar attention. Teachers need time to learn new systems, adapt lessons and evaluate results. Introducing several unfamiliar platforms simultaneously may increase workloads instead of reducing them.
Education departments, funders and technology providers should therefore consider the complete cost of implementation. Sustainable programmes combine appropriate computing resources with reliable support, professional development and long-term planning.
From demonstrations to measurable classroom results
South African EdTech Week generated connections between educational technology ventures and potential partners, while creating opportunities for follow-up classroom trials. Injini indicated that lessons from the gathering would inform its future incubation programmes and strategic activities.
The next step is to determine which solutions deliver lasting benefits under ordinary school conditions.
Pilot projects should establish measurable objectives before implementation. These might include reductions in administrative time, improvements in learner participation, accessibility gains or changes in understanding of particular subjects.
Evaluations should also document disadvantages. A tool that saves time for one task might require additional preparation elsewhere, while an automated feedback system could introduce errors that teachers must correct.
Schools should compare results with their original objectives and gather feedback from both teachers and learners. Independent evaluation can help distinguish genuine improvements from promotional claims.
Successful products may then be adapted for broader use, while unsuccessful approaches can be revised or discontinued.
This process is particularly important when solutions are supported by public funding or introduced across multiple schools. Transparent evidence helps decision-makers allocate resources responsibly.
What the development means for South African computing
The event highlights an important direction for South Africa’s computing industry: developing technologies that address local needs, involve intended users and remain practical in different educational environments.
Educational technology also creates opportunities for software developers, entrepreneurs, researchers and digital skills organisations. These stakeholders can contribute to products designed for local classrooms, including tools that support different languages, connectivity conditions and learning requirements.
However, commercial opportunity should remain connected to educational value. Schools need dependable products, clear pricing, appropriate safeguards and accessible technical assistance rather than technology selected solely because it is fashionable.
For policymakers and funders, the priority is to build conditions that enable useful innovation to grow while ensuring that underserved schools are not excluded.
For teachers, the opportunity is to shape tools around classroom experience and reclaim time for meaningful educational work. For developers, the challenge is to demonstrate that their products deliver benefits beyond the initial demonstration.
Conclusion: Technology must serve teaching
South African EdTech Week 2026 placed educators at the centre of conversations about computing, artificial intelligence, coding and inclusive learning. Its programme brought together teachers, developers, education leaders and funders to explore how technology could become a practical part of teaching rather than another burden.
The event’s significance will ultimately depend on what happens next: whether partnerships produce usable tools, whether schools can afford and maintain them, and whether evidence confirms that learners and teachers benefit.
Computing offers substantial opportunities to improve education, but technology alone cannot guarantee progress. Effective implementation requires professional judgement, responsible data practices, reliable infrastructure and a commitment to measuring results.
The central lesson from the gathering is that successful educational innovation begins with people. When teachers help design, test and evaluate digital solutions, South Africa has a stronger chance of turning technological possibility into meaningful classroom improvement.
