Capitec Foundation

Established in 2014, the Capitec Foundation is affiliated with and funded by Capitec Bank, but functions as an independent non-profit organisation (NPO) and public benefit organisation.

Since its inception, the Foundation has focused on enhancing the mathematical skills and knowledge of South African youth, recognising it as pivotal for fostering productive citizenship.

At the heart of the Foundation’s mission is the goal to promote pure mathematics at a General Education and Training (GET) – Grades 8 and 9 – and to improve uptake at further education and training (FET) schooling level – Grades 10 to 12. Thus, cultivating a pool of adept scholars prepared to contribute to the scarce skills sector through access to tertiary education opportunities.

Over time, the Foundation’s strategic approach has evolved, informed by rigorous testing of various components and valuable experiential insight. This evolution has led to the Foundation pioneering a whole school approach to enhance the quality of mathematics education in South African schools. This approach involves:

• Establishing school-based technology-enabled hubs,
• Providing professional development for pre-service and in-service mathematics teachers,
• Facilitating leadership development for school principals and school management teams (SMT),
• Implementing learning wellbeing interventions, addressing contextual challenges inhibiting learning and teaching.

The Foundation prides itself on its implementation approach, which sees it operating as a developmental agency, with an engaged hands-on way of working. As the Foundation advances into its next phase, it envisions serving as a convener of like-minded development partners committed to broader economic upliftment in the country, particularly through school-level maths interventions.