The numbers behind the mission
Proving what works
At OLICO Maths Education, we believe maths education in South Africa must be both measurable and meaningful. That’s why we invest in rigorous evaluation, track learning outcomes, and use real-time data to continuously improve. From township school support to high-level curriculum conversations, we share what works – and back it with evidence.
Explore how our education NGO in South Africa is helping learners build maths confidence, pass matric, and unlock future opportunities.
Tracking maths improvement
where it matters most.
In under-resourced communities like Diepsloot, Alexandra and parts of the Western Cape, we see the same thing again and again: with the right support, learners can go from failing to thriving.
Our maths improvement programme measures gains in fluency, retention and academic achievement. It’s not just about marks – it’s about momentum. Explore our current impact content below.
In Diepsloot, 1 in 7 primary school learners attend an OLICO Maths Club.
In Mogoto, all primary school learners in the village will attend an OLICO Maths Club from 2027.
Assessments are based on the Global Proficiency Framework for Mathematics.
Average improvement of 15-20 percentage points a year on internal assessments.
OLICO learners significantly outperform control group.
- OLICO matrics consistently perform in the top 25% of maths performers nationally.
- Grade 8 and 9 learners outperform their school peers by an average of 15-20 percentage points.
- OLICO’s main Diepsloot Feeder School has moved from the bottom 20% for maths average to the top 5% annually.
- For the past 5 years: Matric Pass-rate: 95-100%. Pure Maths Pass-rate: 92-97%. Bachelors pass-rate: 80-85% (comparable to IEB schools)
- Zenex Foundation Independent Evaluation: “The quantitative impact analysis provides clear evidence of improving learner performance scores, […]. Consequently, we can reliably conclude that the OLICO model/programme has achieved impact on reducing backlogs.”
- 30 000 users message the Maths Hotline annually.
- 10 million+ messages exchanged.
- Evaluation by Ukufunda Education Consulting: “Regular users demonstrated significantly greater improvements in maths scores compared to low-users”.
- Robust improvements of 0.37 SD lift in maths scores in research group and 0.5 SD lift in urban townships in particular.
The studies that shape our model.
Our work is built on education research in South Africa, including commissioned studies and independent evaluations. We’ve developed evidence-based approaches for both our Primary School maths program and High School tutoring support.
Explore the maths learning support that’s helping to reshape the sector — and see how our work contributes to broader STEM education in South Africa.
CIES Presentation
How Whatsapp can help improve teachers’ maths content knowledge and pedagogy, 2025
How Whatsapp can help improve teachers’ maths content knowledge and pedagogy, 2025
Ukufunda Education:
Whatsapp Hotline Evaluation, 2025
Zenex Senior Phase Research Report, 2023
The Learning Trust Report: After-school programmes in South Africa, 2021
More Research
Real stories from
our learners and team.
Our newly formed blog is where we will be posting about our maths success stories, tutor experiences, and reflections from the field. It’s where we’ll share what we’re learning, what’s working, and what inspires us.
Education that’s changing lives and headlines.
OLICO’s innovative approach to non-profit maths support in South Africa has been featured on many media platforms. From our community-led maths programmes to learner achievements, we’re proud to see our work making waves.