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Aurra Kawanzaruwa: Using technology as an empowerment tool through AfriDigital

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A research on the impact of the fourth industrial revolution on African communities by Aurra Kawanzaruwa became a springboard for her to establish Africa Is Digital (AfriDigital), an education-based business that harnesses technology and uses it to empower students.

AfriDigital focuses on technology advancement and its impact on African societies and economies. Established in August 2019, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic the company made a name for itself by successfully spearheading a distance learning program to make education affordable and accessible.

A burning passion for entrepreneurship
Aurra reveals how being at the helm of her own business is something that she always dreamt of achieving while growing up.

“I was born in Harare in 1989 and I have a broad school history from primary school at Hellenic to high schools in Bulawayo, Gweru and finally in Johannesburg where I completed my Advanced Levels at the British International College.

“I always wanted to be a businesswoman when I was a kid. I remember telling my parents that I wanted to use all my talents, become successful to such an extent that I am able to become my own boss.”

Studying towards a Bachelor of Arts degree in Live Performance in South Africa at AFDA School of Motion Picture and Live Performance gave Aurra the kind of international exposure she needed to set up a business that would not only cater for the needs of Zimbabweans but also assist other students from many parts of the African continent.

Engaging with technology
Asked exactly how AfriDigital operates, Aurra responds: “AfriDigital is in the business of innovation. We have three main pillars which are knowledge management (research, data analysis, systems management and tech development), education (school management, hub management, training and curriculum design) and we are also a creative agency (digital strategy, graphic design, content creation, podcasting and event management).

“AfriDigital is a vehicle I use to criticize by doing. I started it because I was deeply bothered by the notion that the world was evolving at such a rapid pace but locally we were not engaging with technology in a way that could maximize our potential.

“When we first started, the goal was to research the fourth industrial revolution and how it could impact and benefit communities and economies in Zimbabwe and across Africa. We shared those findings in free public lectures on a range of topics; from FinTech and AgriTech to medicine and the arts.

“We have since expanded our knowledge base beyond the fourth industrial revolution to include emerging technologies, education, culture and social development.”

As the chief executive officer and head of education at AfriDigital, Aurra’s core duties include overseeing strategy, business development, school management as well as the research and training aspect of the company.

Successes amidst challenges
Aurra says the challenges she has faced so far during the company’s five year existence have not derailed her vision to make AfriDigital the very best when it comes to innovative ways of delivering education across the continent.

In the middle of all the difficulties they faced, prayer and teamwork became a rallying point.

“There have been countless challenges we have faced as a business operating primarily in a tough environment. From having one of our schools broken into to losing all our computers on two separate occasions, there have been major setbacks.

“We also had to deal with our partners abandon us at the last minute at our inaugural Africa Is Digital Summit in 2024. These have been defining moments that have taught us to overcome challenges with prayer, teamwork and the ability to be flexible even when things do not go as planned.”

However, the successes that AfriDigital has managed to achieve during this period gives Aurra and her team a very good reason to be optimistic about the future.

“We have produced 13 events focused on the fourth industrial revolution and its impact across all sectors including the first Africa Is Digital Summit held in February, 2024, in Victoria Falls. In 2020 we became equity investors in a small community school in Harare West, St Anne’s School, which was founded and has been running since 1947.

“The school faced closure during the COVID pandemic, but through our network we were able to raise enough funding to launch a distance learning program and reopen the school at a new premises in 2021. Within one year we were also able to launch a second branch of the school focused on preschoolers and ECD.

“We also won our first award as an organization in 2024; the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) Mashonaland Region Innovation Award as the 1st Runner Up. I have won a few awards as an individual but this one was particularly special as it was reflective of the team’s hard work.”

A bright future ahead
With a permanent team of 15 including teaching staff , AfriDigital also also works with a part time team across the world on a per-project basis.

Aurra is confident this number could grow as the company looks to spread its wings even further from this year onwards.

“In 2025 we are expanding our operations and hope to increase our team along with it. However, to be fair, as a tech-focused company we use a lot of tech tools to make our work efficient and having a small team allows us to be more agile and effective.

“In 2025 and 2026 we are working with our education partners around the world to launch a new school, AfriDigital Academy, designed to serve children and teens who demonstrate a proficiency in tech and the arts, offering global opportunities for learning and growth.

“We will also be expanding our operations to East and West Africa within the next 5 years.”

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