Blab AI
Canva and South African Council for Educators Partner to Expand AI-Ready Digital Teaching Tools
Canva has entered a national partnership with the South African Council for Educators (SACE) to provide teachers with digital and artificial‑intelligence (AI) resources. The collaboration was announced at an event in Johannesburg and is described by both parties as a long‑term investment that will align South Africa’s teaching and learning practices with the rapid development of AI.
Under the agreement, educators will receive free access to Canva for Education, a suite of structured training programmes, AI literacy initiatives and practical classroom resources. The tools are intended to simplify lesson preparation, reduce administrative workload and improve learner outcomes. Canva Africa Lead Bianca Sibiya said the partnership reflects the company’s commitment to giving educators tools that support modern teaching while preparing learners for an increasingly digital world. SACE Chief Executive Officer Ella Mokgalane highlighted that the collaboration will help teachers develop practical digital and AI skills that enhance the quality of teaching across the country.
The partnership also aims to broaden accessibility by enabling the creation of learning materials in all 11 official South African languages. SACE noted that empowering teachers will help learners thrive, communities grow and the country prosper.
Since January, more than 11 000 South African teachers have applied for Canva for Education, a 40 % increase over the same period last year. Canva said the growth reflects rising demand among educators for digital teaching tools and AI‑enabled learning resources.
Canva, founded in 2013, offers a drag‑and‑drop graphic‑design platform that is free to use. The company has added features such as print services and video editing over time and operates on a freemium model. Canva for Education is a free version that provides teachers and students with the same design capabilities as the commercial product.
SACE, established in 1995, is a professional body for teaching that seeks to enhance the status of the profession through registration, professional development and a code of ethics. The council’s involvement signals a commitment to supporting educators with the skills needed to navigate a technology‑rich classroom.
The initiative is part of a broader trend of AI integration in schools across Africa. Reports from the past year have highlighted the potential of AI to reduce teacher workload, personalise learning and address challenges such as limited resources and uneven power supply. However, successful adoption requires that AI tools be adapted to local contexts and that teachers receive adequate training.
Canva’s partnership with SACE is positioned to address both of these needs. By providing a user‑friendly platform, structured training and multilingual resources, the collaboration seeks to build teacher confidence in using technology and to equip learners with digital, communication and creative skills that are increasingly important for future employment.
The partnership is described as a long‑term investment. While the immediate focus is on South Africa, SACE CEO Ella Mokgalane said the model could be replicated across the continent, potentially shaping education partnerships in other African countries.
At this stage, the partnership has not announced a specific timeline for rollout beyond the initial access to Canva for Education and the launch of training programmes. No financial details of the agreement have been disclosed.
The collaboration represents a concrete step toward integrating AI literacy into the South African education system. It also illustrates how private‑sector tools can be leveraged to support public‑sector professional development, a model that may inform future initiatives in other regions.
The partnership remains in its early implementation phase, and further details on the scope of training, resource development and long‑term impact will likely emerge as the programme progresses.
Under the agreement, educators will receive free access to Canva for Education, a suite of structured training programmes, AI literacy initiatives and practical classroom resources. The tools are intended to simplify lesson preparation, reduce administrative workload and improve learner outcomes. Canva Africa Lead Bianca Sibiya said the partnership reflects the company’s commitment to giving educators tools that support modern teaching while preparing learners for an increasingly digital world. SACE Chief Executive Officer Ella Mokgalane highlighted that the collaboration will help teachers develop practical digital and AI skills that enhance the quality of teaching across the country.
The partnership also aims to broaden accessibility by enabling the creation of learning materials in all 11 official South African languages. SACE noted that empowering teachers will help learners thrive, communities grow and the country prosper.
Since January, more than 11 000 South African teachers have applied for Canva for Education, a 40 % increase over the same period last year. Canva said the growth reflects rising demand among educators for digital teaching tools and AI‑enabled learning resources.
Canva, founded in 2013, offers a drag‑and‑drop graphic‑design platform that is free to use. The company has added features such as print services and video editing over time and operates on a freemium model. Canva for Education is a free version that provides teachers and students with the same design capabilities as the commercial product.
SACE, established in 1995, is a professional body for teaching that seeks to enhance the status of the profession through registration, professional development and a code of ethics. The council’s involvement signals a commitment to supporting educators with the skills needed to navigate a technology‑rich classroom.
The initiative is part of a broader trend of AI integration in schools across Africa. Reports from the past year have highlighted the potential of AI to reduce teacher workload, personalise learning and address challenges such as limited resources and uneven power supply. However, successful adoption requires that AI tools be adapted to local contexts and that teachers receive adequate training.
Canva’s partnership with SACE is positioned to address both of these needs. By providing a user‑friendly platform, structured training and multilingual resources, the collaboration seeks to build teacher confidence in using technology and to equip learners with digital, communication and creative skills that are increasingly important for future employment.
The partnership is described as a long‑term investment. While the immediate focus is on South Africa, SACE CEO Ella Mokgalane said the model could be replicated across the continent, potentially shaping education partnerships in other African countries.
At this stage, the partnership has not announced a specific timeline for rollout beyond the initial access to Canva for Education and the launch of training programmes. No financial details of the agreement have been disclosed.
The collaboration represents a concrete step toward integrating AI literacy into the South African education system. It also illustrates how private‑sector tools can be leveraged to support public‑sector professional development, a model that may inform future initiatives in other regions.
The partnership remains in its early implementation phase, and further details on the scope of training, resource development and long‑term impact will likely emerge as the programme progresses.
