By 2030, nearly half the world’s young people will be African. Yet for decades, the continent’s learning crisis was treated with systems unfit for reality on the ground. Social entrepreneur Rapelang Rabana shows how homegrown leadership and technology designed for African classrooms can deliver foundational skills to millions of children — and shape a new future of education across the continent. (This ambitious idea is part of The Audacious Project, TED’s initiative to inspire and fund global change.) (Recorded at TED2026 on April 14, 2026)
Join us in person at a TED conference:
Become a TED Member to support our mission:
Subscribe to a TED newsletter:
Follow TED!
Instagram:
LinkedIn:
TikTok:
Facebook:
X:
The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less) — plus originals, podcasts and exclusive content. Look for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design as well as science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit for our entire library, transcripts, translations and personalized recommendations.
Watch more:
TED videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with the TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), submit a request at
#TED #TEDTalks #Education
@PhillipAtanga-x4x
September 10, 2026 at 11:07 am
🌍🌎🌏🌐❤️🖖💯💯💯
@VictoirelorsieNZENGUE
September 10, 2026 at 11:09 am
Yeah
@meanderinoranges
September 10, 2026 at 11:16 am
2nd graders are commonly considered literate in the west. If literacy is how you measure academic success, you need to take a couple of steps back and ask yourself some tough questions.
@PetraKann
September 10, 2026 at 11:27 am
Agree – the West is in no position to lecture anyone on learning and education.
@yungchum2073
September 10, 2026 at 12:54 pm
lmao where did you get this from? Wild claim.
@meanderinoranges
September 10, 2026 at 4:26 pm
@PetraKannthis lady’s claim is 80% of sub-saharan african 10-year-old kids are illiterate. Yes, absolutely, the west is MILES better than that. We are 100% in the position to be lecturing Africa on this.
@meanderinoranges
September 10, 2026 at 4:27 pm
@yungchum2073 it’s a wild claim that kids can read at age 6 or 7 in the west? No, that’s not a wild claim at all. …unless you’re talking about inner city kids.
@PetraKann
September 10, 2026 at 5:44 pm
@meanderinoranges
Literacy and intelligence are different characteristics – often unrelated.
The west sets these standards for education to fuel its corporate and government structures.
Young children are taught how to be parrots rather than how to be thinkers and creative individuals.
This is a generalisation of course, but the model used.
The genuinely bright and creative students are hindered in early schooling years with this military style approach to education.
@meanderinoranges
September 10, 2026 at 11:19 am
Solar tablets?!? This is your solution?! You’re pitching a product? 🤷
@rōnin_963
September 10, 2026 at 11:19 am
Cant fix the IQ problem.
@setitfree78
September 10, 2026 at 12:06 pm
Genuine question why does Africa look like it never progressed technologically?
@Shoobybuhdooby
September 10, 2026 at 12:08 pm
Thats Africas responsibility.
@Shoobybuhdooby
September 10, 2026 at 12:09 pm
“I missed the part where thats my problem.” – Tobey Maguire
@yungchum2073
September 10, 2026 at 12:52 pm
What do you think this lady’s nickname is? With a name like “Rapelang”……
@akbarshohbekjon
September 10, 2026 at 12:58 pm
🫗
@amblinalong
September 10, 2026 at 2:01 pm
Something has been holding back most of the nations of Africa, with Egypt being the only one which is effectively interacting with the rest of the world, if we are to focus on self-reliant, healthy advancement of a nation. What could be holding them back all this time? Sure, bad climate in some areas, muddy and flooding or dry and barren. Sure, but what has stopped them from terraforming and digging and creating infrastructure beyond a few major hubs? No, I don’t think it’s anything less than something behind the curtain making sure they have to crawl on all fours to grow their civilizations.
@scottmears7490
September 10, 2026 at 5:37 pm
A.I.
@harrypearle9781
September 10, 2026 at 5:45 pm
What about having this system online, for use in other places, as well?
@uaps28
September 10, 2026 at 5:54 pm
This ‘TED’ channel is still not too bad. However, the ‘TedX’ one is absolute rubbish now. The speakers, the topics, they suck. Do you guys agree?
@HispanoScot
September 10, 2026 at 7:44 pm
Start prosecuting Christians.