Hot startup of the month: South Africa's feePerks

The African edtech scene is vibrant and dynamic, with a surge of innovative learning platforms and advanced educational tools revolutionizing how young Africans acquire knowledge.

However, the journey towards inclusive and effective education is filled with challenges, including limited access to technology, funding shortages and infrastructure constraints.

Amidst these hurdles, South African startup feePerks is making significant strides by tackling a crucial yet often neglected part of the educational ecosystem: enhancing communication between schools and parents.

"feePerks is an edtech online and mobile platform, designed specifically for the school and the parent community. It offers a free social media space for schools to share unlimited updates, with parents engaging through likes and comments," Lea Heart, feePerks co-founder and COO, told Connecting Africa in an interview.

Heart said feePerks is more than just an edtech platform, it streamlines school communication, making it easier for both sides to communicate.

"Our platform offers a straightforward sign-up process and is easy to navigate for schools and parents. This allows parents to effortlessly check school posts and engage with them effectively, fostering better communication and involvement in the school community," Heart explained.

The company, launched in 2023 by Heart and co-founder and CEO Jodi Ova, has partnered with top brands to bring deals and savings through its Perks Market feature.

Heart said the idea of feePerks started with a candid conversation, between the company's founders, school personnel and parents, who shared their communication struggles. Parents then opened up about the harsh realities of South Africa's economy.

"As we were also experiencing the same challenges, the idea of feePerks was sparked," Heart continued.

feePerks' intricacies

Enabling parents to check school posts and engage with those posts on the platform is one aspect of feePerks.

Another key element to the platform is the company's Perks Market, which offers parents valuable resources, tackling another key challenge in South Africa – financial strain.

"The Perks Market provides exclusive deals on essential items for pupils, from clothing and food to holiday activities. Our goal is to help parents save money, and we're also proud to support local businesses and brands," Heart explained.

She added that feePerks is committed to sustainability; by moving school communication online, the platform reduces paper consumption, minimizes waste and supports eco-friendly practices.

"Going digital has a significant environmental impact and we're proud to contribute to a greener future," she noted.

Startup feePerks has partnered with top brands to bring deals and savings through its 'Perks Market' feature. (Source: feePerks)

Heart said that the platform reduces schools' expenses on printing newsletters, enabling them to allocate resources more effectively.

"Our platform's online nature ensures that all parents can access school communications from anywhere. Real-time updates ensure everyone stays informed and connected instantly," she explained.

Funding and competition

The feePerks COO said even though other companies like D6 Communicator run similar services, feePerks' doesn't charge any upfront or monthly fees, ensuring accessibility for all. Instead, it generates income from the Perks Market feature.

Furthermore, she said the platform offers real-time engagement that parents prefer, simply by scrolling through school news.

"Schools can use their profiles to post unlimited updates and events. This eliminates the need for parents to download PDFs or check their email inbox for school news, saving them time and storage space on their devices," she continued.

Jodi Ova, feePerks CEO and co-founder. (Source: feePerks)

The company is currently self-funded, with plans to expand its reach across South Africa, introducing new features and benefits.

"We're still at the beginning of our journey, but we're excited about the potential of feePerks to transform the way schools and parents connect in South Africa. We're actively seeking African investors who share our vision of building a more inclusive and sustainable education ecosystem for the continent," Heart concluded.

— Matshepo Sehloho, Associate Editor, Connecting Africa