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For many South African learners, maths is a major stumbling block. A young Western Cape-based entrepreneur- Thobeka Nkabinde – is changing this, one equation at a time, with the WhatsApp-based eRank Play app. Her vision? To make maths fun to learn for all South African children.
The eRank Play app is built around everyday actions like working out what change is due from a taxi driver when collecting fares or how to use maths to slot a car into a small parking spot, and can be played anywhere, anytime.
The app, which already has 1,000 regular players and is growing daily, seeks to strip away learners’ fear of maths – a problem that Nkabinde says that she had while at boarding school, battling with maths, and finding it difficult to get help with the subject.
“Besides the fact that many young South Africans perform poorly at maths, there are also many whose parents can’t afford tutors to help develop their kids’ understanding. I knew there had to be a better way to help people by making learning fun and affordable, and so we thought that an app easily accessed from a phone would be the way to go”, says Nkabinde, a student and former administrative assistant at the University of the Western Cape.
“Our players are mainly Grade 8 and 9’s, but we are working on expanding our content and making it attractive to older high school learners,” continues Nkabinde.
The eRank Play app was named as a finalist in the recently launched MTN (JO:MTNJ) Women in Digital Business Challenge, and Nkabinde and her team were awarded R100,000 which they are using to raise the app’s profile. The cash will be used to develop a digital marketing campaign and attract more users to the site, offering free access for a period and a premium subscription service for an upgraded version.
Nkabinde turned the COVID pandemic into an opportunity. Worried about the possibility of losing her job, she began working on the eRank Play app as a way of being independent, so as to not leave her welfare and future in the hands of others.
“Thobeka’s story adds strength to the now well-proven theory that entrepreneurs are inspired to solve problems they have experienced. By reducing maths to its most basic elements, the app makes learning fun, encouraging young people to explore maths and break through the barriers that have made it a subject that is often disliked. I hope eRank Play becomes a game that encourages thousands of young people to consider a career in science, technology, or engineering – skills which are so desperately needed in SA”, says Angie Moloka, Senior Manager: Education & Community Programmes Foundation at MTN.
The MTN Women in Digital Business Challenge forms part of the MTN Group’s commitment to developing ICT SMEs on the continent. It encourages an entrepreneurial mindset by providing an annual R1 million to 10 SMME candidates for working capital needs, business development, tangible assets, mentorship, and advancing technology/software.
“Our ten 2022 finalists, and recipients of R100 000 each, are examples of what can be achieved by women in a competitive industry. We look forward to hearing more about them as they help change the operating face of the business in South Africa,” concludes Moloka.