Below is a list of OER initiatives to which Africa contributes, including institution-specific initiatives. They focus on various areas, including OER adaptation, OER reuse, OER repositories or portals, continuous professional development, and research.

Digital Open Textbooks for Development (DOT4D)

Digital Open Textbooks for Development (DOT4D)

17 April 2024

The Digital Open Textbooks for Development (DOT4D) initiative investigates the ecosystem of open textbook publishing and provides implementation support in open textbook publishing activity at the University of Cape Town (UCT). It also aims to support policy-makers and other stakeholders in the development of institutional and national policy frameworks that govern open textbook publishing activity and address long-term sustainability mechanisms.

Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa (TESSA)

Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa (TESSA)

17 April 2024

TESSA is a network of teachers and teacher educators stretching across Sub-Saharan Africa. At the heart of the network is a bank of open educational resources (OER), linked to the school curriculum, and designed to support teachers and teacher educators in developing active approaches to learning. The network is co-ordinated by The Open University, UK.

#OpenEdInfluencers at Nelson Mandela University

#OpenEdInfluencers at Nelson Mandela University

17 April 2024

The #OpenEdInfluencers at Nelson Mandela University began in 2018. The project launched a more focussed aim to increase awareness, access, adoption and creation of Open at the institution, and beyond. Exploratory institutional support enabled the appointment and training of three Mandela University students, each hoping to support change in education through direct action.

African Council for Distance Education (ACDE)

African Council for Distance Education (ACDE)

10 April 2018

The African Council for Distance Education (ACDE) is a continental educational organization comprising African universities and other higher education institutions, which are committed to expanding access to quality education and training through Open and Distance Learning (ODL) including e-Learning. It is a unifying body of distance education providers and practitioners in Africa, ACDE and was formally launched in January 2004 at Egerton University, Kenya.

School of Open

School of Open

10 April 2018

School of Open is an initiative run by a global community of volunteers providing free online courses, face-to-face workshops, and innovative training programs on the meaning, application, and impact of 'openness' in the digital age. School of Open also provides educational materials on how to add a Creative Commons license to work, and free resources for classroom use, remix a music video, and more. It is a product of Peer 2 Peer University and Creative Commons. Read about School of Open Africa initiatives in Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda.

NOUN OER Unit

NOUN OER Unit

10 April 2018

As an ODL institution, we are an equal opportunity university determined to meet the following objectives that necessitated the establishment of open and distance education in Nigeria:

OERu

OERu

10 April 2018

The OERu makes higher education accessible to everyone. Coordinated by the OER Foundation, an independent, not-for-profit organisation, the OERu network of institutions offers free online courses for students worldwide. The OERu partners also provide affordable ways for learners to gain academic credit towards qualifications from recognised institutions.
OERu gives you the chance to study independently, from home, with access to world-class courses from recognised institutions.

Thutong Education Portal

Thutong Education Portal

10 April 2018

The Thutong Portal is the online point of entry to a comprehensive array of free educational resources, policy information, and interactive services concerning all aspects of the South African Schooling Sector. It will provide relevant information and services about the South African school curriculum, teacher development, school administration, and management. Thutong aims to facilitate ease of use, enabling users to find and make use of its resources and services in the most intuitive ways possible.

OER Africa

OER Africa

10 April 2018

OER Africa is a ground-breaking initiative established by the South African Institute for Distance Education (Saide). We play a leading role in supporting higher education institutions across Africa in the development and use of Open Educational Resources (OER) to enhance teaching and learning.