South Africa’s Foundation Phase teacher development platform, evidence-led and funded entirely through CSI.
CAPS-aligned professional development modules
Teacher and learner satisfaction (6 teachers, 5 schools)
Learners reached over a 35-year teaching career
CAPS aligned across all content
The problem
81% of Grade 4 learners in South Africa cannot read for meaning (PIRLS 2021). Children fall behind long before Grade 4, in under-resourced Foundation Phase classrooms where teachers face world-class expectations with minimal professional support.
Foundation Phase teachers, those teaching Grade R through Grade 3, shape a child’s entire relationship with learning. They are the highest-leverage intervention point in the South African education system, and among its least supported.
kolab. exists because we believe the fastest way to reach more learners is to equip the teachers already in front of them.
of Grade 4 learners in South Africa cannot read for meaning
Source: PIRLS 2021
learners are reached over the course of a single teacher’s 35-year career
Invest in the teacher. Reach the classroom.
the estimated annual cost of illiteracy to South Africa’s economy
Source: World Literacy Foundation, September 2022
kolab. is a mobile app giving Foundation Phase teachers access to over 2 200 CAPS-aligned professional development modules, anytime and anywhere, on their mobile phones. With funder support, connectivity comes through routers at partner schools, so data cost does not block access.
Bite-sized modules across Maths, English, Pedagogy, Life Skills and more, structured around the CAPS curriculum and short enough to complete between lessons.
Every module is built on Harvard Project Zero thinking routines, frameworks that develop reflective, confident teachers who understand the content they deliver.
kolab. integrates with the KZN NECT Planner and Tracker, the daily planning framework teachers already work within. Less preparation, the same compliance.
kolab. doesn’t add to a teacher’s workload. It makes the work they’re already doing easier.
Download the AppOur impact
We built kolab. on a simple belief: investing in a Foundation Phase teacher is one of the highest-leverage investments you can make in South African education. Every number below shows that belief in practice.
of teachers and learners gave top-tier ratings (6 teachers, 5 schools)
said kolab. Smart Support would assist their teaching (Smart Support Workshop Survey, Hammarsdale, July 2025, 43 teachers)
teachers in the Hammarsdale community, Term 2 2025
KZN schools visited and celebrated, Term 2 2025
In Term 2 of 2025, 42 Foundation Phase teachers in Hammarsdale joined kolab.’s WhatsApp learning challenge, completing weekly tasks, exploring the app, and applying its modules in their classrooms. At the end of the term, kolab. visited the top three teachers at their schools to celebrate their achievement.
Samukelisiwe Ngcobo
Isiqalo Primary, Hammarsdale
Nayo Maphumulo
Entendeleni Primary, Hammarsdale
Busisiwe Mvulana
Ekwenameni Primary, Hammarsdale
JET Education Services is one of South Africa’s most respected education research and monitoring organisations, and a member of the UNESCO UNEVOC Network. Following internal moderation of the kolab. pilot programme, JET endorsed kolab. as an effective professional development tool for Foundation Phase teachers.
Dr C.A. Gibbs, JET Education Services
“kolab. is making teaching and learning accessible to all. It takes the guessing out of lesson planning and makes life so much easier.”
Dr Swanepoel
University of Pretoria
“The kolab. 'extras' are a brilliant resource for all teachers at all levels. Not only applicable for Foundation Phase English or Maths, the modules offer all sorts of tips for teachers that cannot be learned at college. Made by teachers for all teachers.”
Bridget Shelton
St John's College, Johannesburg
“This app has helped me plan interactive lessons at the click of a button. It saves planning time and significantly reduces unnecessary time wasting.”
Teacher
Theodore Herzl, Port Elizabeth
These numbers are real teachers, and the children in their classrooms who need them.
Download the prospectus →South Africa spends billions on education every year. The returns remain disappointing because teachers are under-equipped. A kolab. partnership equips them.
Every rand invested in kolab. funds access to 2 200+ CAPS-aligned modules for Foundation Phase teachers, content they can use immediately, in their own classroom, on their own phone.
In under-resourced schools, data costs are a real barrier. Funder support allows kolab. to provide WiFi access through routers at partner schools, removing cost as an obstacle to professional growth.
kolab. Smart Support is a national WhatsApp community initiative giving teachers curated content, guidance, and practical materials for daily teaching, across eight content areas from lesson planning to teacher health and wellbeing.
Every kolab. partnership comes with structured reporting: teacher engagement data, module completion rates, workshop feedback, and third-party moderation. You see what your investment is doing.
Structured for CSI compliance
kolab. supports your B-BBEE SED and CED requirements. Contributions made via the InForum Foundation are Section 18A tax deductible.
Insights
Research, stories, and perspectives from the kolab. team.
Why the same number that makes teacher development attractive to funders — a teacher reaches an estimated 1 155 learners over a 35-year career — also raises the bar for what kolab. builds.
Kole Montano on why kolab. was built for Foundation Phase teachers rather than learners - and why teacher development in South Africa is slower than funders expect.
Every kolab. partnership is structured around your organisation’s CSI objectives, budget, and reporting requirements. The first step is a 20-minute conversation.