SUCCESS STORY
GLOBAL E-LEARNING COMPANY EXPANDS IN CAPE TOWN
On the afternoon of August 6th, 2019, the global digital learning company, once known as Proversity, announced its name change to “Construct,” as well as its plans to double in size.
Construct’s David Casey tells the company story: it was established in 2013 and now has a rapidly growing consumer base, which led to investment in South Africa after exploring LATAM, Europe, and Asia as potential options for growth.
With the expansion, there is expected to be 150 instructional design, technology, and creative jobs created as a result of the US$3 million expansions in Cape Town. These jobs will support online programmes at universities in Boston, Oxford, and Doha, as well as corporates and governments across the globe.
Construct CEO (Chief People’s Officer) David Phillips says, “We have seen the growth of the edtech sector within the Silicon Cape and the first $100m+ edtech company native to the Mother City; we see ourselves as the next evolution in that edtech story. Our vision is to support a diverse workforce which contributes to Cape Town’s ranking, not only as one of the greatest cities on the planet, but also one of the most powerful edtech hubs globally.”
Apart from a base in the Mother City, Construct also has offices in London, Salt Lake City, Oxford, and Tel Aviv.
“Our new offices and new name, which we are proud to launch today in Longkloof Studios, demonstrates yet again that we are a fast-growing, digital learning company with a growing footprint in South Africa. We expect further growth as we leverage the impressive tech ecosystem in the province, and the major opportunities for growth in Africa. Watch this space,” said Casey.
Wesgro, Cape Town, Western Cape Official Tourism, Trade, and Investment Promotion Agency is proud to have assisted the company with its investment in Cape Town by providing assistance and advice in line with its mandate.
Wesgro CEO, Tim Harris has welcomed the growth of digital learning companies in Cape Town, a top tech hub Globally.
“We welcome Construct to a growing list of global tech companies calling Cape Town home, including Amazon and GetSmarter, and we expect it to be equally successful. Wesgro has a dedicated portfolio manager for this important sector in the Cape, and we are ready to assist, as this expansion continues in the future.”
A report commissioned by Cape Innovation and Technology Initiative, Wesgro, and the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation, with the support of the Western Cape Government, has revealed that the greater Cape Town area’s tech ecosystem (including Stellenbosch) now employs more than 40 000 people.
“We are the go-to-city in Africa, and the tech capital of the African continent. We have a large angel investor community, and we are home to the highest number of accelerators and co-working spaces in Africa,” said Mayoral Committee Member, Alderman James Vos.
In closing, the American COO for Construct, Katie Bradford said: “the Online Programme Management space is one of the fastest-growing sectors in education and professional development in the USA, EMEA and the Middle-East. By marrying the requirements of the greatest institutions in the world with the distinctive cultural and design aesthetic that is Cape Town, I know we can continue to deliver truly phenomenal learning experiences that have an impact from California to Canberra.”
– Issued by Wesgro
