Matric Live, is the flagship product of SAADC (Pty)ltd, an EdTech-focused software startup founded by Lesego Finger and later joined by Kagisho Masae. The company is on a mission to level the playing field for under-resourced children in South Africa.

Finger’s inspiration for starting an EdTech company came when he finished his final (Matric) year of school and realised that there were resources that he wished he had had available to him, in those final months. As a self-taught software developer, he soon built the app he envisioned. An app with lessons and tests built-in. Upon its subsequent launch on the Google Play store, the platform was well-received by learners in local schools, which led to wider recognition by bigger brands across South Africa.

Masae’s personal experience of growing up in a small, impoverished township where intellectual pursuits were not a priority, led him to EdTech. As a self-described nerd, Masae had a different outlook on life than his peers and found it difficult to make friends or find his tribe. In grade six, Masae was randomly selected to take an aptitude test and a few months later, he received a bursary to attend a private school. This experience was eye-opening for Masae. The quality of resources at the private school was a huge system shock for him. He had grown up with limited resources, and the difference between what he now had access to and what under-resourced schools offered felt like an injustice.

Over the years, Masae began to notice the state of the township, particularly the lack of resources available to children, and he wanted to do something about it. This led him to start an EdTech platform that paired up like-minded people who loved “nerd-ish” things within a 15km radius of one another. The aim was to ensure that those who used the platform had a community that they could lean on when they needed advice, help or just someone similar to talk to.

Finger’s background was similar, he also grew up in a township. So, when the two connected on LinkedIn after hearing about one another’s businesses, they hit it off and knew that they could build something great together. They decided to put their combined efforts into Matric Live.

The platform is a supplementary learning platform for Grades 10-12. A mobile application available for free across android, istore and Huawei app gallery, Matric Live provides learners with the following:
Study Materials: Matric Live offers a wide range of study materials, including notes, summaries, and guides that cover all major subjects. These materials are aligned with the South African curriculum to ensure relevance and accuracy.
Past Exam Papers: Students can access past exam papers and memos, which are crucial for exam preparation. This feature helps learners familiarize themselves with the format and types of questions that may appear in their exams.
Interactive Quizzes: The app includes interactive quizzes that provide instant feedback. These quizzes are designed to test students’ knowledge and understanding of various topics, helping them identify areas that need improvement.
Social Gaming: Students are able to challenge each other to in best of five quizzes, earn points, appear on a leaderboard and share the outcome to their socials profiles.
Progress Tracking: Matric Live allows students to track their progress over time. This feature enables learners to see their improvements and pinpoint specific subjects or topics where they may need additional practice.

Through Matric Live, their main goal is to level the playing field for under-resourced children, as they believe that education is a basic human right and that everyone should have access to quality resources. In 2020, when the hard COVID-19 lockdown was announced, Matric Live made its resources and platform completely free, which led to further success. Finger and Masae’s passion for education and their belief that everyone deserves access to quality resources has led them to create a platform that has helped thousands of students as they prepare for their final school exams.