For Developers

Build EdTech Apps that reaches every learner in Africa

RESPECT is Africa's Digital Public Infrastructure for Education — an open, free ecosystem that connects your app to millions of learners through a single integration.

Developers building EdTech for Africa

The open infrastructure layer that makes EdTech work across Africa

RESPECT™ is a free and open source Digital Public Infrastructure for Education (DPI-Ed) that eliminates the fragmentation holding back African EdTech. Instead of each app building its own auth system, content discovery, offline sync, and payment infrastructure — RESPECT provides it all as shared infrastructure.

When your app becomes RESPECT Compatible™, users discover it through a single digital library, log in once, use it offline, and your learner data flows to nationally hosted endpoints. You focus on building great courseware — RESPECT handles the rest.

Three pillars that power your growth

Interoperability

With a single login, users access rich courseware and EdTech solutions for curriculum delivery, education management, teacher skills enhancement, and more. Your app works seamlessly alongside others in a unified ecosystem — no vendor lock-in, no fragmentation.

Sustainability

The DPI-Ed ecosystem is sustained through sponsor credits — education-friendly messages paid for by the education private sector: Mobile Network Operators, OEMs, banks, and other sector players. Your app is free for users, funded by the ecosystem.

Revenue for Developers

Revenue from sector players is distributed to developers and app owners based on usage count. The more learners your app serves, the more you earn. This promotes sector growth, quality courseware, and sustainable EdTech businesses across Africa.

From Integration to Revenue

A clear pathway from making your app RESPECT Compatible to earning sustainable revenue from Africa's education ecosystem.

1

Integrate and Certify

Implement RESPECT standards into your app and earn the RESPECT Compatible™ certification mark.

2

Get Discovered

Your app appears in the RESPECT digital library, accessible to educators and learners across Africa with a single account.

3

Serve Learners

Learners use your app online, offline, or with intermittent connectivity. Usage is tracked and counted across the ecosystem.

4

Earn Revenue

Sponsor credit revenue from MNOs, OEMs, and sector players is distributed to you based on your app's usage count.

Why Go RESPECT Compatible?

Reach Millions of Learners

Access the entire RESPECT user base across Africa through a single integration. No country-by-country negotiations, no separate contracts per ministry. One integration gives you continent-wide distribution to educators, students, and schools across all participating nations.

54African nations in the ecosystem

Revenue Without Paywalls

Your app stays free for students and teachers. Revenue comes from sponsor credits paid by MNOs, OEMs, banks and other sector players — not from charging the learners you serve. Education stays accessible while you build a sustainable business.

$0cost to students and teachers

Usage-Based Earnings

The more learners use your app, the more you earn. Quality and engagement are directly rewarded — creating a virtuous cycle that incentivises building better courseware. Your revenue scales with your impact.

more usage = more revenue

Scale Across the Continent

Build once, deploy everywhere. RESPECT's interoperability standards mean your app works in any participating country — Kenya today, Ghana tomorrow, continent-wide by 2030. No rebuilding, no re-certification for each market.

1xbuild once, deploy everywhere

Offline-First by Design

RESPECT is built for Africa's connectivity reality. Your app reaches learners even where internet is intermittent or unavailable. Offline-first design isn't an afterthought — it's the foundation that ensures no learner is left behind.

100%works online, offline, and intermittent

Data Sovereignty Built In

Learner data flows to nationally hosted endpoints, meeting local data protection laws. You don't carry that compliance burden — RESPECT handles the infrastructure so you can focus on building great educational experiences.

🔒nationally hosted, locally compliant

Voices from the ecosystem

Ready to reach every learner in Africa?

Join the RESPECT ecosystem. Make your app Compatible and start earning from the continent's largest education platform.

Apply for Certification

View Integration Guide on GitHub →