From R700 to R1 Million: How Two Limpopo Friends Are Revolutionising Education

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Two young men from a small village in Limpopo taught themselves to code, built an educational app with just R700 and a second-hand computer… and now they’ve received R1 million in funding and full support from Liberty’s #DriveHope initiative!

Marvel Shibambu and Malunghelo Mathonsi created NOVAR, a free, social-media-style learning app to help high school learners access quality education. Their story went viral on TikTok, captured the hearts of South Africans, and has now grown into something much bigger.

This is more than just a story about tech. It’s about resilience, community, kindness and what happens when a country believes in its youth.

Watch the full interview to find out how NOVAR is changing lives—one download at a time.

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22 Jul 2025 English South Africa Personal Journals · Daily News

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