ablets are incredible for entertainment – but, even better, they are an amazing educational tool. And there are some brilliant resources out there designed especially for kids tackling the South African curriculum.

Vodacom e-school  

Great resources for high school learners, from grade 10 to matric, are available from Vodacom e-school. It’s free to use, and, if you’re a Vodacom customer, it’s zero-rated as well, which means it won’t use up your data.

Vodacom e-school offers quizzes, homework questions and useful notes, designed around all major subjects. It’s accessible from smartphones, laptops and tablets, and it's quick and free to register online. 

ZABooks 

ZABooks offers textbooks for primary and secondary school learners at reduced prices, or free. There are hundreds of ebooks available. Once downloaded, learners can make notes in the ebook – without getting into trouble from the teacher! ZABooks is available for iPad.

Intel Explore and Learn Marketplace 

This is another way to access low-cost and free textbooks designed for a South African context. While ZABooks focuses on school kids, Intel has resources from Grade 0 all the way to MBA level. The app also provides help with exam preparation.

You can choose your grade and subject to see what is available. Once downloaded, you can access the content offline anytime.

It’s available for Android and Windows via their website. 

Thinkahead 

Of course, for each subject there is a myriad of apps that can prove helpful. Thinkahead, part of the same company that owns ZABooks, has put together a really handy PDF document of apps for iPad, organised by subject and grade. From astronomy to Shakespeare to spelling, there’s bound to be an app your child will find useful.