Thank you for a remarkable year. Closing off 2025

The past year has been a busy one, marked by challenges, change and achievements. Despite a tougher operating environment, JET adapted well, embracing innovative funding models and stronger collaboration to advance our work. 

JET staff members accomplished several significant milestones:

• JET became one of the first 10 signatories to the South African Philanthropy Climate Commitment.
• We welcomed Dr Seamus Needham (of UWC’s Institute for Post-School Studies) and Dr Ajay Jivan (of the South African Board for People Practices) as Board members, ensuring our Board remains forward-looking and relevant.
• Our CEO, Dr James Keevy, was a featured speaker and moderator at the G20 Education Working Group Seminar on the Mutual Recognition of Qualifications.
• Dr Keevy was appointed to the Editorial Board of the UNESCO Teacher Task Force Global Report on Teachers.
• Together with the Anglo American South Africa Education Programme, we launched the School Food and Nutrition Gardens Practice Guidelines.
• Our CFO, Mororiseng Maapola, was elected Chairperson of the National Association of Change Agents in Education (NASCEE).

Throughout the year, JET staff were at large, participating in numerous local and international forums, sharing insights in education and monitoring and evaluation. We added to the knowledge base through publications that reflect the breadth of JET’s work and are shared here:

• Extended student teacher internships (ESTIs)
• Microcredentials
• Recognition of qualifications
• Parental involvement in education
• Evaluation of the National Pathway Management Network
• Dynamics of middle tier support in the South African education system

Some of our multi-year projects concluded in 2025, including the  Anglo American South Africa Education Programme and the first phase of the Teacher Internship Collaboration South Africa (TICZA)  project. TICZA now moves into a prototyping phase (2026–2028) to demonstrate the value and affordability of the standardised ESTI model to produce competent teachers fit for the South African education context.

While these projects ended, new opportunities emerged. JET was appointed to manage the long-term collaborative Float programme, focused on improving foundational literacy and numeracy at scale. We also administered the Western Cape Education Department's Language and Mathematics Systemic Tests for Grades 3, 6 and 9—a project that will run over three years. 

Internally, JET staff took centre stage in reshaping the organisation—driving renewed stability, sharper strategic alignment and fresh momentum through our new Functional Groups (FGXs), launched as part of our Embracing our neXt (EΩX) Strategy for 2025–2027.

As we close the first year of EΩX, we look forward to a productive and collaborative 2026.

We wish you and your organisation, family and friends a restful festive season.