Televic installs smart classrooms in Africa, thanks to Finexpo

Thanks in part to Finexpo – a body within our FPS that supports the exports of Belgian companies – the Izegem-based Televic has ventured to Africa. Since then, they have already installed over 500 smart classrooms in Kenya and Ghana with the most advanced technologies. Plans to roll out to other African (and Asian) countries are in the pipeline.

Anyone who has ever visited the impressive conference rooms in our own Egmont Palace before will surely remember the endless rows of screens with microphones. They allow each participant to follow the speaker or presentation, participate in the meeting themselves, and – if simultaneous interpretation is provided – listen to the translation with headphones. And of course, there are also big screens on which you can follow everything.
 

24 languages in the European Parliament

Similar 'conference systems' can be found equally at the UN in Geneva, the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, NATO in Brussels, and the German stock exchange. Meanwhile, the European Parliament in Brussels has a highly ingenious interpreting unit with a choice of as many as 24 languages.

Or what about the public address system and information screens on Eurostar trains? You can find the same systems in the USA and China, incidentally. And many hospitals now have a sophisticated system that allows the patient to call a nurse, as well as allowing the nurse to track where the patient is.

All of this impressive technology – which is literally undergoing constant innovation – turns out to come from a Belgian company in Izegem: Televic. "For 80 years, we have been working on innovation," says Dirk Verbeke, Televic Education Sales Manager. "From a small producer of audio systems in 1946, Televic has grown into a global player in advanced audiovisual communication systems in 4 sectors: conferences, rail (tram, train, metro), healthcare, and education."
 

Credendo and Finexpo

Education is indeed proving to be an important pillar for Televic, especially in Africa. "The continent is seeing explosive population growth," continues Verbeke. "Today's 1.2 billion Africans will grow to 2 billion by 2050. The average age is 21 years and all those young people need to get a decent education and find jobs. For that, we can provide digital solutions. African leaders are also realising that need."

Only, working in Africa has its risks and challenges. "Consider the transport and installation of the systems, guarantees for payment, etc., but climate is also a factor to be reckoned with, with risks such as humidity, heat, and dust. And that's before we consider the poor internet connection, irregular electricity supply, and so on."

Fortunately, Credendo – which is owned by the Belgian state – can step in to insure political and commercial risks. But Finexpo – which is also monitored by our FPS – has also given Televic that critical push to take the plunge (see box).

In fact, Finexpo has various instruments at its disposal to support the export of Belgian companies. "Actually, we learned about Finexpo in a roundabout way," explains Verbeke. "During a visit to Uzbekistan, the then Finance Minister Didier Reynders explained about the various financial instruments to support Belgian exports. Further to this, the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Brussels contacted me to see if we could provide educational technology with Finexpo's support."

STEM courses

This was how the ball got rolling. "One of Finexpo's requirements states, however, that the contracts must be completed within five years," explains Verbeke. "We didn't manage to do that in Uzbekistan, but we did get to know Finexpo and then set our sights on Africa."

Things went more smoothly there. Since 2012, Televic has already installed over 500 smart classrooms in Sub-Saharan Africa: 240 in Kenya (2012–2014) and 242 in Ghana (2017–2018) in secondary schools. About 100 more were added in Ghana (2022–2024), specifically for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) training courses.

Smart classrooms with assessmentQ

"Our smart classrooms are actually advanced PC rooms," explains Grace Chandra, Education Project Manager at Televic. "Each student has their own PC that is part of a single network, which also includes the teacher's PC and the big screen in front. Students can work independently with the PC or do group work while the teacher can monitor their activities and take over their screen."

The smart STEM classrooms also have assessmentQ software. "This enables teachers to easily organise tests and exams, and even remotely, for students to do at home," Chandra says. "We also provide a handy case with materials for experiments adapted to the specific STEM course."
 

Dust, humidity, and heat

"We always apply turnkey, all-in-one solutions, as just supplying the devices doesn't work," Verbeke emphasises. "And, of course, you have to adapt the systems to local conditions," adds Chandra. "We use special servers that can withstand dust, humidity, and heat. And we install batteries that cope with the poor electricity supply – sometimes the voltage is too high or sometimes there are power cuts."

"We regularly get people from Africa coming over to learn how to work with the technology," tells Chandra. "But we also organise on-site training. We recently trained 100 trainers in Ghana who then, in turn, train other teachers. They were very excited about the many features of the smart classrooms."
 

State loans

One of Finexpo's instruments are state loans. This was the case in Ghana, for example. The way they work is that a country from the Global South requests a loan from Belgium to carry out a major project, for example, digitisation of classrooms.

The loan of up to 12 million euros must be paid off over 30 years. But the first 10 years are a 'grace period', during which time the country doesn't have to pay anything back. The combination of a long repayment period and a low interest rate equals a 35% grant.

For the classrooms in Ghana, the state loan was combined with an 'interest rate stabilization'. "In that case, the customer takes out an additional loan from a Belgian bank," Verbeke clarifies. "Through the intervention of Finexpo, we can guarantee a fixed interest rate throughout the credit period. This also allowed the maximum amount of a government loan to be exceeded. Interest rate stabilisation is also accompanied by cover from credit insurer Credendo."
 

Business to government

Typically, activities in Africa are exclusively B2G, business to government. "We work exclusively with governments," Verbeke confirms. But that does not mean Televic waits until a state announces a public tender for a major project.

"Definitely not," says Verbeke. "Because then you will be too late. After all, such a public tender is based on a prior study and contacts with companies. No, we proactively look for opportunities, and contacts with Belgian embassies play an important role in this."

For example, Botswana is currently on the radar. "Due to competition from the synthetic diamond market, the government there has realised they need to diversify, the diamond industry is crumbling. That's why they want to commit to better education."

But STEM education will also be modernised in Senegal. In addition, Burundi, Kenya (vocational education), and who knows, Nigeria will offer opportunities. The gaze is also being shifted beyond Africa to include Indonesia. "Of course, the countries have to be somewhat stable," Verbeke adds. "That means Mali is excluded."
 

Flexibility is a must

Televic therefore illustrates how the private sector plays a crucial role in the development of the Global South. A body like Finexpo can provide much-needed boosts in this regard, while the World Bank or multilateral development banks often provide the funding.

Finally, Verbeke wishes to offer some advice for companies looking to get started in Africa. "If you don’t understand the culture, it won't work. For example, email is used less frequently there. Almost everything is done through WhatsApp, and you have to adapt to that. During an election period or Ramadan, everything runs a little slower. And they are not familiar with our money transfer system – with BIC and IBAN. Being flexible is a must. Plus, don't act like a missionary, those days are gone for good. You will be amazed at their creativity and inventiveness."