Building Futures: South Africa's 5G DigiSchool

Basic Knowledge Is Critical for Continued Study

According to a study by Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), 78% of grade four children in South Africa lack basic English reading comprehension skills as a result of underperformance during the literacy foundation phase from grades one to three.

Closing the Education Gap through Technology

In July 2020, Huawei launched the DigiSchool project in partnership with local operator Rain and the educational non-profit organization Click Foundation. The project is in response to the South African government's call to ensure that all children can read fluently – and understand what they are reading – by the end of grade three.

The partners are aiming to achieve this by connecting more than 100 urban and rural primary schools to the Internet over the next year. Huawei provides the Click Foundation with connectivity equipment and the funding to provide high-quality learning resources for the schools, while Rain gets them online with its 4G and 5G networks.

By the end of September 2022, the project has connected 90 schools and reached 52,000 students.

I've seen the value the program is adding to the curriculum. Our learners are able to read, our learners are to interpret pictures, we have a high level of learners participating in literacy activities. Principal Maile
Phakani Primary School, Mpumalanga, South Africa

With digital education, we're not only addressing the literacy crisis, but also equipping young learners with the digital skills required for future success. Nicola Harris
Chief Executive Officer, Click Foundation