By Johnathan Paoli

South Africa’s education sector has scored a major international victory with the appointment of Umalusi CEO Mafu Rakometsi as the new president of the International Association for Educational Assessment (IAEA).

Umalusi, which is the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training, confirmed the news with pride.

“We congratulate our CEO, Dr Mafu S. Rakometsi, on his appointment as the president of the International Association for Educational Assessment,” the council said on social media platform X.

The announcement, which has been welcomed by the country’s largest teacher union, Sadtu, marks a significant milestone for the country’s standing in global education quality assurance.

The IAEA is a globally respected body that brings together assessment professionals from over 50 countries across all continents.

Its membership includes national examination boards, university departments, government education agencies and research institutions that focus on education evaluation in primary and secondary schooling, post-school education and the workplace.

The association also provides a platform for advancing scholarly and policy debates on student achievement and quality learning.

With a career in the public service spanning more than four decades, Rakometsi has held multiple leadership positions and remains one of South Africa’s most respected education administrators.

Born and raised in Matjhabeng in the Free State, Rakometsi has been instrumental in strengthening education quality assurance mechanisms across the country.

Under his leadership, Umalusi has developed a reputation for upholding rigorous and credible standards in the certification of school and college qualifications.

He has championed various reforms that modernised assessment processes, improved public confidence in national examinations and promoted data-driven insights into learner performance.

Rakometsi is widely recognised for his strategic thinking, administrative excellence and commitment to education transformation.

Sadtu issued a congratulatory statement, hailing Rakometsi’s election to the prestigious global position.

“Dr Rakometsi’s appointment is a significant honour and recognition of his outstanding leadership, experience and commitment to educational quality assurance,” Sadtu spokesperson Nomusa Cembi said.

The union further noted that his presidency affirmed the depth of South African educational expertise and enhanced the international credibility of institutions like Umalusi.

“It places South Africa firmly on the world stage in terms of matters of assessment and quality education,” Cembi added.

Sadtu pledged its ongoing support for Rakometsi’s efforts to advance fair and equitable educational assessments both nationally and internationally.

His elevation to the presidency of IAEA is expected to amplify the voice of developing countries in the global education discourse, especially in how assessment tools and methodologies are designed to reflect diverse contexts and developmental challenges.

Rakometsi is also expected to advocate for more inclusive approaches that accommodate the realities of Global South education systems, particularly in Africa.

With educational equity and standards increasingly under the spotlight globally, his role will be key in advancing policies that ensure meaningful, fair and culturally relevant assessment systems.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Levy Masiteng

Ensuring that children have a decent meal is essential for their health and educational outcomes.

Recently, Tiger Brands along with the Mogale City municipality in Gauteng, extended the company’s in-school breakfast programme to Tsholetsega Primary School, where 1280 learners will be fed breakfast daily for the next five years.

As part of the launch, mayor Lucky Sele and Tiger Brands also donated 300 pairs of new school shoes to the most deserving learners identified by the school in Kagiso.

Sele expressed his appreciation to the company and the Tiger Brands Foundation for their dedication to developmental partnerships with the government. 

“This is a practical demonstration of how public-private partnerships can yield tangible benefits for our communities. Feeding a child is not only a humanitarian imperative – it is a critical developmental investment in the future of our nation,” he said.

Tiger Brands, which opened a nearby state-of-the-art peanut butter manufacturing plant last year where its Black Cat Peanut Butter is produced, has a long history of investing in community development programmes that promote education, health and nutrition. 

“As a leading food manufacturer and employer in the country, food security is an important social priority for Tiger Brands. Our socio-economic development strategy focuses on sustainably building resilience (and) food secure and healthy communities across South Africa by working with implementation partners who are experts in their respective fields,” said Tiger Brands chief legal and corporate affairs officer Joe Ralebepa.

“We are a proud member of the business community in the Mogale City municipality and are honoured for the opportunity to work with our stakeholders and partners to support the education and prospects of learners at Tsholetsega Primary School.”

The mayor’s office said that by providing nutritious meals to pupils, the programme was expected to improve attendance, attentiveness and overall educational outcomes.

“This programme reflects the city’s ongoing commitment to building developmental and resilient communities through targeted social programmes, intergovernmental cooperation and strategic corporate partnerships,” it said a statement. 

Tsholetsega is one of two schools whose breakfast programme is sponsored by Tiger Brands at a total investment of R8,7 million over a five-year period. The second beneficiary is Phomolong Primary School in Henneman, Free State, where the company’s mill is based. 

The Tiger Brands sponsorship of the two schools is an extension of its foundation’s existing and long-standing in-school breakfast programme in partnership with the Department of Basic Education’s National School Nutrition Programme.

Launched in 2011, the programme provides a daily nutritious breakfast to 55,000 learners across 68 schools in the most food-insecure communities across the country.

The company said more than 149 million meals have been served since 2011.

In addition to the daily breakfast, the foundation has donated 65 new school kitchens and renovated existing school kitchens at participating schools.     

It said that to date, it has invested around R2 million on monthly stipends for food handlers, including for their accredited training in hygiene, food safety, food nutrition entrepreneurship and employment opportunities.  

The schools are also provided with all cooking and dining utensils, such as spoons and bowls, and aprons for the food handlers.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Yershen Pillay

Imagine a South Africa where the sun powers communities, waste fuels industries and rural youth become green tech pioneers.

That future is within reach, if we act now. As the world grapples with rising climate risks, deepening inequality and economic fragility, the question is no longer whether we must go green, but how fast, how far and how inclusively we can do it.

For South Africa, a country with one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the world and a pressing need for economic transformation, green entrepreneurship presents an unprecedented opportunity.

It’s time to stop treating sustainability as an afterthought. We must centre it in our economic planning not only as a moral obligation, but as a strategic advantage. Done right, green entrepreneurship can create industries, unlock innovation and restore ecosystems.

It can uplift and empower rural and poor communities. And perhaps most importantly, it can give our youth a future worth believing in.

Why Green?

Let us begin with the fundamentals. Why go green? First, it’s cleaner. Climate change is not a distant threat. It is already here, disrupting agriculture, displacing communities and damaging infrastructure. A green economy curbs emissions, reduces pollution and protects biodiversity.

Second, it’s cheaper in the long run. Renewable energy, for example, has become more cost-effective than fossil fuels in many parts of the world. Green technologies are increasingly modular, scalable and economically viable.

Third and most importantly, it is sustainable. Green models align long-term economic growth with environmental stewardship, creating resilience rather than extraction.

Green entrepreneurship is about building a more humane and sustainable society. It’s about finding that sweet spot where innovation, inclusion and impact converge. In short, green is the new gold.

Our Natural Advantage

South Africa is not starting from zero. We are blessed with abundant sunlight, strong mineral reserves, rich biodiversity and a dynamic, youthful population hungry for opportunity. We also have growing pockets of innovation and entrepreneurship from agri-tech hubs to clean energy startups that are quietly but steadily rewriting the script.

South Africa has a unique opportunity to lead in the green hydrogen economy. With 70% of the world’s platinum reserves a key component in hydrogen fuel cells, South Africa could manufacture electrolyser and fuel-cell components locally. Initiatives like the Sasol–Green

Hydrogen National Programme and CHIETA’s Green Hydrogen Skills Centre are already laying the groundwork for a future-ready hydrogen economy. We could establish modular production units, support hydrogen-powered logistics solutions such as forklifts, and develop containerized hydrogen hubs. The market is already forming; we must act quickly to own it.

Green ammonia presents another bold opportunity particularly in fertiliser production, where decarbonisation is urgently needed. With the right investment, South Africa could pioneer ammonia-based solutions for both agriculture and green shipping fuels. Imagine small-scale ammonia plants serving farming cooperatives bringing industrial solutions to rural economies.

Circularity, Construction, and Clean Chemistry

Green plastics are another critical frontier. Traditional plastics, derived from fossil fuels, are polluting our oceans and choking landfills. The world is crying out for circular, biodegradable alternatives and we can meet that demand.

We must support green plastics incubation programmes that partner with sugar mills, breweries, and food producers to convert waste into sustainable polymers. We can create hubs for 3D filament production and foster circular design thinking in product development.

This is a global export opportunity waiting to be unlocked.

In the building and construction sector, eco-brick manufacturing and energy-efficient home retrofitting offer a dual solution addressing the housing crisis while reducing carbon emissions.

South Africa has the capacity to train artisans in green building techniques and insulation materials derived from recycled waste. This is job creation that is both practical and green.

Our chemical industry, too, is poised for transition. We must accelerate the move away from fossil-based inputs toward biofuels, biodegradable plastics, green solvent and eco-friendly industrial cleaners. These are not futuristic ideas, they are tangible opportunities, and the market appetite is growing.

Water, Agriculture, and the Green Workforce

Innovation doesn’t stop with materials and machinery. Water, one of our most threatened resources, offers a powerful area for entrepreneurial disruption. Technologies like metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), pioneered by scientists like Professor Omar Yaghi, enable the harvesting of clean water from the air even in arid regions.

Supporting “waterpreneurs” throughstartup funding and cooperatives could revolutionise water access in drought-prone areas.

In agriculture, the potential is equally massive. Green agriculture from organic and regenerative farming to hydroponics and aquaponics, is already the fastest-growing subsector in African agribusiness.

Add smart sensors, AI and data-driven planting techniques, and you have the makings of a digital green food economy. Our youth must be the architects of this transformation.

But to truly unlock green entrepreneurship, we must build the green workforce. This requires investment in training programmes for solar technicians, biogas specialists eco-plumbers and green artisans.

We must integrate green career guidance into schools and TVET colleges and develop digital platforms that connect green-certified professionals with market demand.

Funding the Future

Of course, entrepreneurship requires more than good ideas, it requires resources. The Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA), in recognition of this need, has allocated R40 million toward entrepreneurship development, with a focus on green startups.

This is an important step but it must be scaled, replicated, and embedded across the ecosystem. We need dedicated grant windows for green SMMEs, especially youth- and women-led ventures. We must create green incubation hubs in rural areas, aligned to local value chains.

We must incentivise public-private partnerships that offer skills development, market access, and compliance support.

Big picture thinking alone won’t change lives. We need boots-on-the-ground implementation, backed by funding, training, and political will.

From Green Shoots to Green Systems

The opportunity is clear. So is the urgency. South Africa doesn’t need to choose between growth and sustainability. With green entrepreneurship, we can drive both. We can re-industrialise our economy, build climate resilience and create dignified livelihoods – all at the same time. This is not about wishful thinking. It’s about bold planning, smart policy, and entrepreneurial energy. If we invest now in ideas, in infrastructure, and in people, we can turn green from a buzzword into a backbone of our economy.

Because green isn’t just good. Green is gold. Let’s mine it sustainably, inclusively and boldly.

Yeeshen Pillay is the CEO of the Chemical Industries Education & Training Authority (CHIETA).

INSIDE POLITICS

By Levy Masiteng

As part of bridging the digital divide in the education system, the Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube and Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malats handed over smart learning tablets to learners at Glenvista Primary School in Johannesburg. 

During the event, learners showcased their ability to navigate educational apps and use the devices to reinforce their learning. 

They also engaged the ministers in a short question and answer session on responsible digital citizenship and the safe use of technology. 

According to the departments, the donation was made possible through private sector partnerships which aim to drive digital inclusion in schools and prepare learners for the modern world.

Gwarube emphasised the importance of technology in improving education outcomes and transforming the way children learn.

“The future of basic education lies in our ability to prepare children for a world that is changing at lightning speed. But we cannot do this alone. We need strong partners from across society, particularly the private sector, to help us bridge the resource gap and fast-track digital transformation in our schools,” she said in a statement.

“The smart tablets are more than just devices. They are tools of empowerment. They open a world of learning opportunities, from literacy and numeracy apps to coding platforms and digital libraries. We want our learners to be creators, problem solvers and innovators. This is the future we are building.”

Malatsi said his department was committed to school connectivity and inclusive digital infrastructure. 

“Our department is focused on ensuring that no child, school or community is left behind in the digital age. These tablets and the broader connectivity interventions reflect how we are using partnerships to fill gaps that government cannot always meet on its own,” he said.

They commended Glenvista Primary School for its commitment to innovation and for being an early adopter of digital learning initiatives.

The departments said they will continue to jointly hand over tablets in the Free State, Western Cape and Eastern Cape.

INSIDE EDUCATION