She wants to make learning more engaging for students by teaching them in their native languages from kindergarten to high school. To do this, she created a technology platform that helps students learn in their mother tongue.

Mukundi Lambani (photo) is a South African entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Ambani Africa, an educational technology company dedicated to promoting mother-tongue education for children from kindergarten through high school.

Founded in 2021, Ambani Africa provides a platform that facilitates early learning by offering digital resources that enable students to learn in African languages. The platform’s goal is to empower students to learn and communicate effectively in their native languages.

Ambani Africa’s learning experience is interactive, featuring games, videos, e-books, and lessons. The content is available in English and over 15 other languages, including isiZulu, Kiswahili, Yoruba, French, Spanish, and more. 

According to Mukundi Lambani, African languages are woefully underrepresented in the digital realm, leaving young learners struggling to find educational resources in their native tongue. She emphasizes the critical importance of the early years for language development, noting that falling behind by third grade can be a significant hurdle. That's why Ambani places such emphasis on mother-tongue education during this crucial stage.

Lambani holds a bachelor’s degree in film from the African Film and Drama Academy (AFDA), earned in 2008. She also obtained a diploma in business management and administration from Varsity College in 2011. In 2017, she completed a master’s degree in communication and media studies at Bournemouth University in the UK. In 2019, she earned a certificate in intellectual property management from the University of Witwatersrand.

Lambani’s career began in 2008 at the South African Broadcasting Corporation as a video editor. In 2010, she joined the 48 Hour Film Project as a producer. By 2013, she became head of research and development at Brainbow Conscious Creatives, a creative agency. In 2017, she was appointed as a lecturer at the Academy of Sound Engineering, and in 2018, she became a project manager at the Goethe-Institut, a German cultural institute.

Melchior Koba