South African ed-tech startup SOCO_ED is looking to boost online learning outcomes by providing users with learning environments akin to the social media platforms they are accustomed to using.
Founded in 2018 within Just Brands Africa, a long-standing digital marketing service agency, by Francois van Louw, SOCO_ED began life as a service provider to industry role-players like universities and corporate training Institutions.
However, it has recently launched its direct-to-consumer solutions under the Topic Brand, providing online learning solutions tailored to the South African education system. Its flagship products, including Topic, Topic+, and TopicX, offer interactive and engaging content designed to enhance learning outcomes for high school students.
“Through our platforms, learners can access educational resources, video lessons, and practice exercises aligned with the national curriculum,” van Louw, the startup’s managing director, told Disrupt Africa.
“We identified a gap in the market for high-quality, affordable, and accessible online tuition that resonates with South African learners, by providing them with a learning environment akin to social media platforms which learners are accustomed to using. While there are many competitors in the education technology space, many of them haven’t put the student first in developing their solutions.”
Since its launch, SOCO_ED has seen “steady uptake” of both its B2B and B2C platforms.
“Our Topic platform has seen impressive growth among high school students across South Africa with more than 30,000 FET Phase learners already registered on our platform,” said van Louw.
Initially funded through Just Brands Africa, enabling it to develop and launch its platforms, SOCO_ED has secured collaborations with leading educational institutions, corporate training departments, and government bodies, including Stellenbosch University, First National Bank, and the Department of Basic Education Second Chance Matric Support Programme, which van Louw said “validated the credibility and impact of our solutions”.
It was also recently one of 12 South African ed-tech startups selected for the second edition of the Injini Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship, which offers companies access to funding and other types of support.
“We currently operate nationally and are exploring opportunities for expansion into additional markets. Our core goal is to reach more learners in underserved communities and expand our impact nationwide,” said van Louw.
SOCO_ED operates in both the B2B and B2C markets.
“Our B2C strategy focuses on a freemium model, offering free basic access to our platforms and charging a subscription fee for premium structured learning programmes. Additionally, in B2B we generate revenue through partnerships with educational institutions for custom solutions and content development services,” said van Louw.
“While we have seen growth in both our B2B and B2C offerings, our focus has been on investing in product development and strategic market expansion rather than maximising profits in the short term. As a result, our revenues are growing steadily, and we are on track to achieve profitability in the near future.”
