Beyond the Classroom: How AI is Reshaping African Education
In this first episode of a special series of the Embedded Podcast in Rwanda, host Zain Verjee sits down with Tonee Ndungu, a pioneering EdTech entrepreneur who is transforming education across Africa through AI-powered learning tools. From his personal journey with dyslexia to founding Kytabu, Tonee shares insights on how AI is reshaping education on the continent and creating opportunities for millions of students. The conversation explores the development of wearable AI assistants for both students and teachers, strategies for building African language models, and how entrepreneurs can leverage AI to build billion-dollar businesses from the continent despite infrastructure challenges. Produced in partnership with The Rwanda Centre for the Fourth Industrial and recorded at the Global AI Summit on Africa from April 3rd -4th, 2025.
Tonee Ndungu
Tonee Ndungu is a pioneering entrepreneur in the EdTech space with over 18 years of experience. As the founder of Kytabu (meaning "book" in Swahili), he has dedicated his career to transforming education across Africa. Drawing from his personal experiences with dyslexia, Tonee developed innovative learning solutions that adapt to different learning styles. Prior to Kytabu, he helped establish the foundation for Kenya's tech ecosystem, contributing to what became known as the "Silicon Savannah." His current focus is integrating AI technology into education to empower both teachers and students across the continent.