On 5 October South Africa celebrates World Teachers' Day, a tradition followed around the world. In 1994 the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) declared 5 October World Teachers’ Day as a day devoted to appreciating, assessing and empowering the educators of the world by raising awareness of the importance of the teaching profession. 

Teachers are the stepping stones that mould and nourishes our raw talent and potential, and it is in honour of their remarkable presence in our lives that we celebrate them on this day. Teachers not only impart knowledge and wisdom but inspire and encourage students, offering a tremendous source of motivation and guidance. Schools around the world spend this day in celebratory activities for teachers as an acknowledgement of all their hard work. 

Vodacom supports education

For over 17 years the Vodacom Foundation has contributed to social development through the promotion of socio-economic upliftment. Says CEO Shameel Joosub: 'Our core belief is that through our social investments and providing relevant communication and technology solutions we can change the lives of people in our communities.'

The Foundation has invested well over R1 billion in communities, with a focus on employing mobile technology to support education, health and safety initiatives. Over the past year, a total of R86 million has been invested in South Africa alone on community projects, with the focus on using ICT to improve access to education, addressing community health challenges and combatting gender-based violence. 

The Vodacom Mobile Education Programme

The Vodacom Mobile Education Programme is a partnership with the Department of Basic Education, Microsoft, Intel, Cisco and Mindset. To date, the programme has trained over 50 000 teachers, assisting them in the integration of ICT skills in the classroom and their use as effective teaching tools. 

In addition, Vodacom hosts a teachers’ online portal called the Digital Classroom, a platform on which teachers can communicate and share knowledge, as well as access useful resources and find out about their nearest teacher centre. To date, the Digital Classroom has had over 115 000 visits.

Vodacom’s school connectivity programme has connected 2 194 schools across the country. We have connected 3 087 schools with data access and exceeded our target for universal service obligations. Each school receives free internet connectivity as part of this project, as well as 26 tablets, a laptop, an interactive whiteboard, a data projector, a printer and educational aids.

Vodacom e-school

Free resources for school learners, on Vodacom's zero-rated e-school platform.