Numeric: R100m investment in South African maths education

Launched in 2012, Numeric has quietly but powerfully changed the landscape of mathematics education in South Africa, reaching a significant milestone in 2024 by securing over R100 million in funding since its inception. This investment is dedicated to addressing the country’s maths skills shortage through an approach that focuses on learners in their late primary school years, aiming to instil confidence and competence.

Newly appointed CEO Tori Gardner has expressed her enthusiasm for Numeric’s journey and future: “Numeric’s work is fundamentally about equipping young South Africans with the skills and self-belief they need to excel. The R100-million milestone is more than a financial achievement – it’s a commitment to continue strengthening the foundation of maths education in this country.”

Over the past 12 years, Numeric has grown into a respected thought leader in maths education, pioneering an in-person teaching model that is highly effective. A total of 24 000 learners have participated in Numeric’s year-long intensive after-school maths programme to date, and the programme has trained 980 future teachers across 85 partner schools in KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape and Gauteng. This focused intervention strategy targets learners in grades 6 and 7, supporting them with a two-year programme that builds essential maths foundations.

Former Numeric CEO Kristen Thompson adds, “Numeric’s work has always been focused on developing people and making maths fun for learners and teachers. Our ‘Numeric effect’ doesn’t just build skills – it builds a sense of possibility, for both the young minds we teach and the future teachers we inspire.”

Central to Numeric’s success is the ‘Numeric effect’: By nurturing maths skills early, Numeric not only boosts academic confidence among learners but also inspires teaching interns, many of whom go on to become great teachers – and this ripple effect is critical as South Africa faces a teaching crisis. Numeric’s research shows its approach contributes to lower dropout rates, higher matric maths enrolment and an increase in students achieving a 60% or higher pass rate in matric maths.

“As we look to the future, I am excited to carry this incredible work forward,” Gardner concludes. “The challenges in maths education are complex, but with every learner we reach and every future teacher we train, we’re making a lasting difference.”

Numeric’s three-part model consists of direct learner engagement, teaching internships and a supportive alumni network, all of which create a pipeline for sustained educational impact. Through this approach, the organisation aims to produce not just maths-literate students but a generation of empowered, skilled individuals ready to thrive in South Africa’s evolving economy.