Wired for Change: Bringing Digital Learning to South Africa’s Forgotten Schools (2009–2011)
Across Dusty Roads and Digital Dreams
In 2009, I swapped expat life in the Middle East for something closer to home—but no less adventurous. I returned to South Africa, not to lecture in a classroom, but to bring the classroom itself into the digital age.
Joining Learnthings Africa, in partnership with Microsoft, MTN, Mecer, and Vodacom, I became part of a bold, countrywide initiative to bridge the digital divide in South African education—especially in underserved rural communities.
Armed with a car, a laptop, and stacks of preloaded software, I hit the road to train teachers, install e-learning software in PC labs, and introduce 21st-century tools in places where time had stood still.
🧭 Across the Provinces: One Country, Many Classrooms
This wasn’t a Johannesburg-based office job. It was an expedition across nine provinces, reaching schools most had never heard of, in places that don’t show up on tourist maps.
I trained and worked in:
Eastern Cape (Transkei region) – Discovering the rural heart of South Africa in Mt Ayliff, Mt Frere, Matatiele, Qumbu, and Qhobosheaneng Village, I installed software, delivered workshops, and navigated roads best suited for donkeys.
Mpumalanga – In Kabokweni, Kanyamazane, and Elukwatini, I conducted hands-on PC literacy sessions with enthusiastic yet under-resourced teachers.
Limpopo – In Bushbuckridge, Phalaborwa, and Khokhovela, I worked with schools like Maseke Primary and Khokhovela Primary, where teachers eagerly learned how to create lesson plans in MS Word.
North West Province – I facilitated bulk training programs in Tladi Stad, Makapaanstad, and Seboaneng, working with teachers from schools like Dipetlwana, Matlaisane, Gaesitsiwe, and Masonyane.
Every location brought new logistical puzzles—unpredictable electricity, slow networks, locked storerooms—but also incredible people with a hunger to learn.
💻 From Chalkboards to Clicks: The Work We Did
Let me paint a picture. A rural classroom. Windows cracked. Dust in the air.
A single plug point on the wall. And in that space, we set up:
Learnthings multimedia content preloaded onto laptops
MS Office training modules for teacher development
Offline encyclopedias (Encarta) to open up the world
Projector-based digital lessons that left students in awe
We didn’t just bring software—we brought confidence, possibility, and pride.
🛠️ Teaching the Teachers: The Real Heroes
Many teachers I worked with had never used a mouse, let alone opened PowerPoint. But with patience and humor, we made it work.
We laughed through typos, celebrated when someone saved a document properly, and clapped when a teacher connected a projector without help.
“You didn’t just teach me computers,” one educator in Mthatha said.
“You reminded me why I love teaching.”
I remember one school where the school principal stood up and typed his name for the first time. The staff gave him a standing ovation.
🐾 On the Road: From Donkey Carts to Laptops
Driving across provinces in a red Toyota Corolla, dodging potholes and livestock, became part of the experience. Each stop was unpredictable. Power cuts. Forgotten keys. Broken USB ports. But every success—every child typing, every teacher smiling—made it worth it.
There were days when I’d drive 5 hours to install a single computer. Other days, I trained 40 teachers in a stuffy hall with no windows.
🌍 Why It Still Matters
More than a decade later, I still believe this was one of the most impactful periods of my career. We didn’t just install content—we empowered rural educators with tools and skills they were never given access to before.
We helped schools leap forward into a digital world they’d been locked out of. And for many teachers, that training was the first time they felt professionally invested in by the system.
It was never perfect. But it was transformative.
📸 Capturing Hidden South Africa: A Photographer’s Dream
One of the most unforgettable aspects of my work with Learnthings Africa was the travel. While I was there to train teachers and facilitate digital literacy in classrooms, I quickly discovered that every journey into the rural heart of South Africa was also a photographic adventure waiting to happen.
My work took me far off the beaten path—to the Transkei, Limpopo, North West Province, Mpumalanga, and the Eastern Cape. These were places where time seemed to slow down, where landscapes rolled on endlessly, and where communities lived in harmony with nature, untouched by the rush of modern tourism.
✍️ Final Reflection
In many ways, this chapter of my TEFL journey wasn’t about teaching English. It was about equity, access, and empowering the people who shape the next generation.
While I’ve taught in many countries, this work at home, in the forgotten corners of South Africa, will always hold a special place in my heart.
HEY, I’M HENRY
Hi, I’m Henry Lilienfield, a TEFL veteran with teaching experience across China, Taiwan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, South Africa, and online. With a law degree, two post-grad qualifications in Education Management and Development Studies, and a Level 5 TEFL Diploma, I bring deep knowledge and a practical approach to everything I teach—whether it’s English lessons or how to start your own online teaching business.
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