“From Scraps to Success”: SA Inspired by Limpopo Boys Who Built Educational App

• Two childhood friends from a rural Limpopo village have created an educational app called Novar, despite having no formal coding education or proper resources
• Shibambu Marvel and Malunghelo Mathonsi taught themselves coding using YouTube tutorials and free online resources after buying a second-hand computer for just R700
• The Novar app provides free educational resources, including virtual classrooms, pre-recorded lessons, discussion groups, AI tools, and bursary opportunities to help students

South African social media users have shown their admiration for two young men from a small village in Limpopo who developed an educational app without formal training or proper equipment.

Content creator @CoolStoryBru from Cape Town, known for sharing interesting facts and current affairs in South Africa, posted about the incredible journey of Shibambu Marvel and Malunghelo Mathonsi in May.

Watch the Facebook clip below:

The story of determination

The two childhood best friends from Gumbani, a small, under-resourced village in Limpopo, managed to build an educational app despite having no facilities, funding, or even a computer initially. With just R700, they purchased an old second-hand PC and taught themselves how to code using YouTube tutorials and other free online resources.

Against all odds, the pair successfully developed Novar, an app that provides free learning resources to students across South Africa. The app includes live virtual classrooms, pre-recorded lessons, discussion groups, AI tools, bursary opportunities, and much more. In just a few months, it has already been downloaded 44,000 times.

Despite their success, the young developers are still facing significant hurdles. They continue to work with their ageing computer while operational costs keep rising. According to @CoolStoryBru, they need funding to maintain the app and expand its capabilities.

Their website, https://studentport.co.za/, offers various partnership opportunities, including advertising options, premium learning hubs, one-on-one tutoring, and business collaborations.

Mzansi shows support

South Africans have flooded the comments section with messages of support and admiration for the young innovators:

@ShapeshifterAnunnaki gushed:

"You're doing great in marketing our country, keep it up."

@IlsevandenHeever remarked:

"This speaks for the fact that the government urgently needs to improve the education system in SA… There is so much talent lying bare, just waiting to be developed."

@SîrDonaldLahmMampuru commented:

"The kind of content we need in this country."

@D'AngeloZeta pointed out:

"We have talent, we just don't have funding."

@NicoleCoetzee expressed frustration:

"And in the news last week, the government spent R22 million on 22 computers. It makes me so angry that smart, hardworking guys like these have to struggle while people who add zero value, pocket cash because they're connected."

@LeonaLieberum suggested:

"Please post a GoFundMe. If everyone who made a comment on this page donated a minimum of R10, they would soon have enough."

3 other stories of inspiring South Africans

• Briefly News recently reported on Ripfumelo Chauke from Soweto, who became the first in her family to graduate by funding her Rhodes University degree.
• A remarkable 29-year-old man from KwaMashu who lost his legs early in life is now making South Africa proud playing professional wheelchair basketball in France.
• Dr Lebogang Matholwane Mathole made history as the University of Johannesburg's first PhD graduate in Economics with a focus on Local Economic Development.

Source: Briefly News