Access to Quality Education is one of the most prominent Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) championed by Vodacom. Vodacom, in partnership with the Vodacom Foundation, is using mobile technology to provide learning opportunities for learners and teachers throughout the country through the following programmes. 

• Vodacom introduced an initiative called the Vodacom Mobile Education Programme in partnership with the Department of Basic Education (DBE), Microsoft, Intel, Cisco and Mindset. To date, the programme has trained more than 100 000 teachers, assisting them in the integration of ICT skills in the classroom and its use as effective teaching tools.
• In response to providing access to Quality relevant, digital education content, Vodacom e-school is a secure online learning platform with free Internet access to basic education content for all Grade R - 12 learners and teachers. This portal provides daily lessons, consisting of notes, videos and assignments in the form of quizzes as well as personalised progress reports. Through Vodacom e-school, learners who are Vodacom subscribers will be able to access curriculum aligned classroom content for free. The portal currently has over 330 000 learners registered on the portal

Since 2000 Vodacom has been the proud sponsor of the National Teaching Awards, organised by the Department of Basic Education. The awards acknowledge the extraordinary efforts of schools and teachers, which have been achieved often under difficult conditions and in service to our children, many of whom come from poor communities. Teachers in classrooms remain the centre of learning and teaching with the core being a competent and confident teacher. Teachers are the backbone of any functional education system.

Enrichment through education 

It is clear if we are to break the cycle of poverty and advance the economic empowerment of our people, we need a radical transformation in education. Through the Mobile Education partnership, the Vodacom Foundation is supporting the DBE by equipping and connecting 92 teacher centres across the country. Teacher centres serve as district hubs for continuous ICT training for teachers, learners, unemployed youth and department officials. These teacher centres are equipped with interactive boards, laptops, desktops, servers, data projectors, routers and printers. The goal is to contribute to the transformation of teaching and learning through the use of technology.