MTN Online School pushing Mathematics and Science
MTN’s Online School added more than 4,700 new users between December 2025 and February 2026, a spokesperson for MTN South Africa told MyBroadband.
First launched in 2021 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, MTN’s Online School now supports almost 480,000 registered learners from Grade R to Grade 12.
“Additionally, through MTN’s zero-rating of Siyavula, more than 425,000 learners were able to access Mathematics and Science content, contributing to over three million new registrations in 2025.”
Siyavula is a platform offering free online practice and open textbooks that aims to give all high school learners in Africa the tools they need to excel in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.
“Our goal is to help 10 million aspiring learners per year to set and reach their Mathematics and Science goals with us by 2030,” the Siyavula Foundation said.
MTN said the Online School provides CAPS-aligned digital learning resources developed in partnership with the Department of Basic Education.
The spokesperson said these included curriculum-aligned learning material, a full digital library, and educator resources and support.
The platform also included video-based teaching content, immediate learner assessments, exam revision videos and materials, and gamified, guided learning pathways.
MTN said learners also have access to offline functionality, integrated Siyavula Mathematics and Science resources, and a parent interface for monitoring progress.
The spokesperson said teacher authoring tools and improved statistics dashboards were also part of the platform’s educator support features.
When MTN SA launched its Online School, it positioned the service as a supplement to classroom teaching, rather than a replacement.
“MTN Online School is specifically focused on using the power of the digital world to supplement and support the physical classroom,” the company said.
MTN said the portal also supported broader learning areas, including financial skills, entrepreneurship, arts and culture, and career guidance content.
The company said this content would focus partly on careers where South Africa faces skills shortages, extending the platform beyond conventional subject revision.
Strengthening South Africa’s education ecosystem
“The MTN Online School is one pillar of a much broader, long-term MTN South Africa Foundation commitment to strengthening South Africa’s education ecosystem,” the spokesperson said.
MTN said its commitment included closing the digital divide in quintile 1–3 schools, which serve lower-income communities across South Africa.
MTN said zero-rated access to the Online School for its customers is one of the core initiatives supporting broader learner participation.
The company said it also provides digital enablement for under-resourced schools, including connectivity, access to technology, and support for modern curriculum-aligned learning.
MTN said it had also made a sustained investment in teacher development to support digitally aided teaching in public schools.
“In 2025, close to 480 teachers across 34 schools and seven provinces were trained in digitally aided teaching,” the spokesperson said.
MTN said this training positively impacted an estimated 17,000 learners annually by enabling teachers to better use digital tools in classroom instruction.
The company said its education work also includes device and infrastructure support through programmes such as Back2School and Connecting Every Child.
These programmes have provided learning devices to selected schools, while MTN has also invested in long-term school infrastructure.
The spokesperson said MTN has established more than 400 multimedia centres in quintile 1–3 schools since 2009.
MTN said 60 of these centres have been upgraded in recent years to maintain their relevance and functionality for modern school needs.
The company said this support includes Universal Service Obligation schools, with a specific focus on schools supporting learners with special needs.
MTN also pointed to the MTN Skills Academy as a complementary initiative focused on digital skills, career guidance, and future-focused learning pathways.
The spokesperson said the Skills Academy is designed to support employability and economic participation beyond classroom learning.
“These initiatives form part of MTN’s long-standing commitment to supporting national development goals and strengthening the digital readiness of South Africa’s education system,” the spokesperson said.
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