Profile: Optimi – Accessible learning solutions to support every step of the learning journey

Optimi –

accessible learning solutions to support every step of the learning journey

Optimi was established as a new education business in South Africa. Part of the PSG Group, Optimi is quickly becoming a household name in the education and training industry. The company’s roots, however, stretch back more than 30 years, when CAMI Education – one of the businesses that Optimi had acquired – was formed. Optimi has since grown through several mergers and acquisitions to become one of the largest learning companies in the country.

www.optimi.co.za W hat does Optimi do? Optimi provides accessible learning solutions that support every step of the learning journey. It offers a range of cost-effective and userfriendly courses, products and services, using its unique GuidED Learning™ model and proprietary learning technology.

The company serves more than 200 000 learners every year, ranging from pre-school to adult learners, through its four divisions: Home, Classroom, College, and Workplace.

Optimi’s GuidED Learning™ model aims to provide a world-class learning experience. The model integrates the core elements of effective learning and facilitation, using Optimi’s proprietary learning technology to integrate the learning experience.

The company’s learning solutions are based on the latest research in the Learning Sciences (including neuroscience, cognitive science, pedagogy, and psychology), and are supported by Optimi’s centralised services.

Optimi’s history and growth

Optimi was established when PSG invested in home schooling provider Impaq (then called Impak) in 2012. Since then, the company has grown by merging with other education and training businesses that complement its offering, including Media Works, ITSI, CollegeSA, CAMI Education, Tuta-Me, IT Academy, and various smaller learning and content providers.

These mergers and acquisitions have provided Optimi with a comprehensive range of resources and skills to deliver worldclass learning solutions to its customers.

Since its formation in 2019, Optimi has seen strong growth in the demand for its products and services. With the Covid-19 pandemic resulting in a shift to online and home education, Optimi’s experience in and history of delivering distance and online learning solutions meant that it was perfectly positioned to serve this new demand.

Optimi’s products and services

The Optimi Home division provides home education and supplementary learning for parents, learners, and tutors. Impaq is the largest home education provider in South Africa, serving more than 30 000 learners in 2021. It recently launched the Impaq Online School as an exciting addition to this division.

The Optimi Classroom division provides classroom and extraclass teaching and learning solutions for schools and other education institutions. ITSI is a leading provider of e-learning solutions in the classroom environment. These solutions are used and improved in Arrow Academy, Optimi’s model school for Grades RRR to 7 in Centurion.

The Optimi College division provides accredited qualifications and short courses for adult learners, with a large selection of exciting courses that help individuals reach their professional or personal education goals.

The Optimi Workplace division provides workforce and community education and training for corporates and the public sector. Media Works is the leading provider of Adult Education and Training in South Africa, and offers a range of learning solutions to upskill companies’ employees and the communities within which they work. Visit www.optimi.co.za for more information on the range of courses, products, and services that Optimi provides.

Building for the future

Optimi believes that education is the key to unlocking every person’s potential. The Optimi team is currently focusing on consolidating its various platforms, products, and learning services to provide an end-to-end solution to its clients in the various education sectors, with the aim of helping millions of learners achieve their education goals.

The company is pushing the boundaries of 21st Century teaching and learning, hoping to support a transition to more flexible, individualised and accessible education solutions in South Africa and the rest of the world.

Optimi will continue to build solutions for the mass market, helping improve the learning journey for learners of all ages. The company is at the forefront of the shift to alternative education models and using technology to enhance the learning experience.

Key trends in education, including online learning, gamification, flipped classrooms, and many others form part of Optimi’s solutions to its customers.

Unemployment in South Africa is an enormous challenge. Statistics show that people with better education have significantly lower rates of unemployment.

Optimi’s vision is therefore to not only help its customers achieve their learning outcomes, but to also make an impact on the livelihoods of communities and to support the development of the economy in our country. ■