Private education leader ADvTECH harnesses Analytics to ace proactive service management with Freshservice
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Transformation Highlights:
- Africa’s largest private education provider, ADvTECH was previously using a service desk with limitations, so they sought a customizable solution that could seamlessly expand into their various teams and brands to ensure excellent service delivery to their tens of thousands of school and university students in South Africa and the rest of Africa.
- The search for a new solution began and ended with Freshdesk for ADvTECH’s students and parents and Freshservice for their employees.
- With Freshservice, ADvTECH found an easy-to-use, one-stop ITSM solution that allowed all their teams to work together.
- They use Analytics extensively to get insights across key performance metrics, which then helps them make data-backed business decisions.
- Workflow Automator, Self-Service Portal, Ticket Forms, and Change Management are some of the Freshservice features that have proved extremely pivotal for the group.
About ADvTECH Group
ADvTECH Group leads the private sector in Africa in school and tertiary education and resourcing, contributing meaningfully towards sustainable human capacity development in South Africa by providing the highest quality education, training, skills development, and career placement services.
The ADvTECH Group has a tertiary education division, a schools division, and a properties division. They also have a centralized support office, their head office in Sandton, where the IT team, Group Shared Services (centralized finance team for schools), and the Properties team also sit.
In April 2022, ADvTECH embarked on finding an easy-to-use and customizable one-stop solution service desk that teams across functionalities, brands, and divisions could use. We spoke to the ICT Manager of the Service Desk at ADvTECH to understand how they chose Freshservice to empower digital transformation across the organization.
Moving to a scalable service desk for a fast-growing organization
The IT team at ADvTECH Group was using a different service desk earlier. As the organization grew, they wanted to find a scalable tool that helped collaborate with context.
ADvTECH also felt they needed an easily configurable and customizable solution that did not require coding knowledge. They were looking to extend this solution across different brands and departments. They wanted to seamlessly move tickets between departments, configure metrics and filters, and derive meaningful insights.
ADvTECH was looking to expand the scope of offerings of a service desk and extend it to all teams in schools, tertiary institutions, and administrative offices. They also wanted deeper visibility into their organization, so they decided to move forward with Freshservice.
Freshservice’s easy-to-use UI and no-code interface
Moving to Freshservice was an administrative game-changer for ADvTECH. They found a tool that could be used by anyone and across departments. They had already used Freshdesk for a few years, primarily as a customer-facing tool for parents and students. With Freshservice coming in, ADvTECH’s employee experience was positively impacted. Freshservice is now used by their centralized support office to support all their employees.
Leveraging in-depth Analytics to make better business decisions
“As soon as I got involved in Freshdesk, I started looking at the data and building insights with Analytics. And to be honest with you, when I started understanding Freshdesk Analytics, I didn't even bother looking at the other solutions we were planning to look at. We knew we wanted Freshservice.”
ICT Manager of the Service Desk
One of the primary reasons ADvTECH started using Freshservice was how much value they saw in Analytics while using Freshdesk. Insights from Analytics have been game-changing for ADvTECH as they improved agent performance across response and resolution time SLAs.
They have a very systematic approach to tracking performance by creating curated reports for each of their individual tertiary entities. They were further able to drill down data based on tickets raised by each student, ensuring they address students with maximum open tickets and improve their user experience. They also created different reports to track agent performance and incentivize them based on parameters like the highest number of tickets handled and best resolution times. These improvements ensured and will continue to ensure a greater customer experience for students, enabling them to focus even more on their core aim of excellence in education rather than administrative logistics.
ADvTECH has also used Analytics to understand various pain points and improve efficiency across the organization. They created reports for senior management to understand what tickets get logged from their campuses to the centralized support office. After analyzing the results, they made changes like expanding their support teams, upskilling them, and also increasing the limit of tickets handled per agent from 10 to 100. All these initiatives helped them improve their business efficiency and provide a delightful experience to their customers and employees.
Managing high ticket volumes with bucketing, Canned Responses, and Knowledge-base articles
Twice every year, the support office teams at ADvTECH go through their busiest times, once during registration and then during graduation. To tackle this, ADvTECH created a Student Information System (SIS) registration dashboard with various customized widgets to bring granular data into the platform. This helped them better classify tickets into buckets and make resolution more efficient. This bucket view gives them clearer visibility of the main problem areas and allows them to take suitable action.
Along with bucketing, ADvTECH also uses canned responses and solution articles to reduce the workload for their agents. For instance, if an agent needs to help a student change an incorrect date of birth on their registration form, all the agent needs to do is log a ticket. The rep at the support office will connect with them and send them a solution article to help the student in under 30 minutes.
Extending Freshservice experience with Freshworks Marketplace
The ADvTECH team uses a host of apps from Freshworks Marketplace that allows them to drive key integrations with Freshservice and do more with it. Azure Active Directory Provisioning (SCIM) is an integration that helps drive agent productivity through access management.
Tapping into key Freshservice features
The ADvTECH Group pointed out four pivotal benefits they saw with using Freshservice features
- Better automation and smart workflows: Automation is at the core of ADvTECH’s move to Freshservice. When they made the switch, they worked to mandate automation across as many business processes as possible. The Workflow Automator has been very helpful in simplifying and eliminating the physical need for managing tickets by agents. ADvTECH also uses automation for routing specific tickets to certain agents and to populate a category/subcategory on the agent’s side. ADvTECH has improved its process efficiency and service agility by automating repetitive tasks with powerful workflow automation.
- Unified support across teams via the Self-service Portal: ADvTECH has implemented the portal directly for several support teams without having to create separate email addresses for them. This has helped them provide a one-stop shop for all their employees to avail support services from multiple teams. The tickets raised via the portal are all logged using customized forms, which ensures clean data entry for each workstream. The use of the support portal has greatly reduced resolution times across teams.
- Efficient data collection with customizable ticket forms: The organization uses forms to capture accurate information from users raising tickets. Earlier, when the teams at ADvTECH relied on email, none of the essential information would get captured, and it would waste a lot of time. Freshservice’s ticket forms have customizable fields and can be modified as needed. ADvTECH has modified these form templates to suit each department and function, which ensures that only relevant information is captured for various tasks. Using ticket logging forms, they have provided their business with important insights and captured in-depth information from users. They get access to 90% of the required information to resolve a ticket more efficiently and within SLA.
- Automated approvals via Change Management: ADvTECH has optimized its systems and processes using Freshservice – from notifications to track change requests to monitoring and reporting. ADvTECH uses intelligent workflows that facilitate ticket routing based on system, priority, and category. For instance, if a change request comes in that needs approvals, a notification will go out to the relevant agents, and once the approvals have come in, the change will automatically be facilitated, concluding the change lifecycle. Within ADvTECH’s IT division, many departments have access to change control, such as the Security team, the Cyber Security team, the Desktop team, the Enterprise team, the Data Enterprise team, and the SIS team.
Looking ahead
ADvTECH is investigating the possibility of more applications for bots to lessen the workload on agents by focusing on deflecting most tickets. They are also keen to further seamlessly tie Freshdesk and Freshservice together to optimize their efficiencies and create a unified system. Their long-term vision is to expand Freshdesk and Freshservice to smaller teams within each individual brand under the ADvTECH Group.
“What I love most about Freshservice is that it’s customizable and very user-friendly. We have been able to expand our service desk across colleges and different teams across the group. It’s a tool that can be used by anybody.”
ADvTECH ICT Manager: Service Desk
ADvTECH Updates
With a focus on student-centred learning and industry engagement, the new campus will provide cutting-edge resources and a dedicated space for The IIE's Varsity College and IIE-Vega School’s unique curriculum, including an indoor sports centre for enhanced student life. A momentous occasion unfolded at 114 Grayston Drive as The Independent Institute of Education (The IIE) officially broke ground on its upcoming state-of-the-art campus, set to house both The IIE’s Varsity College Sandton and IIE-Vega School Johannesburg. This significant development signals a bold step toward expanding access to top-tier private higher education in South Africa’s economic hub. Strategically positioned in the heart of the Sandton CBD, the new campus will be designed to provide an exceptional student experience to 9 000 students, while maintaining the highest standards of academic excellence and learning by design. Within close proximity to public transport, including the Sandton Gautrain station, students will have easy access to a vibrant, dynamic learning environment. The IIE’s Varsity College, IIE-Vega, and IIE-MSA managing director Louise Wiseman said: “The new campus, with the ongoing initiatives to further advance the range of academics and student experiences, forms part of the institution’s drive for university status, when the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) releases the criteria, expected in 2025. “Up to this point, legislation has precluded private institutions from being called universities, despite the fact that all public and private institutional qualifications are deemed equivalent by the Council on Higher Education (CHE).” As South Africa’s largest private higher education institution, and a wholly owned subsidiary of investment holding company ADvTECH Limited, the new campus for The IIE’s Varsity College Sandton and IIE-Vega School Johannesburg will provide cutting-edge educational resources and world-class facilities. “It is increasingly evident that The IIE has become the institution of choice for quality higher education, and we are thrilled to be able to ensure that thousands more students will be able to benefit from the opportunities that will arise from the development of our new mega-campus,” Wiseman added. A standout feature of the new combined campus is the inclusion of IIE-Vega School, which will be housed in a dedicated standalone facility specifically designed to support its unique, industry-focused curriculum. This custom-built space will cultivate a vibrant learning environment that reflects the creative and strategic essence of IIE-Vega School. One of its most anticipated features is a state-of-the-art indoor sports centre, which will facilitate a well-rounded academic and extracurricular student experience. Our private university positioning continues to focus on the individual student, with an emphasis on creating a dynamic, engaged, and supportive academic environment consisting of comparatively small lecture groups, interactive facilitation techniques, the use of modern technology in the educational space, lecturers who are actively engaged in their respective professional fields, and bringing industry experience into the learning environment,” Wiseman concluded. As the countdown begins to the grand opening in January 2026, this ground-breaking ceremony marks the beginning of an exciting journey for The IIE’s Varsity College Sandton and IIE-Vega School.
eSports, once seen as a niche pastime, is rapidly gaining ground in South Africa. This rise is not just about gaming and entertainment, but about cultivating essential 21st-century skills in students. Projected to be a $3 billion industry by 2027, with careers ranging from professional players to game developers, data analysts, and event organisers, it is imperative for schools to start introducing eSports as early as possible, to prepare students for a world where digital fluency and adaptability are non-negotiable, an education expert says. Desiree Hugo, Academic Head of Schools at JSE-listed ADvTECH, SA’s leading private education provider, says the institution has embraced eSports to foster critical thinking, teamwork, problem-solving, and digital literacy among its students. “Far from casual play, ADvTECH’s approach encourages students to strategise, collaborate, and compete at the highest levels, transforming virtual arenas into dynamic classrooms. By embedding these skills into an engaging and competitive framework, we are able to ensure that students are not just participants but active learners, honing abilities that are critical for success in an increasingly digital world.” Central to this strategy is ADvTECH’s partnerships with industry leaders, which elevate the eSports experience beyond the school campus and into structured, competitive environments. These collaborations provide students with access to professional-grade platforms where they can test their mettle, refine their communication, and sharpen their leadership and decision-making skills. The broader vision that should be driving eSports initiatives, is to prepare students for a future where technology and innovation dominate, says Hugo. “By immersing them in a safe and managed gaming ecosystem, we are opening doors to careers in STEM, game design, coding, and beyond. Students who have a keen interest and learn to strategise in Minecraft today might code their own games tomorrow or analyse data to optimise performance in professional eSports leagues. “This isn’t just about keeping pace with trends, it’s about anticipating the interests and needs of tomorrow’s workforce and giving students a headstart. Through this blend of competition and creativity, schools are able to support a generation equipped to thrive in fields that are redefining the global economy.” Hugo says it’s not just about winning tournaments—it’s about experiencing life in a tech-driven world. “For a generation experiencing a digital economy, the skills honed in virtual design and collaboration may likely be their greatest asset in future.”
ADvTECH Limited (Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa) (Registration number 1990/001119/06) Share code: ADH ISIN: ZAE000031035 (“the Company” or “ADvTECH”) NOTICE OF VIRTUAL ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND AVAILABILITY OF B-BBEE COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE Shareholders are advised that the ADvTECH 2024 Annual Integrated Report (“Integrated Report”) has been published today. Electronic versions of the Annual Financial Statements and Ernst & Young Incorporated’s unqualified report are available on the Company’s website at: https://www.advtech.co.za/financial-results The Integrated Report is available on the ADvTECH website: www.advtech.co.za Notice is hereby given that the virtual annual general meeting (“AGM”) of shareholders of the Company will be accessible on an interactive electronic platform, in order to facilitate participation and voting by shareholders, as permitted by the JSE Limited and the provisions of the Companies Act and the Company's Memorandum of Incorporation, on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 at 10h00, to consider and, if deemed fit, to pass with or without modification all of the ordinary and special resolutions set out in the notice of AGM to be distributed to shareholders on or before 22 April 2025. To this end, the Company has retained the services of The Meeting Specialist Proprietary Limited (“TMS”) to host the AGM on an interactive electronic platform, in order to facilitate participation and voting by shareholders. Our transfer secretaries, JSE Investor Services Proprietary Limited, will act as scrutineer. Shareholders who wish to participate in and/or vote at the AGM are required to contact TMS on proxy@tmsmeetings.co.za or alternatively contact them on 0817114255/0844334836/0614401654 as soon as possible, but in any event no later than 10:00am on Monday, 26 May 2025. Shareholders are strongly encouraged to submit votes by proxy before the meeting. If shareholders wish to participate in the AGM, they should instruct their Central Securities Depository Participant (CSDP) or Broker to issue them with the necessary letter of representation to participate in the AGM, in the manner stipulated in their custody agreement. These instructions must be provided to the CSDP or broker by the cut-off time and date advised by the CSDP or broker, to accommodate such requests. SALIENT DATES The record date for the purposes of determining the shareholders of the Company entitled to receive the AGM notice is Friday, 11 April 2025. The record date for purposes of determining which shareholders of the Company are entitled to attend, participate in, and to vote at the AGM is Friday, 23 May 2025. Accordingly, the last date to trade in the Company’s shares on JSE Limited in order to be eligible to attend, participate in and vote at the AGM is Tuesday, 20 May 2025. AVAILABILITY OF B-BBEE COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE In compliance with paragraph 16.21 (g) and Appendix 1 to Section 11 of the JSE Listings Requirements, shareholders are advised that the Company’s annual compliance certificate in terms of section 13G(2) of the Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment Amendment Act, No 46 of 2013, is available on the Company’s website at https://www.advtech.co.za . 22 April 2025 Johannesburg Sponsor: Bridge Capital Advisors Proprietary Limited
ADvTECH Limited (Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa) (Registration number 1990/001119/06) Share code: ADH ISIN: ZAE000031035 ("ADvTECH” or “the Company”) CHANGES TO THE BOARD AND BOARD COMMITTEES In accordance with the JSE Listings Requirements, the board of directors of the Company (“the Board”) wishes to advise of the following changes to the Board and Board Committees composition: RESIGNATION OF DIRECTORS Keith Warburton (“Keith”), who has served as a director on the Board since 2015, will be stepping down from his position as director of the Board, chair and member of the Audit and Risk Committee, chair and member of the Remuneration Committee, and member of the Investment Committee, effective 1 January 2026 due to his retirement, and Clive Thomson (“Clive”), who has served as a director on the Board since 2021, will be stepping down from his position as director of the Board, chair and member of the Investment Committee, and member of the Remuneration and Audit and Risk Committees, effective 30 April 2025, due to expanded commitments on the boards of other public listed entities on which he serves. The Board wishes to thank Keith and Clive for their invaluable contribution to the Company during their tenure and wishes them well with their future endeavours. APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTORS The Board is pleased to announce, as part of the succession planning process, the following appointments to the Board: Jesmane Boggenpoel (“Jesmane”), effective 17 May 2025; and Harvey Christophers (“Harvey”), effective 14 April 2025. Jesmane is a qualified Chartered Accountant (SA) and holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Accountancy from the University of the Witwatersrand. She also holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University’s, John F. Kennedy School of Government. She is a co-founder and the Chief Investment Officer of private equity firm AIH Capital. She currently serves on the boards of Spur Corporation, Boxer and MTN SA. She has more than 16 years’ experience of serving on corporate boards, including roles on audit and finance committees and brings a wealth of experience in finance, corporate risk and governance. She was recognised as a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum in 2013 and selected as a BMW Foundation Responsible Leader in 2022. Harvey holds a Bachelor of Arts (Geography) (Honours) from the University of Nottingham, England, and a Chartered Accountant (UK) from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales qualification. He brings extensive global business and transformation leadership experience after a 32-year career with Deloitte across the UK, SA, Australia and the Netherlands firms having held senior executive and board roles for the last 20 years. This included 12 years in South Africa where he was the Managing Partner of the Western Cape. He retired from the Managing Board of Deloitte NL in July 2024 also having led the Risk Advisory business and served as the Lead Partner Sustainability. His exposure to diverse cultures and business environments has given him a strong understanding of global business dynamics, including its risks and opportunities. He has also served the Higher Education industry working with a number of Universities as well as led Deloitte services to large listed organisations like Sanlam Limited, Ahold Delhaize and others. He has led the acquisition of four companies for Deloitte across two countries, led diversity transformation initiatives and driven leadership development programs. His previous Board experiences include Chair of African Talent (registered in South Africa), Board Director of Accelerate Cape Town and Managing Board member of Deloitte Netherlands. The Board welcomes Jesmane and Harvey and looks forward to their contribution to the Company. CHANGES TO BOARD COMMITTEES Following the resignations and appointments, the following changes will be made to the composition of the Board Committees: Audit and Risk Committee will comprise: Keith Warburton (Chairperson) (current member, to step down 1 January 2026) Clive Thomson (current member, to step down 30 April 2025) Dr Jackie Chimhanzi (current member) Harvey Christophers, (effective 14 April 2025 and designated Chairperson) Jesmane Boggenpoel (effective 1 January 2026) Investment Committee will comprise: Clive Thomson (Chairperson) (current member, to step down 30 April 2025) Keith Warburton (current member, to step down 1 January 2026) Sybile Lazar (current member and designated Chairperson) Daniel Smith (current member) Jesmane Boggenpoel (effective 17 May 2025) Harvey Christophers (effective 14 April 2025) Geoff Whyte (current member) Johannes Boonzaaier (effective 14 April 2025) Didier Oesch (current member, to step down 30 April 2025) Remuneration Committee will comprise: Keith Warburton (Chairperson) (current member, to step down 1 January 2026) Clive Thomson (current member, to step down 30 April 2025) Prof Alexandra Watson (current member) Daniel Smith (current member and designated Chairperson) Jesmane Boggenpoel (effective 17 May 2025) Harvey Christophers (effective 14 April 2025) The rest of the Committees remain unchanged and duly constituted. 8 April 2025 Johannesburg Sponsor: Bridge Capital Advisors Proprietary Limited
Double digit 2025 growth in both schools and tertiary divisions takes total enrolments above 100 000 students for the first time 24 March 2025: Commenting on the year ended 31 December 2024, ADvTECH CEO, Geoff Whyte said: “Healthy enrolment growth, moderate fee increases and a further improvement in margins contributed to ADvTECH delivering another strong set of results. In the year under review, we expanded operations in our home market and across the African continent whilst continuing to invest in superior technology to enhance teaching and learning.” “In the current year, we are also pleased to report double digit enrolment growth in both our schools and tertiary divisions and that our education business has broken through 100 000 students for the first time.” Group: Operational and financial performance · Revenue up 8% to R8 521 million (2023: R7 860 million) · Operating profit up 14% to R1 791 million (2023: R1 577 million) · Operating margin improved to 21.0% (2023: 20.1%) · Normalised earnings per share increased by 16% to 202.5 cents Group revenue grew by 8% to R8 521 million (2023: R7 860 million), driven by a 13% increase in the education division and an 8% contraction in the resourcing division. Group operating profit increased by 14% to R1 791 million (2023: R1 577 million) with the education division’s operating profit increasing by 15%. Whilst the resourcing division’s performance regressed, this had minimal impact on group profitability. Group operating margin improved to 21.0% (2023: 20.1%). Operating margin in the education division improved to 24.2% (2023: 23.8%) through the benefit of operating leverage and our continued drive for efficiency gains. This more than offset the additional costs incurred to strengthen our offering through the introduction of additional global benchmarking measures, artificial intelligence tools to support personalised learning and enhanced student information systems. Normalised earnings for the year increased by 17% to R1 109 million (2023: R950 million) while normalised earnings per share increased by 16% to 202.5 cents (2023: 174.2 cents) per share. The strong cash generating capacity of the group is demonstrated by cash generated from operating activities increasing by 16% to R2 250 million (2023: R1 941 million). Capital expenditure of R982 million focused mainly on increasing capacity on existing sites to meet incremental demand (R328 million), the development of a new school (R64 million), acquiring new sites for future expansion (R238 million), procuring equipment to enrich the group’s teaching and learning through technology and enhancing business systems (R78 million) to facilitate efficiency improvements. The Board is pleased to declare a final gross dividend of 63.0 cents (2023: 57.0 cents) per ordinary share in respect of the year ended 31 December 2024. This brings the full year dividend to 101.0 (2023: 87.0) per share. Divisions: Operational and financial performance Schools South Africa · Good enrolment growth and strong financial performance Revenue increased by 11% to R3 120 million (2023: R2 810 million) with all brands having shown enrolment growth. This reflects the increasing appeal of ADvTECH’s strong portfolio of education brands as we continue to gain market share. Operating profit increased by 12% to R640 million (2023: R570 million) with operating margin improving to 20.5% (2023: 20.3%), benefitting from scale leverage. Academic performance improved across key metrics year-on-year. Our 2024 matric students achieved a 99.4% pass rate, 94.5% bachelor’s degree pass rate and 3 317 distinctions at an average of 2.1 distinctions per student. Strong enrolment growth at Pinnacle College Raslouw has necessitated the accelerated build out of the school, which is currently under way. A new Pinnacle College campus also opened in Ridgeview, Roodepoort, in January 2025. Schools in the rest of Africa · Growing the group’s footprint The group has expanded its footprint in Africa with the acquisition of Flipper International Schools (FIS) group in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, adding five schools and over 3 000 students. The division now serves over 11 500 students across three countries. Our existing brands in the rest of Africa continued to experience strong enrolment growth which, together with the inclusion of the FIS group from November 2024, led to revenue increasing by 18% to R449 million (2023: R381 million). Operating profit increased by 28% to R146 million (2023: R114 million) and operating margin improved to 32.4% (2023: 30.0%). Construction of the next phase of the Crawford International School in Nairobi, Kenya, will commence in the second quarter of 2025. This is in response to continued strong demand driven by their market leading offering. Our higher priced Makini Cambridge International Curriculum continues to experience strong demand, with parents increasingly choosing it over the Kenyan national syllabus. This is having a positive impact on the overall financial performance of the schools. Gaborone International School in Gaborone, Botswana, continues to perform well and deliver good academic results. The development to increase their capacity to 3 300 students and to refurbish the pre-primary school has been completed. Tertiary/University division · Growing demand for the group’s well-established brand portfolio Revenue increased by 14% to R3 401 million (2023: R2 988 million) and operating profit increased by 15% to R903 million (2023: R787 million). Operating margin increased to 26.6% (2023: 26.3%) benefitting from operating leverage and efficiency gains, partially offset by investments to strengthen our brand propositions. Our tertiary division continues to perform well and to grow on the back of a well-established brand portfolio that offers a comprehensive and expanding range of programmes and qualifications. In line with our strategy, the division is also achieving strong enrolment growth in its distance offering. Our throughput rates improved to 80% (2023: 78%) and on-time graduation completion rates were more than double that of public universities. The expansion of our Rosebank College sites in Braamfontein and Polokwane is currently under way. A new purpose-built campus has also been completed for Vega Pretoria adjacent to Varsity College. During the year, we acquired a 47 000m 2 property off Grayston Drive in Sandton. This is being developed into a brand-new campus with initial capacity for 9 000 students. This acquisition is in line with our intention to become a fully-fledged university. Varsity College Sandton and Vega Bordeaux will relocate to the site in time for the 2026 academic year. Rosebank College will launch its first international tertiary institution in Accra, Ghana, in September 2025. Resourcing division · Improved profit and operating margin in rest of Africa A lower number of placements, due to the challenging economic environment, led to revenue and operating profit declining in South Africa. In the rest of Africa, the replacement of low margin contracts with higher margin contracts led to a decline in revenue but an improvement in operating profit and margin. Prospects ADvTECH’s intent is to lead in every market segment in which we choose to operate and to become the employer of choice in the resourcing and education sectors. The group is uniquely positioned to enrich people’s lives through being the leader in teaching and learning across the African continent. “ADvTECH’s sound balance sheet, strong cash generation, growing scale and expertise in Africa and our unrelenting focus on extending competitive advantage, position us well to maintain our growth trajectory and invest with confidence in areas of opportunity,” concluded Whyte.
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ADvTECH Limited (Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa) (Registration number 1990/001119/06) JSE code: ADH ISIN: ZAE000031035 (“ADvTECH” or “the group”) TRADING STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 The board hereby advises on its expectations of the financial results for the year ended 31 December 2024. The group reports normalised earnings per share ("NEPS") as a way of excluding the effect of one-off transactions and corporate action costs from its results. Basic NEPS, Basic headline earnings per share (“HEPS”) and Basic earnings per share ("EPS") for the year ended 31 December 2024 are expected to be between 13% and 18% higher than the comparative reporting period for the year ended 31 December 2023 ("the comparative period") or between 196.8 and 205.8 cents per share as compared to NEPS and HEPS of 174.2 cents per share and EPS of 174.4 cents per share comparative period. We are pleased with enrolments for 2025 for both the schools and tertiary divisions that are tracking in line with targets and continuing their trend of good growth. The financial information on which this trading update is based has not been reviewed or audited by the group’s external auditors. ADvTECH expects to release results for the year ended 31 December 2024 on the JSE’s Stock Exchange News Service on or about Monday, 24 March 2025. 13 March 2025 Johannesburg Sponsor: Bridge Capital Advisors Proprietary Limited
Key fields that are non-negotiables to prepare students in an unpredictable landscape The landscape of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in higher education is rapidly evolving. With the advent of new technologies, changing job market demands, and the increasing importance of digital literacy across all sectors, public universities and private institutions in South Africa must rethink their approaches to ensure they adequately prepare graduates for the future, an education expert says. “It is important to explore the essential future-focused areas that should be prioritised in ICT higher education while acknowledging the traditional aspects that remain crucial for a well-rounded education,” says Natasha Madhav, Senior Head of Programme: ICT at The Independent Institute of Education , SA’s leading private higher education provider. Madhav says one of the most significant trends shaping the future of ICT is the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) . “Educational programmes must incorporate these technologies into their curricula, providing students with the knowledge and skills necessary to leverage AI and ML in real-world applications. This includes not only theoretical understanding, but also hands-on experience with tools and platforms used in the industry.” Cybersecurity and data privacy is another key focus area that should not be overlooked, says Madhav. “With the increasing reliance on digital technologies comes the heightened risk of cyber threats and data breaches. As a result, cybersecurity education is critical. ICT programmes should emphasise the principles of secure coding, ethical hacking, and data protection measures. Furthermore, understanding legal and regulatory frameworks related to data privacy is essential for preparing students for careers in this vital field.” Madhav says cloud computing has also revolutionised the way businesses operate, and knowledge of cloud infrastructure and services is now a prerequisite for many ICT roles. “Higher education institutions must include cloud computing in their curricula, teaching students about cloud architecture, deployment, and management. Additionally, integrating DevOps practices into ICT education fosters collaboration between development and operations teams, enabling graduates to excel in dynamic work environments. Also, the ability to analyse and interpret large volumes of data is increasingly important in decision-making across industries. ICT education should incorporate data analytics into its programmes, teaching students how to use data visualisation tools, statistical analysis, and predictive modelling techniques. This will equip graduates with the skills needed to turn data into actionable insights, a valuable asset in today’s data-driven world. The proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices is also creating new opportunities and challenges for ICT professionals, Madhav says. “Education programmes must address the complexities of IoT, including sensor technology, network design, and data management. Students should gain hands-on experience with IoT applications, preparing them for roles in smart cities, healthcare, and other sectors where IoT is transforming operations.” Madhav says however that while a focus on the future is very important in staying relevant, maintaining traditional educational values is equally important. While embracing these future-focused areas, ICT higher education must also retain traditional aspects that are foundational to effective learning. These include: A strong grounding in computer science fundamentals. Topics such as algorithms, data structures, and programming languages form the bedrock of ICT education. Students should have a deep understanding of these principles to adapt to new technologies and methodologies as they emerge.” Critical thinking and problem-solving skills also remain a core competency for ICT professionals. Higher education should cultivate these skills through project-based learning, case studies, and collaborative assignments. By engaging in real-world challenges, students develop the capacity to analyse problems, devise solutions, and implement them effectively. Ethics and social responsibility are more important than ever as technology continues to impact society, and it is vital for ICT programmes to address these. Educating students about the ethical implications of technology, data usage, and the digital divide encourages them to be conscientious professionals who prioritise the well-being of society in their work. And in an increasingly interconnected world, effective communication and collaboration skills are essential. ICT graduates must be able to convey complex technical concepts to diverse audiences and work collaboratively across disciplines. Higher education should incorporate group projects, presentations, and interdisciplinary courses to enhance these skills. “A holistic approach to ICT education is important because it equips graduates with not only technical skills but also the critical thinking, ethical awareness, and communication abilities necessary to navigate and impact the complex and rapidly evolving digital landscape effectively,” says Madhav. “The future of ICT in higher education lies in striking a balance between embracing innovation and retaining traditional educational values. By focusing on emerging technologies while also emphasising foundational principles, educational institutions can prepare graduates to thrive in a rapidly changing and highly unpredictable landscape.”
Africa’s leading private education group, JSE-listed ADvTECH, has launched South Africa’s first dedicated Centre of Teaching and Learning Excellence, focused on driving excellence across all educational phases in the country. The centre will be the first of its kind, centralising continuous professional development training across both schools and tertiary phases. Named SIRIUS (after the brightest star in the sky), the centre will be a dynamic learning space, dedicated to facilitating relevant micro-courses and workshops to enhance teaching practices and promote the continuous professional development of the group’s teachers, lecturers, research and supervisors across its 119 schools and 33 tertiary campuses. “SIRIUS will serve as the central hub for educational excellence. ADvTECH teaching and academic staff will be provided with the innovative resources, support, and professional development opportunities, both online and in-person, that they need to consistently excel and drive student growth and performance,” says Desiree Hugo, SIRIUS Schools Head. “SIRIUS will be a dynamic learning space which will focus on specific areas of practice to support and improve student learning and results, as great teaching can be learned,” she says. SIRIUS will therefore play a key role in supporting educators in schools and tertiary to deliver on the academic excellence promise of ADvTECH. Hugo says the center will support ADvTECH’s academic leadership positioning by: Implementing tools for teaching and learning innovation aligned to global benchmarks; Driving continuous development of teaching and academic practices that will attract and retain top teachers and academics (lecturers, researchers and supervisors); Leveraging research projects to inform and operationalise internal best practices, and Capacitating teaching and learning skills for improved student academic outcomes. SIRIUS modes of delivery will include in-person training at the SIRIUS Hub, online real-time facilitation, and curated online resources for independent self-study. “We are very excited about the development of our dedicated teaching studio in Sandton, which is specifically designed to facilitate the teaching of 21st century pedagogies,” says Hugo. The studio will facilitate in-person learning of up to 60 delegates at a time, in a relaxed atmosphere with modern and inspiring spaces equipped with flexible furnishing and cutting-edge technology. It will include inclusive and functional features, such as a coffee bar, collaboration spaces, and resource centre, as well as a dynamic teaching space that can be adapted to accommodate the various educational phases. SIRIUS Tertiary Head, Dr Gill Mooney, says the center will ensure that ADvTECH has a strong and sustainable pipeline of excellent teaching and learning professionals to support the group's growth imperative, to further solidify its sector leadership position now and into the future. “By centralising and leveraging skilled and scarce teaching and learning resources, we will be able to further drive excellent academic performance, as well as attract and retain top talent for both our schools and tertiary division, given the extent and accessibility of developmental opportunities. We like to call this empathic empowerment, where all our academics and teachers have the opportunity to shine,” she says.
