Edition July 2026

When Sipho Manzini completed matric in 2007, he envisioned a life as a geologist. Growing up on a farm near White River in Mpumalanga, he never imagined that he would one day become an award-winning educator whose innovation would help transform the way teachers work in schools.

Today, the Mfuleni High School teacher is the developer of WebAdmin, an artificial intelligence-(AI) powered digital platform that is helping educators streamline administrative tasks, improve organisation and integrate technology into their daily work. His innovation earned him national recognition at the 2025 National Batho Pele and Innovation Awards, where he received the bronze award in the category of Innovations Harnessing Technology for Frontline Services. He also received the Special Ministerial Award – Public Sector Trailblazers.

The awards, hosted by the Department of Public Service and Administration and the Centre for Public Service Innovation, recognise public servants who go beyond the call of duty to advance front-line service delivery through innovation, ethical conduct and dedication.

For Manzini, however, the journey to this achievement began far from the bright lights of the awards stage.

Humble beginnings

Born and raised in Mbombela, he attended primary school on a farm, but because there was no nearby high school, he had to relocate to the village of Mgaduzweni, situated between White River and Hazyview, where he completed his secondary education.

After matriculating, he secured admission at Stellenbosch University in 2010, where he pursued a Bachelor of Science degree in geology.

"In my final year, we had a programming module. I liked it and, after I graduated, I decided to take it further and explore the technology space," he recalls.

Although he graduated in 2016 with aspirations of becoming a geologist, the path ahead proved challenging. He had a short-lived stint working in the industry before attempting entrepreneurship, which ultimately did not succeed.

"I was advised that I could do a PGCE [Postgraduate Certificate in Education], which would allow me to become an educator.”

In 2020, he enrolled in the PGCE – a decision that would ultimately change the course of his career. Two years later, he completed a postgraduate qualification in Business Administration and entered the teaching profession.

His transition into education was eye-opening.

"The teaching journey has been very interesting. Every day I get to deal with the different personalities of teenagers. It is a different world to the one I was anticipating when I pursued my degree."

Outdated systems

What struck Manzini most was how little school administrative processes had changed over the years. The profession, he realised, still operated much as it had when he himself was a learner – with paper-heavy, manual systems that often made the work feel disorganised and difficult to manage. Rather than accept that as the norm, he saw an opportunity to use his technical skills to improve the way schools functioned.

That realisation planted the seed for what would later become WebAdmin – a digital system that could bring greater structure and organisation to everyday school processes.

What started as a simple idea gradually evolved into a comprehensive solution. Drawing on the programming skills he had developed after university, Manzini spent nearly two years building the platform.

"It was not a fully fledged idea from the start. It was very small. It just kept growing and growing until I had a fully developed digital system.”

Innovative solutions

The AI-powered platform gives educators access to digital workstations through their smartphones or laptops, making daily administrative tasks far easier to manage. Integrated with a customised smart card - also developed by Manzini - the system allows teachers to handle class registers, staff attendance, learner activities and a range of other administrative functions from one central platform.

By reducing the school’s reliance on paperwork, the platform has made administration more efficient, accessible and organised.

What began at Mfuleni High School has since grown into a wider district initiative. The platform is now being used in 13 schools across the Metro North District, with more than 250 teachers actively using it to improve teaching and streamline their workflow.

But despite its success, the journey has not been without obstacles.

According to Manzini, one of the biggest challenges has been encouraging educators to move away from long-established paper-based systems and embrace a new way of working.

"I may have developed the system, but on the ground it is very hard to get other schools to buy into it or make them understand that there might be a better alternative to paper".❖