Community development

Group

The Datatec Educational and Technology Foundation (“Foundation”) funds educational organisations whose purpose it is to improve education within underprivileged communities in South Africa. Datatec recognises that education is the foundation on which a successful economy is built. More than 80% of Datatec’s R7 million CSI spend was directed into educational initiatives consisting of school level intervention programmes for learners, teacher development and educational bursaries. Other initiatives include the provision of technology infrastructure and skills development for unemployed youth.

It has been another successful year for the Foundation in realising its objectives to improve the quality of education in South Africa and create opportunities for those less fortunate. Datatec will continue to partner with organisations that are committed to helping South Africa’s youth escape the cycle of poverty in order to grow and develop more economically active citizens who can make a positive contribution to the economy that Datatec participates in. Here follows a summary of the Group’s CSI projects for the year under review.

CSI spend by MST category





  • Infrastructure
  • Bursaries
  • School level education
  • Other

Highlights FY16

The following are approximate numbers of individuals who have benefited from the R7 million funding provided by the Foundation in FY16:

Direct beneficiaries

Total number of learners benefiting from school level intervention in mathematics and science 3 333 (FY15: 2 742)

Total number of teachers benefiting from extra training in mathematics and science 781 (FY15: 670)

Total number of students gaining access to bursaries 11 (FY15: 11)

Total number of individuals gaining access to computer technology 12 464 (FY15: 4 000+)

Total number of learners receiving career guidance 560 (FY15: 800)

Total number of individuals benefiting from skills development 1 657 (FY15: 1 248)

Indirect beneficiaries

Total number of learners benefiting from better qualified teachers 100 000+ in various parts of the country

CSI spend by geography

  • Gauteng
  • Eastern Cape
  • KwaZulu-Natal
  • Western Cape
  • Eastern Cape
  • KwaZulu-Natal
  • Gauteng
  • Mpumalanga

Secondary school level interventions – teacher and learner development

Datatec funds non-profit organisations that provide professional development to teachers as well as organisations that provide secondary school level intervention programmes focused on improving results in mathematics, science and English. The primary objective of the secondary school level intervention programmes is to improve the performance of previously disadvantaged learners in these subjects, thus enabling them to obtain better grades in order to gain entry into tertiary institutions in order to study disciplines such as medicine, engineering and accounting. The FY16 beneficiaries are set out in detail below:

Beneficiary   Purpose   Datatec’s contribution FY16   FY16 outcomes
The Vula Programme The Vula Programme is Hilton College’s educational outreach and community support initiative. It provides an educational service to around 90 under-resourced schools in disadvantaged communities in KwaZulu-Natal.

In 2001, Datatec contributed towards the establishment of a Centre for Innovation, which meant the school could share resources, facilities and access to technology with less privileged schools in the area.

In FY16, Datatec funded three projects:

  • The Vula Science Project
  • The Vula Annual Careers Day
  • Vula Mathematics Academy.

The Vula Mathematics Academy

  • Trained 47 teachers in 2015 and together these teachers teach mathematics to more than 10 000 pupils in the Umgungundlovo district
  • Provided workshops for 310 teachers in the district
  • Provided extra tuition in mathematics to 655 learners in the district.

The Vula Science Project

  • Worked with 70 teachers to provide training in all aspects related to teaching of physical science with emphasis on practical work
  • Assisted 650 learners with practical work, exam preparation and study and revision workbooks.

Vula Careers Day

  • Held a grade 12 careers day for 500 learners from 11 schools in the district.
The Kutlwanong Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology – ProMaths ProMaths assists learners to obtain decent passes (minimum C symbol) in mathematics and science in underprivileged schools. Datatec has been involved with Kutlwanong since 2011, funding extra tuition in mathematics and science for 400 grade 10, 11 and 12 learners from 11 partner schools in the Mdantsane area of the Eastern Cape province. Learners receive tuition every Friday, Saturday and Sunday as well as during the school holidays.
  • In FY16, the group of 108 grade 12 learners achieved a pass rate of 96% compared to the Eastern Cape province average of 56.8%
  • The group produced a combined total of 31 distinctions for mathematics and science
  • 72% of this group obtained a decent pass rate (50% to 100%) compared to the Eastern Cape province average of 28%
  • 33 grade 12 students have been accepted into tertiary institutions to commence their tertiary studies in 2016.
The Tomorrow Trust The Tomorrow Trust provides integrated academic and psychosocial support to orphaned and vulnerable children. Datatec supports the senior Saturday and holiday school programme for 30 grade 9 and 30 grade 11 learners. The support is a longitudinal investment in a learner’s progress from one year to another. This support enables the learners to receive comprehensive academic lessons in mathematics, English, physical science, life science and computer science as well as providing career guidance support, leadership workshops, and psychosocial support.
  • Attendance rate of 91% for both groups attending Saturday classes and holiday schools. All 60 learners passed in 2015 and have moved into the next grade in 2016
  • Grade 9 achievements:
    • 90% of group achieved averages above 50%
    • 76% of learners transitioned into grade 10 doing mathematics, English, science and life science
    • Most improved learner in Grade 9 improved mathematics from 31% to 79%
  • Grade 11 achievements:
    • 80% of the grade 11 group achieved averages of 50% and above in their overall performance
    • The top achiever in grade 11 had an overall average of 91% (100% in mathematics, 89% in physics).
OLICO Foundation OLICO is a community-based academic support programme for township school youth with a focus on senior phase mathematics. The programme provides a pathway into high school mathematics by bridging the gaps in foundational understanding.

Datatec supports the development of OLICO’s open-learning mathematics initiative. The programme offers academic support in mathematics for learners between grades 7 to 12.

Datatec contributed towards the programme director's annual salary in FY16
  • Created over 12 000 online interactive mathematics questions and 216 tutorial videos
  • Provided numeracy and literacy to 262 grade R and grade 1 learners in the Diepsloot area
  • Provided mathematics and literacy to 91 grade 7 to 12 learners in Diepsloot
  • Learners on the programme improved their average performance between 8% to 11% against initial baseline assessments.