South Africa is one of the most internet-loving nations in the whole of Africa. As a 2013 study by the World Bank shows, around half (48%) of the population of South Africa is connected to the internet. This percentage is much higher than the corresponding percentages for other regions of Sub-Sahara Africa, such as Chad and South Sudan.

Moreover, the number of internet users in South Africa is set to grow even further in the coming decade, in line with a global trend towards increased internet use.

Mobile learning offers a brilliant opportunity for remote e-learning: all that a student needs is a smartphone and internet access.

Educational infrastructure and mobile phone usage: working in tandem

In general, South Africa has very good education infrastructure; indeed, its universities are among the best in Sub-Sahara Africa. A 2007 study by the OECD rated the majority of secondary and tertiary institutions in South Africa as 'excellent', citing the wide range of 'sophisticated' facilities available there.

However, the same study also noted that several primary and secondary educational institutions in South Africa lacked even the basic infrastructure and facilities that are needed in order to enable all students to learn effectively. These differences within the nation's school systems will need to be taken into account whenever policymakers and educational practitioners attempt to implement edtech in South Africa.

One very positive factor with respect to e-learning in South Africa is the growing number of smartphone users in the country, which the World Bank's statistics suggest are set to comfortably exceed 16.1 million by 2017.

In addition, smartphone prices in South Africa have been getting lower in recent years and it is most probable that this trend will continue. This means that the rollout of edtech solutions and online courses can work very well in tandem with the increasing availability and affordability of mobile technology in the region.

Case study: ICT events involving South Africa

South Africa is noticeable in Sub-Sahara Africa because it has very much announced itself as a leader in the field of e-learning technology. For example, of the over a thousand delegates to the 2016 E-learning Africa conference (which was held in Cairo, Egypt), over half were from South Africa.

In addition, South Africa is home to some of the continent's most innovative e-learning start ups, including two young businesses called Obami and Rethink Education. As such, the climate in this country is very favourable to the implementation of m-learning. Indeed, several of South Africa's tertiary institutions are already using edtech and remote learning to distribute course materials. From this foundation, several other initiatives can be built, such as offering online courses that exist in their own right rather than as subsidiary to a course taken in person at a university.

How might m-learning be used in South Africa?

As mentioned above, remote and mobile learning technology is currently most often used simply to distribute course materials in South Africa. However, this type of learning can also be used to boost access to skills throughout the country. Given that (as mentioned above) some of South Africa's secondary educational institutions lack basic facilities, m-learning can be used in this context to provide online courses, diplomas, information and learning materials to communities that are lacking adequate learning opportunities due to this infrastructural deficit.

For those members of the South African population who find it hard to reach the classroom, mobile learning technologies can provide a way to ensure that they are still able to get all of the education that they need in order to progress through the country's education system (which, at the tertiary level, is generally of very high quality).

The above analysis suggests that the next few years will be crucial for policymakers and entrepreneurs who want to demonstrate just how useful mobile based learning will be in South Africa.

As mobile technology becomes ever more affordable and readily available, and as exciting new startups begin to explore the possibilities for e-learning in the country, education professionals will need to capitalise on theses trends as thoroughly as possible.

* By Jens Ischebeck, e-learning specialist Africa, publisher of www.apps-for-learning.com