Why The Communiversity?

South Africa today needs a low-cost, time-efficient educational model that enables its youth to be fully prepared for college and employment.

At a rate of over 30% in recent years, South Africa has the highest unemployment rate of all the G20 countries. Five million of South Africa’s unemployed are identified as ‘youth’ — who represent over 60% of the unemployed. Recent data from Stats SA and other sources highlight the results of this reality:

According to the report, despite the Department of Basic Education’s efforts, “South African school pupils only rank 41st globally and are in the bottom half of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects.
Recruitment experts say "there is a lack of candidates for semi-skilled positions in sectors such as IT and manufacturing…"
According to research reported by the Economic Policy institute (EPI), only 22% of SA high school graduates were employed in 2024.
In addition, currently, only around 30% of South African high school students enroll in a college or university And only 15-20% pursue further education at a Technical, Vocational, Education & Training (TVET) college.

1. The Need: Further Education and Training

South Africa’s Department of Higher Education and Training identifies post-secondary education and technical training as a critical part of South Africa’s education ecosystem and as urgently crucial to the nation’s economic well-being.Despite this need many young people live in harsh economic circumstances, even on the streets, with no employment, training or college opportunities available. So, in fact, much of the nation’s economic and social instability could be solved by effective post-secondary education and training. Pre-college preparation can assure that students positively commit to the future of the nation, while providing relevant opportunities for bright but financially-disadvantaged youth to fulfill their own goals and dreams for the present and into the future.

Our Solution: Bringing the easily scalable, low-cost Communiversity of South Africa model into every financially-disadvantaged community.

2. The Need: Access and Connectivity

Most young people want desperately to participate in post-secondary education but are unable to meet the academic and other requirements at the colleges and universities and are turned away -- even though most have passed matric and many with a Bachelor’s Pass.

Our Solution: Community partnerships with the Communiversity of South Africa provide access and connection to tertiary education as a vital first step.

3. The Need: Personal Preparedness and Self-Confidence

Business employers, job training programs and higher education institutions often make large investments in hiring, training and educating young people, only to have a high percentage of them leave prior to completion. This is mostly due to a student’s lack of preparedness for further education or work and a general lack of self-confidence set in a background of PTSD that comes from growing up in highly-marginalized communities. Tools for inner growth that help eliminate stress and fear, a focus on goals for the future, developing one’s inner qualities to improve focused attention, behaviour, confidence and determination are as significant as formalized academic or job training.

Our Solution: Preparedness, self-confidence and success are gained through self-development education as offered by the Communiversity.

"This is what is so inspiring. This is a fantastic thing. When you just get this little bit of something that is transformational and it’s really making a difference. It’s like a little plant – it looks like a small thing but it can be replicated. That’s what excites me and inspires me. This is optimism! It’s wonderful, wonderful!"

Annie Lennox

Singer/activist/philanthropist, Co-Sponsor, with Sir Elton John, of the Vrygrond Community Centre, original home of the Communiversity

"I am struggling to find the correct wording that would adequately express my deep gratitude and joyous praise for all of you at Communiversity. You honour us as you build the lives of others. This you have done for our precious young people. and that is so appreciated. We look forward to many more years together. With my warmest love, a big thank you! May we go from strength to strength —for many years to come."

Helen Lieberman

Founder, ikamva labantu

The Communiversity Model: Designed for the Community

How does it work?

4 current organizational elements of the Communiversity model:

1 Dynamic community partnerships currently location in 5 Cape Town communities

2 Established relationships with local colleges and universities

3 Live and lively interactive Zoom teaching

A system that provides a supportive family feeling, along with effective, high-impact learning.

4 Alumni follow-up

Preliminary research on Communiversity graduates has begun and is providing initial insight into the outcomes of the Communiversity program, along with insights for further improvement.

Cost-Effectiveness The Communiversity has demonstrated that there is no need to build or own a Communiversity building as there are ample classrooms available in nearly every community, thereby taking a major cost out of the funding picture and enabling an unencumbered process for expansion into each community with shared costs. Along with classrooms and monitors, the partners provide utilities, partial WiFi, some meals, and security. Requiring classrooms from each local community served, the Communiversity eliminates several of the major costs in education—buildings, housing, and transportation.
Local Access Students enjoy local community access with this model and don’t have to leave their families and/or travel far.
Admissions The communities identify potential students; community leaders and members recommend their young people for the program. Word of mouth is now the primary Communiversity recruitment tool, with waiting lists for future intakes.
Classroom Monitors As mentioned, the communities provide classroom monitors who know the students and their families and who bring a feeling of comfort and familiarity to entering new students and who extend their love and guidance throughout the program./li>
Peer Group Support of Students with similar difficult backgrounds and experiences meet and encourage each other every day in their classrooms and WhatsApp groups throughout the program, thereby enhancing the care and support given by their teachers and monitors.
Community Pride Communities are proud of their Communiversity graduates who gain longed-for college/university entry or other career opportunities and add the feature of community pride and positivity to the functioning of Communiversity.

Communiversity received a special award from the South African Department of Social Development through Impumelelo, celebrating innovation in social development projects.

Nobel Laureat Leymah Gbowee of Liberia Speaks to Communiversity Students

Local college teachers and guest lecturers as are invited to introduce students to various fields of study. Inspirational guest speakers such as Nobel Laureate Lehmah Gbowee of Liberia round out the mind- and world-opening curriculum.

Over the past years, the Communiversity of South Africa has developed strong, trusting relationships with almost all local colleges and some universities. It now has a stellar reputation based on the success of its graduates from its college-prep program, knowing that the graduates have been vetted for 3½ months and have succeeded in graduating from the intensive preparation program.

Nearly all Communiversity students qualify financially for government-sponsored college bursaries/scholarships. To help them embrace this opportunity, the Communiversity focuses strongly on preparing its graduates to be suitable candidates for the local colleges and universities. The tertiary institutions have now opened their doors to Communiversity graduates because they have found that its graduates are generally better prepared for starting college than most entrants straight out of high school, and that these graduates are eager and ready to really commit to pursuing their higher educational opportunities, thereby cutting down on tertiary dropout rates.

Innovative in both scope and operations, the Communiversity prepares students cognitively and emotionally to grow from feelings of failure and symptoms of PTSD to higher self-esteem, deep confidence and a focused commitment towards a real career and a fulfilling life.

Behavior and attitude count as much towards college recommendations as do academics. Students are offered as many courses and workshops as time permits during each intake.
The Communiversity utilizes a learning system that provides a supportive family feeling, along with effective, high-impact learning.
Classes are conducted in small groups (25-40) via Zoom sessions (with some in-person classes) with outstanding faculty who go the extra mile for each and every student.
These are not canned lectures, but highly engaging, lively classes.
All students take all classes.
Each student receives a full tuition bursary/scholarship.
Students create a Code of Conduct that governs the behavior of all the participants in their class.
Students sign commitment forms to honour their Communiversity participation.
Students enjoy a graduation ceremony with keynote and alumni speakers, and their families and friends.
In addition, to honour their individual achievements, students receive accolades at graduation for character and personal growth, as well as for academics.

All Communiversity graduates are provided with ongoing support and encouragement on their paths to fulfilling their career and personal goals even after they graduate.
Communiversity tracks its graduates through extensive research to see what successes they are having and what difficulties and/or obstacles they may be encountering.
As a result, graduates are encouraged to help the Communiversity track their accomplishments at college and/or work in order to provide a record of their growth that then becomes a vital part of the Communiversity database that helps guide the future growth of the Communiversity and gives graduates a clear picture of their own progress.

Read About Our Outcomes

"I absolutely boast about the Communiversity graduates I now have the pleasure of calling my employees. I get goosebumps when I talk about these humble, respectful, responsible, amazing people I have had the joy of employing."

Michelle King

National Cinnabon South Africa

"The Communiversity of South Africa has proven to be a highly beneficial, time-efficient and low-cost model with strong outcomes that we believe could be used successfully throughout the world. The David Lynch Foundation is awarding it its first global “EnterPrize” and is delighted and proud to honor their remarkable achievement– the creation of a ‘bridge to somewhere’ for disadvantaged, at-risk youth."

Bob Roth

Executive Director, the David Lynch Foundation, New York

The Communiversity of South Africa Research Phase Two: Alumni Outcomes 2021–2024

To answer the question of "why the Communiversity?" we are demonstrating that with a high-impact, pre-college preparation of just 14 weeks, a relevant programme can powerfully change the outcomes for the South African youth demographic currently struggling to move forward in life.

Read Phase One Outcomes

What Happens to Our Graduates After Graduation?

Most non-profit organizations list their achievements as accomplishments that end with their goals being reached. The Communiversity did the same over the years but then, with growing curiosity, we began to look beyond the end goal of college placement and entry or employment or other training for each of our graduates—and started a Phase Two of our research project to find out what happened after our alumni left us and after they were placed. That data has been collected and can be currently summarized as follows:

From 2021-2024, over 91% of Communiversity graduates were accepted into technical colleges, other colleges or universities. Of the students who have now been through the Communiversity program, there is an average dropout rate of 12%, far less than the national college dropout rate, and an average 93% of Communiversity graduates entering college.

Phase Two: Alumni Outcomes 2021–2024

There were a total of 695 graduates from the Communiversity during the years 2021 through 2024.
632 of these graduates gained entry into a TVET or university.
The higher education placement rate for these four years averages out to 91%.

Compared to the national statistics

Roughly 80% of student applications to TVET colleges are rejected, based on a ratio of one successful enrolment for every five applications -- or a 20% acceptance rate.
Communiversity graduates are placed in TVET colleges and universities at an acceptance rate of between 90% - 98%. Or between nine and ten successful enrolments out of every ten applications.
This means that if you are a graduate from Communiversity and apply to college, instead of applying to a TVET or a university directly from high school, you will have at least a 90%- 98% chance of being accepted into a TVET college or university -- compared to a 20% chance.

Research Results

A total of 463 out of a total of 695 Communiversity graduates from the years 2021–2024 were interviewed for an alumni outcomes research study.
These 463 alumni represent 67% of the 632 Communiversity graduates who were accepted into a TVET college or university, a statistically significant representation.
At the time of the interviews in 2025, a total of 383 of the 463 contacted graduates were either currently studying (220 or 48%), completing training or internships (36 or 8%), or had completed their qualifications (27 or 6%)
That means a total of 62% of these students are on track to have completed or are set to complete their college work.

Compare Communiversity Graduates with the National Average:

According to the Dept. of Higher Education TVET statistics report from 2023, only 22.5% of college students complete all the years and components of a college education and receive a National Diploma.
Comparing that report to the Communiversity results: At least 62% of Communiversity alumni are on track to complete all the years and components of a college education and receive a National Diploma. This is nearly triple the rate of completion when compared to the national average.
We will have a better picture of these results at the end of 2026 and 2027 when those Communiversity graduates from the years 2023 and 2024 would have completed their college work.