South Africa is grappling with a worsening education crisis, one that’s most visible in maths classrooms across the country.
In the 2023 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), South African Grade 5 learners ranked last out of 59 countries in both mathematics and science. Alarmingly, they were assessed against Grade 4 students from other nations, revealing a glaring achievement gap.
This crisis intensifies by the end of high school. According to the Department of Basic Education’s 2024 sector review, the share of matric candidates taking maths has fallen from 49% in 2010 to 39%. Of those who sat for the 2024 exam, only 17,4% scored above 60%, the benchmark for entering university STEM programs.
However, the deeper issue is that many learners in under-resourced communities begin school already several years behind, and the current system offers no structured opportunities to catch up. Large class sizes, a content-heavy curriculum, and limited individual support leave many children stuck in a cycle of confusion and underachievement. The school day, as it stands, is not enough.
That’s where structured out-of-school programs, like those led by the Tomorrow Trust and OLICO Maths Education, with the support of the Datatec Educational and Technology Foundation, are making a transformative impact.
Why STEM Education Matters
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) is not just an academic pathway. It’s the foundation of a nation’s future workforce, economic competitiveness, and innovation capacity. For countries like South Africa, where youth unemployment is above 40%, STEM education is one of the most powerful levers for inclusion and upward mobility.
“If learners can’t access or succeed in maths, they’re locked out of the very careers that drive national growth,” says Maya Makanjee, chair of the Datatec board and Datatec Educational and Technology Foundation. “We can’t build a tech-driven economy when the pipeline is broken at the school level.”
This is why the Datatec Educational and Technology Foundation prioritises grassroots STEM support through partners like the Tomorrow Trust and OLICO, who are helping rebuild that pipeline, learner by learner.
A Space to Catch Up and Breathe
“For many learners, the school system doesn’t just leave them behind, it traps them there,” says Andrew Barrett, co-founder and director of OLICO Maths Education. “By the time they reach high school, they’re often three to four years behind in maths, and they’ve lost confidence and orientation regarding the subject entirely.”
OLICO’s structured out-of-school programs, delivered after school, on weekends, and during holidays, are designed to rebuild that confidence. Tutors meet learners where they are, not where the curriculum expects them to be, using tailored content to reconnect them with the logic and purpose of mathematics.
Thanks to sustained support over time, the impact is clear. “The main feeder school in Diepsloot, once one of Gauteng’s worst performers, now consistently ranks in the top 20 for maths averages,” says Barrett. In Alexandra, the number of learners earning a quality maths pass in matric has doubled. These aren’t small wins, they’re structural shifts.”
But Barrett emphasises that the academic gains are just part of the story. “These programs are also safe, nurturing spaces. That stability matters. It allows learners to open up, to ask questions, and to believe again, especially in communities where the school day can feel overwhelming or unsafe.”
The Tomorrow Trust: A Holistic, Long-Term Approach
At the Tomorrow Trust, which marks its 20th anniversary this year, the model is explicitly holistic. What began during the HIV pandemic as a lifeline for vulnerable youth has grown into a long-term support system that nurtures learners from playground to professional life.
“Our structured out-of-school programs include STEM tutoring, psychosocial support, career exposure, and digital skills training,” says CEO Taryn Rae. “But at the heart of it is belief, creating spaces where learners know they matter.”
The Tomorrow Trust’s results are compelling. One example is Musa, a student who once struggled but found his passion in the Trust’s digital coding stream. He matriculated with four distinctions and is currently studying Computer Science at the University of Johannesburg (UJ).
“He’s one of many,” Rae says. “In the Datatec-supported program, 90% of our learners are now in university.”
Backing What Works: Datatec’s Ecosystem Vision
The Datatec Educational and Technology Foundation is the thread that ties these success stories together. Its support spans both urban and rural programs, including OLICO’s expansion into Reholegile Secondary School in rural Limpopo, where fewer than 10 learners pass maths annually, with a success rate of more than 50%.
“Our goal isn’t just funding, it’s systemic change,” says Makanjee. That’s why Datatec invests in multi-organisation education hubs in Diepsloot and Limpopo, where NGOs, schools, and businesses collaborate on scalable, high-impact interventions.
“These hubs are not just service points,” Makanjee adds. “They’re incubators for models that can reshape how education is delivered across the country.”
A Call to Action: Business Can Play a Key Role
The case is clear. Structured out-of-school programs are among the few interventions with proven impact on STEM performance and holistic learner development. They are bridging the gap that the school day cannot fill.
However, to reach more learners, these programs need to scale, and this requires funding.
“This should be seen as a strategic investment in South Africa’s future workforce and economy, and not just a social investment program by corporates. We urge business leaders, philanthropic investors, and development partners to back these programs, not only because they work, but because the cost of inaction is far greater.”
Structured out-of-school programs, such as those run by the Tomorrow Trust and OLICO, are not remedial; they are essential. They restore dignity, close academic gaps, foster safety and resilience, and open doors to the real world.
We need deeper involvement and collaboration from all relevant sectors of society, because the future of South Africa depends not just on what happens in the classroom, but on what we choose to support outside of it.