South Africa faces a severe literacy crisis. Recent data shows that only 30% of learners in Grades 1 to 3 can read at grade level in their home language. In some languages, up to 25% of Grade 3 learners cannot read a single word. The situation worsens as children progress. An estimated 82% of Grade 4 learners cannot read for basic meaning.
A South African ed-tech startup called Inclusive Solutions wants to change these numbers. The company is developing a home-language learning tool for early years and foundation phase learners. The product aims to help young children build literacy skills in the language they speak at home.
A Mother’s Story Became a Mission
Inclusive Solutions started in 2020. A mother began importing products for her disabled daughter. She saw the lack of available assistive technology in South Africa. She decided to fill that gap.
Lisa and Ed Ellis later acquired the company. They returned to South Africa after many years working in the same industry overseas. Their international experience gave them a clear view of what works in assistive technology. They also understood what South African schools desperately needed.
The company now works in the special needs education and health sector. They also help private individuals who need supportive technology after an accident or illness. Inclusive Solutions offers products, assessments, training, and support to many schools, hospitals, and families.
The New Tool Builds on 15 Years of Experience
The home-language learning tool is still in development. But it is not starting from scratch. Its predecessor has been used in South African special needs schools for over 15 years. That gives the new product a strong foundation.
The team is now translating and localizing the tool for South African schools. They want it to feel relevant and useful for local teachers and learners. Lisa Ellis told Disrupt Africa that they hope to see better relevance and more value delivered to local schools.
Research supports the importance of home-language instruction. Children learn to read and write most effectively when taught in their home language. These literacy skills then transfer to a second language. The Department of Basic Education also recognizes this. They launched the National Home Language Reading Programme to strengthen home language reading instruction in the Foundation Phase.
Injini and Mastercard Foundation Back the Vision
Inclusive Solutions received funding from the Injini Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship in South Africa. The fellowship selected the company for its fourth cohort in 2026.
The program provides each startup with ZAR1 million, about US$61,000. It also offers mentorship from experts, formal pedagogical evaluation and certification, and specialized market insights. The fellowship specifically looks for companies that address barriers faced by South Africa’s most marginalized learners.
Lisa Ellis said the fellowship saw and agreed with the value and need for their solution. This validation matters. It shows that experts in education technology believe the tool can make a real difference.
A Focus on Special Needs Schools First
Inclusive Solutions mainly works in government special needs schools. They plan to maintain that focus. But they also intend to grow into mainstream schools and early childhood development spaces.
This strategy makes sense. Special needs schools often have the most urgent requirements for assistive technology. If the tool works well there, it can scale to other settings. The company already sees growth year-on-year as awareness and need both grow.
What This Means for South African Education
South Africa needs solutions that work at scale. The Department of Basic Education recently released the FUNS survey, giving the country its first comprehensive picture of early-grade reading across all 11 official languages. This data helps identify where interventions are most needed.
The Inclusive Solutions tool addresses a critical gap. Many existing literacy tools focus on English. But South Africa has 11 official languages. Children in the Foundation Phase learn in their home language. They need resources that match their classroom reality.
The tool also supports teachers. The Foundation Phase literacy curriculum includes phonemic awareness, word recognition, comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency. A well-designed digital tool can help teachers deliver lessons on all these components. It can provide consistent practice and immediate feedback that is hard to achieve in large classrooms.
The company operates as a for-profit business. But they received grant funding for this specific product. That hybrid model allows them to pursue social impact while maintaining sustainability. They import and distribute products for the educational special needs sector. The revenue from that work supports their development efforts.
The Path Forward
The home-language learning tool remains in development. The team is working on translation and localization. They will test it in schools. They will gather feedback from teachers and learners. Then they will refine the product.
South Africa cannot afford to wait. Every year that passes without effective literacy interventions leaves more children behind. The Inclusive Solutions tool will not solve the literacy crisis alone. But it can be part of the solution.
For parents, teachers, and school administrators, this development offers hope. A tool that helps children learn in their home language could make a real difference. It could help more children read at grade level. It could reduce the number of learners who cannot read a single word by Grade 3. It could give more children the foundation they need to succeed in school and beyond.
The company has the experience, the partnerships, and the funding to make this work. Now they need to execute. The education community will be watching closely.
