About ThinkShift
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Why we exist
The goal of education
Education should develop the whole person so they can participate meaningfully in society and work. When this happens, we see it in people's lives: they can find or create work, contribute to their communities, and build a sense of purpose and dignity. In the 21st century, this requires far more than passing exams — it demands the competencies to adapt, solve problems, collaborate, innovate, and keep learning throughout life.
The reality
Across Africa, the reality is far from this ideal. We see it in persistent youth unemployment and underemployment, and in the growing number of young people who finish school but cannot translate their education into livelihood, opportunity, or upward mobility.
Our diagnosis
This crisis is about a systemic breakdown in how education is implemented across four critical areas:
Policy
speaks the language of 21st-century skills and employability, but these intentions rarely reach the classroom.
Pedagogy
remains dominated by rote learning and examinations, without a shared competency standard for what learners should actually be able to do.
Technology
is mostly deployed as devices or content platforms that track activity, not real competence — and each tool uses its own definition of "skills," creating further fragmentation.
Measurement
still focuses on marks and pass rates, with no coherent way to measure, recognise, or compare 21st-century competencies across programmes or institutions.
The result is a system where policy, practice, technology, and measurement operate in silos — and young people's real capabilities remain invisible.
That is the gap ThinkShift exists to close.
Who we are
ThinkShift is a systems-change organisation that builds a unified standard for 21st-century competencies, used consistently in policy, classroom practice, technology, and assessment, so every learner's capabilities can be developed and recognised across the system.
Who we serve
We serve the core stakeholders of formal education and their various partners impacting the education ecosystem.
Government
Development Partners
Philanthropy
Corporate
Our values
In our work, these are the principles that drive our decisions:
Purposeful innovation
We design and adopt new ideas, tools, and models only when they solve real problems for learners, educators, and systems. Innovation is not for show; it is in service of meaningful change.
Evidence-led impact
We make decisions based on evidence, not assumptions. We design for impact, measure what matters, and use data to improve practice and inform systems.
Principled delivery
We commit to doing the work properly. Our programmes are grounded in sound pedagogy, aligned to curriculum and context, and delivered with consistency, care, and accountability.
Integrity & transparency
We say what we mean and do what we say. We are honest about what is working, what is not, and what evidence we have — with partners, with communities, and with each other.
Reliability
"You can count on us." Partners and learners can rely on us to show up, follow through, and hold the line on quality, even under pressure. We build trust by being dependable over time.
Equity & inclusion
We work to expand who is seen, heard, and served by education systems. We intentionally design for inclusion and challenge patterns that exclude or marginalise learners and communities.
Partner with us
Whether you are a government department, development agency, foundation, corporate, or school network, we are ready to work with you.
ThinkShift Education Solutions · South Africa · © 2025
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