As conversations around digital learning, artificial intelligence and STEAM continue to gain momentum across Africa, attention is increasingly turning to how these approaches can strengthen foundational learning – particularly in the early years. Yet behind the enthusiasm lies a more complex question: what actually works, for whom, and under what conditions?
Milisa Janda, an evaluator and researcher with over a decade of experience in the education sector, works at the intersection of evidence and implementation. Through her work with organisations such as the Trevor Noah Foundation, she has supported a range of initiatives spanning teacher development, literacy interventions and digital learning – with a focus on understanding what drives meaningful impact in real-world contexts.
Ahead of her panel discussion at eLearning Africa 2026, we spoke with her about the realities of designing and evaluating education programmes, and why success in education is often more nuanced than it appears.
Personal life & Inspirations
I’ve always believed that our early experiences shape much of how we see the world. Can you take us back to where you grew up, and share any moments or influences that shaped how you think about education today – whether that was something inspiring, or even something that felt frustrating at the time?
I grew up in East London, South Africa, where I went to school, although my family background is in the Eastern Cape, in a village near Dutywa. I spent a lot of time there growing up, so I was exposed to both urban schooling and rural community life from quite early on.
A key moment for me came in Grade 10, when I received a scholarship through the Student Sponsorship Programme. That opportunity changed the trajectory of my education. It eased some of the financial pressure at home and opened up access to experiences and institutions that would not otherwise have been available to me.
Looking back, that experience shaped how I think about education today. It showed me very clearly that access to opportunity can make a significant difference – and that support, at the right time, can fundamentally shift what is possible for a young person.
How did your academic journey – from Black Studies to Monitoring and Evaluation – influence the lens through which you approach education today?
Studying Black Studies at Amherst College exposed me to a much broader, more global perspective. It was the first time I was really engaging with different histories, cultures and ways of thinking at that scale, and it challenged some of the assumptions I had grown up with. It moved me away from a more narrow view of education and opportunity, and helped me understand how deeply these are shaped by context – by history, by systems, and by access.
Later, through my MPhil in Monitoring and Evaluation at Stellenbosch University, I developed a more practical framework for thinking about how change actually happens – how programmes are designed, implemented and assessed over time.
Together, those experiences shaped how I approach education today. It’s not just about what should work in theory, but about understanding people’s realities, and designing interventions that make sense within those contexts.
Professional Journey
You’ve spent over a decade working across research, evaluation and education programmes in South Africa. What have those experiences revealed to you about where African education systems are working – and where they are still falling short?
Most of my work has been in South Africa, although I am now beginning to gain more exposure across the continent through the Trevor Noah Foundation. One area where I think the system is working is around access. There are many organisations doing important work to create opportunities for learners who might not otherwise have them, and there has also been more focus on supporting girls in education.
Where the system is still falling short is in how uneven that support remains. A lot of interventions are concentrated in areas that are easier to reach – typically urban or peri-urban communities – while more remote, rural areas are often left behind.
I remember travelling to a deeply rural part of KwaZulu-Natal for evaluation work. It took several hours to get there, the roads were difficult, and by the time you arrive, you still have to conduct interviews and do the work properly. That experience really highlighted how challenging it can be to reach some of these communities – and why many interventions don’t extend as far as they should.
Much of your work sits at the intersection of implementation and evidence of “success”. In your view, what is the biggest disconnect between how education programmes are designed and how successful they ultimately are – and what does “success” actually mean in this context for the Foundation?
One of the biggest disconnects is the timeframe. Many programmes are designed as short-term interventions, but meaningful change – particularly in education – takes time. In previous roles, I often saw programmes implemented once, or over a very short period, without the sustained support needed for that work to take hold in schools.
Another issue is that programmes are sometimes designed without fully consulting the people they are intended to support. Schools and communities are not always meaningfully involved in shaping those interventions, which can affect how relevant or effective they are in practice.
For me, success is not just about delivery – whether a programme was rolled out or how many people it reached. It is about whether there is measurable improvement over time. At the Foundation, success will differ depending on the programme, but it ultimately comes down to whether there is real, sustained change in learning and in the systems that support it.
You’ve worked on everything from teacher development to literacy and digital learning initiatives. Across those areas, what patterns or lessons have consistently stood out to you?
One of the clearest lessons is the central role that teachers play. If you want to drive sustained change, teachers are often the most important point of impact. Through one teacher, you can influence many learners over time, which makes them a critical part of any intervention.
At the same time, teacher movement is a real challenge. Teachers change schools, leave the profession, or move into other roles. So if a programme is built too heavily around a single individual, it can lose momentum when that person leaves.
Because of that, it’s important to think beyond individual teachers – to build capacity across teams and within the broader school system, so that the work can continue even as people move on.
Institutional Focus – Trevor Noah Foundation
For those unfamiliar, how would you describe the Trevor Noah Foundation’s role in supporting education and opportunity for young people in South Africa – and where is most of that work focused?
The Trevor Noah Foundation was established in 2018 with a clear focus on addressing inequities in South Africa’s education system. At its core, the Foundation’s vision is to ensure that young people are able to access quality education that allows them to pursue meaningful opportunities and shape their own futures.
Most of the Foundation’s work is currently concentrated in Gauteng, where it partners with public schools and organisations to deliver targeted, long-term interventions.
This work is structured around three core programmes:
- Khulani Schools Programme
This is the Foundation’s flagship, high-touch programme, currently working with a network of partner schools. It takes a holistic approach – supporting not just learners, but the broader school ecosystem. Interventions span literacy, digital skills, coding and robotics, career guidance, psychosocial support, and leadership development. The emphasis is on sustained engagement over time, rather than once-off support. - Education Changemakers Programme
This programme focuses on building the next generation of leaders in education. It supports young people who are interested in entering the sector – whether as teachers, policymakers, or practitioners – through a structured residency, mentorship, training, and access to funding opportunities. The aim is to strengthen the wider education ecosystem by investing in people who will shape it. - Khulani Nathi Innovation Fund
More recently introduced, the Innovation Fund allows the Foundation to extend its reach by partnering with organisations that are already doing impactful work in education and youth development. Rather than duplicating efforts, it focuses on identifying and supporting initiatives that align with the Foundation’s priorities, helping to scale what is already working.
From your perspective within the Foundation, what has proven most effective in driving meaningful impact – particularly in under-resourced school environments?
One of the most important factors has been working closely with schools from the outset, rather than designing interventions in isolation. There is a deliberate process of engaging schools, understanding their specific contexts, and ensuring there is genuine interest and readiness before any programme is implemented.
We are also very intentional about positioning our work as partnerships, rather than adopting schools. That distinction matters, because it creates shared responsibility. Schools are not passive recipients – they are active participants in shaping and sustaining the work.
Another key lesson has been the importance of depth. The Khulani Schools Programme is designed as a high-touch, long-term intervention, which allows for more meaningful engagement over time. While that limits scale in the short term, it helps ensure that what is implemented is actually embedded within the school.
At the same time, through the Innovation Fund, we are able to extend our reach by supporting organisations that are already doing strong work in other contexts. That combination – depth within schools and scale through partnerships – has been central to how we think about impact.
Session Spotlight – Building Digital Foundations in Early Learning
At this year’s eLearning Africa conference, you will be speaking in a panel titled “Digital, STEAM and Data-Driven Foundations for Early Learning in Africa.” The discussion explores how tools like early coding, robotics and AI can support foundational literacy and numeracy – particularly in low-resource contexts.
There is growing excitement around introducing coding, robotics and STEAM approaches at primary level. From your perspective, what real value do these bring to early learning – beyond the buzzwords?
If we want young people to eventually build and shape technology, rather than only consume it, then exposure needs to start early. That is really the thinking behind integrating coding and robotics into foundational learning.
In our case, this work sits within the Khulani Schools Programme, where we’ve partnered with Sifiso EdTech to establish robotics centres in schools, alongside structured teacher training and after-school programmes. The aim is not just to introduce a new subject, but to build foundational skills – things like problem-solving, collaboration, and logical thinking.
What’s been encouraging is that we are starting to see schools take ownership of this work. One of our high schools in Eldorado Park has already integrated coding and robotics into the timetable as a subject, and one of our primary schools is in the process of doing the same. That suggests that the value goes beyond exposure – it is beginning to embed within the school system itself.
You spoke about implementation just now. So what does “success” actually look like for a programme like this over time?
Success, for us, is not just whether the programme runs well in the short term, or whether learners enjoy the sessions. It’s about whether the work becomes sustainable within the school.
Over time, that means building a base of teachers who are confident in delivering coding and robotics, and ensuring that schools have both the capacity and the resources to continue the work independently. It also means reducing reliance on external facilitators, so that the programme becomes part of the school’s own offering rather than something that sits outside of it.
So while improved learner outcomes in STEM are important, the deeper measure of success is whether the system can carry the work forward on its own.
In your experience, what do people designing these kinds of early learning interventions most often underestimate?
One of the biggest things people underestimate is the relationship between training and resources. You can provide schools with equipment, but if teachers are not properly trained, that equipment is unlikely to be used effectively.
At the same time, you can invest in training, but if teachers return to classrooms without the tools to practise what they’ve learned, that knowledge often fades.
So for these kinds of interventions to work, both elements need to be addressed together. It’s not enough to focus on one without the other if you want the work to be sustained.
Off the Record: Quick Fire
What’s one misconception about what makes an education programme “successful” that you think people get wrong?
One of the biggest misconceptions is that delivery equals success. Just because a programme was implemented, or reached a certain number of people, doesn’t mean it was impactful.
Another is the assumption that scale automatically means success. Reaching more people is important, but without depth or sustained change, it doesn’t necessarily translate into meaningful outcomes.
If you could prioritise just one foundational skill for children in early learning across in South Africa, what would it be?
Reading. It underpins everything else. If a child can read with understanding, it opens up access to learning across subjects and allows them to engage more meaningfully as they progress through school.
If I could to add a second, it would be critical thinking – the ability to question, interpret and make sense of information independently.
And since you mentioned reading – what is one fiction book and one non-fiction book that have stayed with you over the years?
For fiction, I would say Kintu by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi. I was drawn to how it weaves history and storytelling in a way that feels both personal and grounded in context.
For non-fiction, Always Another Country by Sisonke Msimang stands out. It offers a powerful reflection on identity, movement and belonging, and gave me a different perspective on histories I hadn’t fully engaged with before.
A habit or mindset that has helped you stay grounded while working in a field that is constantly evolving, and probably very sad at times?
Taking things one step at a time. Not everything unfolds exactly as planned, but I think it’s important to keep moving forward and to focus on what can be done in the moment. I also try to recognise the value of small wins. Even a single shift – in a learner, a teacher, or a school – can have a much wider impact over time.
What’s one small change in a typical classroom that you believe can make a disproportionately big difference?
Creating an environment where it’s okay to make mistakes. If learners feel safe to try, fail, and try again, it changes how they engage with learning. It builds confidence and encourages participation in a way that more rigid environments often don’t.
If you had to describe Africa’s digital future in one word?
Transformative
Interview conducted by Warren Janisch
