ORT South Africa (ORT SA), with the support and guidance of GAS Marketing Automation, has launched Funda Nam (“Study with Me”), an AI study companion built exclusively for beneficiaries of its Big Data Analytics training programme. Trained on the programme’s own curriculum and available in English, isiZulu and isiXhosa, the web platform lets beneficiaries revise and practise at their own pace, outside the classroom, at any hour of the day.
GAS Marketing provided the infrastructure and technological expertise that made Funda Nam possible. The collaboration keeps ORT SA at the forefront of education interventions and helps close the resource gaps that hold back young people from underserved communities.
Built to put beneficiaries first
Funda Nam was designed to help beneficiaries self-study and streamline their learning and engagement. It was not built to replace the facilitator. It is an extension of, and a complement to, ORT SA’s physical training sessions.
“Funda Nam helps our beneficiaries reinforce their knowledge, build confidence and remain engaged with their learning journey long after the training session has ended,” said Anele Mkungela, ORT SA’s STEM and IT Head of Department. “It is a game-changer for our Big Data Analytics training programme.”
The platform furthers ORT SA’s commitment to evolve alongside technology and to use it in service of the organisation’s core purpose: Educating for Life.
Why GAS Marketing got involved
For Sam Michel, CEO and co-founder of GAS Marketing Automation, the collaboration is personal. Funda Nam is the first major project under GAS 4 Growth, the social impact initiative he leads.
“We at GAS believe that every brand in South Africa carries a responsibility to give back and to uplift the less fortunate in our society. It is the cornerstone of what a business should be,” said Michel. “We have spent years building our marketing and AI systems to a world-class standard. The question we asked ourselves was simple: what is the point of that advancement if it only ever serves those who already have access? Technology that stays locked behind a pay for access environment uplifts no one.
South Africa’s digital divide is not a shortage of talent. It is a shortage of access. In our previously disadvantaged communities there are young people with the intelligence, the hunger and the resilience to compete with anyone in the world. What they have been denied is the knowledge and the tools. AI has opened a door for them, and we want to help them walk through it.
ORT SA has been Educating for Life for decades, doing the hard, patient work of building skills where they are needed most. When we saw what their Big Data Analytics programme was achieving in KwaZulu-Natal, we knew our technology could multiply its impact. Funda Nam means a young person in a township can get a question answered at midnight, in isiZulu, from a tutor that never tires and never judges. That is what world-class technology should do. It should lift people. There is no better use of what we have built.
Closing the Big Data skills gap
To bridge the Big Data skills gap in the ICT sector, ORT SA established its Big Data Analytics development programme in 2024, in partnership with the Victor Daitz Foundation. The programme has supported more than 200 young people in the KwaZulu-Natal region, equipping them with critical data analytics skills and breaking down barriers to entering the job market.
What Funda Nam offers
- 24/7 AI study support: round-the-clock learning support, so beneficiaries can study the material in their own time and at their own pace.
- Trilingual accessibility: AI learning support in English, isiZulu and isiXhosa, so language is never a barrier to understanding.
- Work-readiness support: a dedicated section that prepares beneficiaries for the job market, with practical advice on employability within the industry.
What beneficiaries are saying
Both previous and current beneficiaries have been testing the platform. Cebile Mabaso shared her experience:
“The Funda Nam tab is very significant as it answers student queries about the course material in real time. I appreciate the fact that it also suggests relevant questions to ask, including options in isiZulu. It also separates into answered questions, where a student can view other students’ questions and the corresponding answers anonymously, which is a great feature to have on the platform. Overall, the platform appears to be a practical and very effective tool for student learning.”
