Injini Launches Two-Year Programme for 10 South African EdTech Startups

South African education technology incubator Injini has launched a two-year programme to support 10 early-stage startups developing solutions that connect young people to employment and income opportunities.

The EdTech for Employment Incubation Programme, financed by the Switzerland-based Leopold Bachmann Foundation, will run from October 2026 to September 2028. It targets young people aged 15 to 30, with a focus on solutions that improve work readiness, digital skills and access to income-generating opportunities.

The programme comes as South Africa continues to grapple with high youth unemployment. Statistics South Africa recorded a youth unemployment rate of 46.1% in the first quarter of 2026, highlighting the difficulties young people face entering the labour market.

Injini says many education technology founders are already developing tools to address these challenges but lack the funding, market access and evidence needed to expand their businesses.

Startups to Receive Six Months of Incubation

The programme will support two cohorts of five startups each, with every cohort receiving six months of structured incubation.

Participating companies will receive mentorship from Injini’s education technology and business specialists, alongside support from external consultants matched to their needs. The programme will focus on four areas: product development, business sustainability, market access and impact measurement.

Startups will also test their products with young South Africans, gather user feedback and refine their solutions. Networking opportunities and showcase events will connect founders with potential funders, government representatives and industry partners.

The initiative will prioritise companies developing work-readiness and digital skills solutions, teacher training and professional development platforms, and tutoring or peer-learning models that can create employment or income opportunities.

Both for-profit and non-profit ventures can apply, provided they have a clear social impact objective.

Programme Targets 20,000 Young People

Injini aims to reach 20,000 underserved young people during the programme and support up to 2,000 in accessing employment or income-generating opportunities. It also targets the creation of 20 direct jobs within participating companies.

The incubator will assess the startups’ progress through monitoring, evaluation and learning activities designed to track their contribution to youth employment. This will help founders build evidence of their solutions’ effectiveness as they seek customers, partnerships and further investment.

Applications for the first cohort opened on 14 October and close at 23:59 South African Standard Time on 6 November 2026. The selection process includes screening, due diligence and founder interviews, with successful applicants expected to be notified in December.

The first cohort is scheduled to begin its incubation period in January 2027, with the official kick-off event planned for 28 January in Cape Town. Participation is equity-free, and the programme will cover travel costs for one representative from each selected venture attending mandatory in-person events.