Having noticed this, Khosi Mthimkhulu (31) was inspired to start an academy called Our Kids Are Smart in Elukwatini in Mpumalanga to help struggling students.

She said that the lack of tutors in the area meant her business quickly took root.

“A lot of kids are struggling with homework because their parents are either working or are not there after school. Sometimes, they live with their grandmothers, who may not be educated,”she said.

The academy started in 2018 with 35 pupils, and Mthimkhulu said there has been a marked improvement in their results.

She said tutoring is offered in all subjects to pupils from grade one to nine.

“I teach almost everything myself except Siswati, which I did not study.”

Mthimkhulu said her pupils use Vodacom e-school learning material, which has been  developed by expert teachers and in line with Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS). The tutor explained that e-school is a collaboration between the cellphone network provider and the Department of Basic Education to make the syllabus available through cellphones.

Mthimkhulu said she keeps up with the programme and ensures she always has the latest CAPS-aligned textbooks.

The aspiring teacher has received assistance from the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) and the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), which has helped her grow her busines's profit margin by 91 percent.

Mthimkhulu approached the two organisations after learning about them at a workshop.

“Seda helped me with branding while the NYDA helped me with a grant,” she said, adding that she used the money to buy desks and other equipment.

If you need more information about Seda call 0860 103 703. For information about receiving grant funding from the NYDA, call 0800 52 52 52.  

-This article was originally published in the GCIS Vuk'uzenzele.