Many still see Africa as nothing more than a backwater continent that lacks the infrastructure to become a part of the globalized world. While such statements might not be far from the truth in some respects, looking at the speed at which the continent and its people are progressing paints a picture of coming success. One thing that has been lagging behind has been good quality educational material, especially on the financial side of things. Getting textbooks shipped to poor countries has never been among the top priorities of developed nations, but with more and more phones making it into the hands of the local communities the world wide web is starting to cover the African continent, and quality educational information is quickly starting to flow in.
According to the well-known research site Statista, Africa has around 570 million internet users as of 2022. This number is more than double what it was in 2015 and is expected to grow by another 130 million users getting connected by 2025.
The question is, what is needed to make accessible online financial education for Africans a modern-day reality?
Free educational material is the way forward
Over the last few years, free online education has played a significant role in helping Africans to become more informed, and in turn, more successful. With the increasing availability of the internet and the proliferation of online learning platforms, Africans have been able to access a wide range of educational resources and opportunities that were previously well out of reach.
Where the local schools have failed, the internet came to help people prevail. With so many governments in Africa on the verge of collapse due to corruption and war, one of the main benefits of free online education is that it has allowed many Africans to gain access to high-quality educational materials regardless of their location or financial circumstances. Many African countries have limited or no access to traditional education, especially in rural areas, and free online education provides a viable alternative for those who may not have the means to attend traditional schools or universities.
It doesn’t just come down to getting an education, but what the internet has brought is the ability for Africans to acquire skills and knowledge that have never been taught in schools. The more corrupt government officials line their pockets, less and less money goes into developing good curriculums, and soon classrooms are filled to the brim with kids learning nothing useful from books that are well below sub-par.
It goes without saying that with the right training and education, Africans can quickly improve their employability and increase their chances of finding well-paying jobs or creating businesses that will serve to employ and raise up others who might need it. This is especially important in the current economic climate, where unemployment rates are higher than ever and competition for jobs is fierce.
One of the most important skills to get a grip on is financial education. Financial literacy is essential for individuals to make informed decisions about their finances and to manage their money effectively. By providing free online financial educational material, Africans can gain the skills and knowledge they need to plan for their financial future and ultimately achieve financial stability.
A good mobile site is crucial
In order to get the education ball rolling in the right direction at a good pace, well-crafted mobile sites are important for African users. Why? Well, most people living on the continent do not have access to a computer and would need to access educational materials through their mobile devices. According to the International Telecommunication Union, the number of mobile broadband subscriptions in Africa has grown significantly in recent years, with over half of the continent’s population now having access to the internet through their mobile devices.
Having a mobile-friendly site is crucial for providing a seamless and user-friendly experience for African users who are hungry for knowledge and eager to learn.
What makes for a good mobile site?
- A good mobile site should be easy to navigate. There are so many sites that aren’t quite optimized for mobile which is a massive stumbling block to getting information in the best way possible
- Clear and concise information. Things should be displayed in a way that is easy to read on a small screen. Too many companies try to be fancy with buttons and menus taking up unnecessary amounts of screen space
- It should be lightweight and load quickly. Believe it or not but in many parts of Africa 3G is not even there yet. This means that for those slow connections, a site has to be quick-loading, meaning fewer bells and whistles and more content
- I’ll say it again, lightweight is key! Many African users may have limited data plans or may be accessing the site over patchy internet connections
There just aren’t a lot of PCs laying around and with more and more Africans accessing the internet through their mobile devices, a mobile-friendly site allows educational institutions and organizations to reach a larger and more diverse group of users. This is important for businesses but it is especially important for organizations that are trying to promote access to education in Africa, as it allows them to reach users who may not have access to a computer or who may be located in areas with limited or no internet access or who might even have electricity problems like rolling blackouts.
Who will save the day when it comes to teaching financial literacy in Africa
Khan Academy, edX, and Coursera are all well-known and respected sources of online education. These platforms offer a wide range of educational resources, including video lectures, interactive exercises, and assessments, all of which are available free of charge. Khan Academy, for example, offers a wide range of educational content in subjects such as math, science, and history, while edX and Coursera offer more specialized courses in a variety of subjects, including computer science, business, and the arts.
While these platforms are certainly valuable sources of information, there is a huge gap in the market for platforms that focus specifically on financial education and that simply provide the information without necessarily forcing people to follow a set course of learning. This is where investfox comes in. investfox is a fintech startup that came onto the scene with the goal of providing transparent brokerage reviews as well as serving as an education platform that provides a wide range of resources and tools to help people become confident investors and financially literate; and they provide it all for free.
The investfox education team is continually working on new content to help guide users through every step of their journey to becoming financially literate, and the site is extremely user-friendly both on a computer and any mobile device. This creates accessible online financial education for Africans that is perfectly aligned with their needs.
investfox has a financial trading education center that is specifically designed to help people understand the terminology, strategies, and techniques involved in investing. As financial scams are also picking up on the African continent, by offering transparency and accessibility, investfox is helping to make the financial markets more accessible to everyone and empowering people to take control of their financial future and to do so safely.
While platforms like Khan Academy, edX, and Coursera are great sources of information for a wide range of subjects, investfox is filling a gap in the market by offering specialized financial education resources and support in a way that works best for those who need good quality, fast loading content on a mobile-friendly website.
Summing it all up
In conclusion, free online education has had a significant impact on the education and success of Africans. It has provided access to education and training that was previously out of reach and has enabled those from the African continent to acquire the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in today’s fast-paced world. Financial literacy is a key to helping better equip Africans to manage their finances and plan for their financial future in a way that will quickly allow them to join the global business community and make a bigger impact on the world as a whole.
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