Disrupting SA education: High school from home and get into Harvard, Stanford, Oxford

Loading player...
In early 2017, the Robert and Sam Paddock pocketed R1.8bn when selling their Cape-headquartered online education business Getsmarter.co.za to Nasdaq listed 2U. Getsmarter has relationships with the world's great universities, offering its global student base access to MIT, Harvard and Oxford degrees through online studies. Having served their obligatory earn-out period and after a short break, the Paddock brothers are back in the startup mix, this time with the Valenture Institute, which offers a massively disruptive option to traditional High School education. Like Gersmarter, leverages technology to offer students remote access to top quality education. At R60 000 a year, the cost compares favourably with leading private schools in SA - with the significant advantage of delivering a qualification that's recognised by the best universities on earth. In 2020, Valenture will offer the equivalent of SA's Grades 8, 9, 10 and 11, expanding to matric the following year. In this fascinating interview Robert Paddock explains how it works - and why this democratisation of schooling has already captured the imagination of both parents and pupils. - Alec Hogg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
10 Dec 2019 1AM English South Africa Investing · Business News

Other recent episodes

Helen Zille: “Johannesburg is on the brink of collapse” — Inside her plan to save SA’s biggest city

Helen Zille says Johannesburg’s crisis is far worse than she imagined, warning the city faces financial collapse, crumbling infrastructure, and coalition chaos. In this wide-ranging interview, she outlines her plan to restore water, electricity, roads, and investor confidence while exposing deep governance failures, corruption, and “last lap looting” inside the…
22 May 2AM 33 min

BN Daybreak - Fri 22 May 2026: Zille slams Joburg budget; Roodt on Crypto; Hoatson urges pushback; and Gupta delays

In today's BizNews Daybreak, we cover the latest business and political updates. On the international front, US-Iran tensions escalate over Strait of Hormuz tolls, while SpaceX scrubs its 12th Starship test mission. Locally, Helen Zille warns of Johannesburg’s collapsing municipal budget and failing infrastructure, economist Dawie Roodt discusses Treasury's futile…
21 May 11PM 15 min

Jacques Broodryk - AfriForum goes after the elusive Guptas…

AfriForum has asked the National Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Andy Mothibi, for an urgent update on the much delayed extradition of the Guptas who allegedly benefited from State Capture to the tune of between R50 and R70 billion. In this interview with Chris Steyn, Jacques Broodryk, AfriForum’s Chief Spokesperson:…
21 May 5AM 9 min