Like the rest of the world, Africa faced a learning problem at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools came under locks, halting the will to learn for everyone: children and young adults.
Innovation from individuals and businesses, on and off the African continent, soon took the driver’s seat. People had to keep learning and pursue career development, amid the pandemic-induced uncertainties.
With the help of platforms and products tailored to address this need, online education gained more popularity among Africans. Lectera falls into the category of platforms making this possible.
Founded in the summer of 2020 by Mila Semeshkina, the online education platform thrives on the ‘fast education, fast results’ model. With a focus on real-world application and fast results, this model makes sure that information is as digestible as possible — both with the help of video tutorials and some additional materials available within offered courses.
On Lectera, there are over 200 online courses in nine categories, including top-rated courses on Social media marketing, Network Marketing, Sales, and Soft Skills. Each course comprises 8-10 video lessons lasting about 15-20 minutes.
The Edtech startup offers courses in five different languages, namely English, Spanish, German, Russian and Hindi. Lectera said Latin America, Russian-speaking countries, India and African countries are its strong markets.
”Without a doubt, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa and Namibia stand out as key markets. We are currently studying the possibility of including courses in French and Arabic on our platform, which would greatly increase our competitiveness in the African market”, CEO Semeshkina said during an e-mail chat with Technext.
Fast education, significant returns
The Fast Education, Fast Results approach is bringing significant returns. Lectera claims to have 180,000 users from across 50 countries. According to Semeshkina, the international education platform gained more than 50,000 students a month after its global launch. Its first annual turnover also exceeds $5 million.
‘Today, we are growing at a crazy 30% per month in some markets, and these results are very encouraging for us. Our goal is to provide access to useful education to as many people as possible around the world in order to improve their lives already tomorrow. And, it doesn’t matter if it’s a little less than a million (1,000,000 users) or a lot more than that.
Mila Semeshkina
Lectera has an ambitious goal to reach 1,000,000 (one million) users by the end of 2022.
Filling learning gaps
In its first year in business, Lectera has established a remarkable presence in Africa, including Nigeria. The growth is influenced by ”fast-growing markets” on the continent where ”there is a demand for up-to-date knowledge, as well as a demand to pump out this knowledge quickly.”
According to Semeshkina, most African users face the inability to pay for online education services. Lectera is seeking to solve this.
”The ability to pay limits the huge demand for educational services. I think this is what all participants in the online education market in Africa face. Of course, in the competition, the one who can offer free and high-quality education will win.
”Everyone is looking for their own ways to offer value. Some players reduce prices, others rely on uniqueness and local knowledge. We would like to offer free or nearly free education to as many students as possible, and we think we’ll soon be able to tell you how to do that, thanks to blockchain technology.”
Our promise around the world is no different. We offer a quick education that puts your skills into practice tomorrow.
Mila Semeshkina
Meeting user’s expectations
In the coming days, Lectera wants to sustain its words and promise to users.
”Our promise around the world is no different. We offer quick education that puts your skills into practice tomorrow. That way, you can show tomorrow that you’re working at your best or have great skills to win in the job market.
”We are currently studying the possibility of including courses in French and Arabic on our platform, which would greatly increase our offering and competitiveness in the African market.”
Perhaps, more Africans will seek online education for academic and career growth. And it helps that Lectera is leading this charge.
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