Internet-based tertiary education in South Africa has received a shot in the arm through an international private equity fund.

One Thousand & One Voices (1K1V) has announced that it is investing in Higher Partners South Africa (HEPSA), a Johannesburg-based online education company and online programme management services provider to South African tertiary institutions, according to Africa Tech.

1K1V – with offices in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa; Ebene, Mauritius; and Colorado, in the US – is backed exclusively by industry-leading families from around the globe with an investment focus in sub-Saharan Africa. It is led by the family of John Coors, fourth-generation chief executive of US ceramics company CoorsTek. The value of the HEPSA deal, 1KV1’s first investment in the African education sector, has not been disclosed.

This investment will enable HEPSA’s partner universities expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education by supporting the conversion of existing programmes to an online format – attracting and enrolling qualified students and providing ongoing student support.

15 Mat 2018
Image: Gallo/Getty Images