Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship Program

The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship Program is a six-month, equity-free acceleration program for high-impact companies using technology and innovation to address challenges in South African education. For 2026, there is a strategic emphasis on reaching Young women, People with Disabilities (PWD), Refugees and Displaced Persons (RDP), and Rural Youth. The program offers direct grant funding, product quality evaluation, intensive skill development, coaching, mentorship, bespoke market research, market access, and specialized support from experts in education innovation, fundraising, impact M&E, commerce, linguistics, inclusive user design, assistive technology, gender & intersectional inclusion, and policy & refugee inclusion. It also includes pedagogical evaluation and certification by EdTech Impact and Education Alliance Finland, customized market research, 'Sponsored Skills' consultants, networking opportunities, and access to courses and office hours from Carnegie Mellon University’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute. Participating EdTech companies should be post-revenue, growth-stage startups with the potential to reach a minimum of 8,000 direct learners within one year. NPOs/NGOs can apply. The program follows a bespoke approach based on a Needs Assessment, focusing on Market Access and Product Optimisation; Financial Sustainability and Investment Readiness; and Social Impact Measurement and Management. It has a hybrid format with key activities in Cape Town, and Injini covers national travel costs for one team member for in-person events. Fellows receive ongoing monitoring and evaluation support and two additional grant funding disbursements post-acceleration.