Recognized for Organizational Leadership
OER Africa is an initiative of the South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE), implemented in partnership with Neil Butcher and Associates (NBA). Since its launch in 2008, it has supported Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Africa in developing and integrating OER to improve teaching and learning.
OER Africa works through awareness-raising, capacity building, fostering collaborations, developing enabling policies, generating an evidence base, and supporting networks of OER practitioners across the continent.
Its achievements over the years are many. Through research, OER Africa has significantly contributed to building an evidence base for the field. Its advocacy, including engagements with HEIs and participation in Pan-African forums, has raised awareness of the value of OER in enhancing education. OER Africa has also supported policy developments and implemented capacity-building programs to assist HEIs in creating and utilizing OER, and in embedding open practices into teaching and learning.
Beyond its African focus, OER Africa has made global contributions. For example, it supported the development of the 2019 UNESCO OER Recommendation, contributed to its monitoring, and helped prepare the 2024 implementation guidelines.
OER Africa also maintains an extensive, openly accessible repository of resources across disciplines like teacher education, health, and agriculture.
Over nearly two decades of work, OER Africa has consistently advanced equitable access to knowledge. Its strategic leadership, field-building contributions, and commitment to African-led development in open education as well has earned it an OEGlobal Board Award for Organizational Leadership.
