Success begins with opportunity – MathU 2026
South Africa faces a critical shortage of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) skills, driven by poor foundational education, declining math/science enrolment, and a lack of qualified teachers. But what if there was a way to fix this?
MathU is aimed at making a real impact on Maths and Science education in South Africa. Being part of the MathU project means having a tutor in your back pocket – access to a 24/7 PhD-level AI tutor that guides learners step-by-step through dynamic conversation. But many lack that access due to the affordability of data. That could change if the MathU app was zero rated.
Please find some interesting stats:
How many learners start Grade 8 each year ~ 1 million
How many reach Grade 12 still taking pure Maths ~ 250K
How many Maths distinctions in 2024 ~ 9,600
How many Maths distinctions in 2025 ~ 4,500 (nearly half)
What % get Maths distinctions nationally – 1.8% (DBE rate)
What % of MathU learners get distinctions – 16.7% (MathU rate)
How many times higher is MathU’s rate – 9.3x
What % of SA households have mobile phones – 96.6% (access ≠data)
How many learners in rural communities cannot access data – 4.2 million (cost is barrier)
How much data does OnlyTests need daily – 14MB per day (ultra-light)
How much data for a full year – 3GB per year (250 school days)
How much do Telcos spend on CSI yearly ~ R450 million CSI budget
What portion of Telco CSI would support all Gr10-12 learners – 10-20% of CSI spend
What happens is we give all student access to OnlyTests without worrying about data – 4,500 distinctions today, ~41,000 distinctions potential
9x more Maths distinctions
ISSUED ON BEHALF OF TRACKER SA
