As the world marks International Children’s Day on 20 November, South Africa is celebrating a major milestone in early childhood education. Bamba Learn, an innovative learning app created by Afrika Tikkun Bambanani, has been named one of the Top 100 most impactful and scalable education solutions in the world. The recognition comes from the prestigious HundrED Global Collection 2026, an annual catalogue that highlights global innovations transforming the future of education.
The announcement places South Africa firmly on the international stage as a leader in early learning technology. HundrED, a renowned education non-profit based in Finland, evaluates thousands of innovations from around the world before selecting the final 100. These innovations are chosen for their evidence of impact, ability to scale, and relevance to global learning challenges.
“The innovations featured in the HundrED Global Collection 2026 are not only impactful and scalable, they also embody resilience and adaptability,” says Lasse Leponiemi, CEO of HundrED. “Every year, HundrED selects 100 of the most impactful and scalable education innovations that are shaping the global education ecosystem. The work of selecting these innovations gives us insight into how educators and innovators are responding to shifting global priorities.”
Bamba Learn is a South African-developed early learning app designed for children aged two to six,. What sets it apart is that it is not just a digital tool but part of a broader ecosystem that includes a play-based curriculum, an online assessment centre, teacher upskilling through SACE-accredited training, leadership development for principals, and ongoing mentorship. The app supports early literacy, numeracy, motor development, cognitive growth and socio-emotional skills through interactive, age-appropriate games and activities. It was developed alongside inclusion specialists to ensure that children with disabilities and diverse learning needs are able to participate fully.
Over the past four years, Afrika Tikkun Bambanani has implemented the Bambanani programme in 710 ECD centres across all nine provinces. The programme has reached more than 63,000 children and close to 5,000 teachers. The integration of technology with in-person mentoring, teacher training, and centre-based assessments has helped create a consistent and measurable approach to improving early childhood learning outcomes. Children are evaluated termly through the online assessment centre, and the data is used to guide targeted interventions, classroom support and continuous improvement.
The recognition from HundrED comes at a significant moment. Around the world, millions of young children still lack access to quality early learning, and in South Africa, nearly a third of children do not meet age-appropriate developmental milestones by the time they reach school. International Children’s Day serves as an urgent reminder of the need to invest in early education, particularly in communities most affected by poverty, inequality and under-resourced services.
The inclusion of Bamba Learn in the HundrED Global Collection is more than an award—it is a validation of the commitment shown by teachers, principals, programme partners, donors and the communities who have embraced the model. It highlights how home-grown African solutions, when rooted in evidence and designed for real-life classrooms, can offer global lessons in innovation and resilience.
As the recognition opens up opportunities for global collaboration, Afrika Tikkun Bambanani aims to continue expanding its reach, with plans to extend inclusive content, deepen digital access in rural areas, strengthen teacher development and broaden multilingual learning resources. The long-term vision is to contribute to a future in which every child in South Africa, and eventually the wider African continent, can enjoy a strong developmental start and enter school ready to learn.
“This recognition is a proud moment for South Africa. It proves that locally developed, community-rooted solutions can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the world’s best. Our mission remains simple: to ensure that every child can thrive by five,” says Theresa Michael, CEO of Afrika Tikkun Bambanani
On this International Children’s Day, South Africa celebrates not only its children but the innovators and educators working tirelessly to ensure that every child has the chance to thrive. The HundrED recognition is a reminder that with the right tools, partnerships and commitment, meaningful change in early childhood education is not only possible but already happening.
For more information about Afrika Tikkun Bambanani, please visit https://afrikatikkunbambanani.org/