GENIUS Group recently announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire the South African-based primary and secondary vocational college, E-Squared Education Enterprises.
In response to the education crisis, triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, Genius Group, the world’s leading entrepreneur education group, continues to expand its education curriculum.
E-Squared Education Enterprises was first set up in Nelson Mandela Bay in 1994 by CEO Lili Niemann with the aim of helping disadvantaged learners catch up to their peers. Now it has more than 38 000 students.
Their programmes are developed specifically around practical teaching and learning, giving students the chance to gain experience and build on their expertise in the working environment.
E-Squared Education offers primary, secondary and tertiary education to children and young adults from its three institutes: Ed-U College (Port Elizabeth), Ed-U Options Academy (Ed-U Academy) and Ed-U City Campus (Ed-U Varsity).
Roger James Hamilton, founder and CEO of Genius Group, said, “E-Squared Education Enterprises is the perfect fit for our entrepreneurial education offering and I am delighted to be able to bring them on-board. After what has been a difficult year, educating future generations to be resourceful and entrepreneurial has never been of more importance.”
This agreement is one of a succession of acquisitions totalling over $80 million (around R1.2 billion) that Genius Group has undertaken since the COVID-19 crisis began in March 2020, as it grows its entrepreneur education programmes and community globally.
Hamilton, responding to queries about Genius Group’s plans for E-Square Education and how the acquisition will affect the ordinary learner, said, “Although nothing will change for learners and students on a day-to-day basis, E-Square Education learners and students will have access to the Genius Group global community, their learning practices and standards.
“The goal within the next few years is to allow E-Square Education learners and students access to achieving UK and US degree qualifications via their online platform opportunities.
“Genius Group’s goal is to expand the E-Square Education High School format model and curriculum to be implemented globally, and ultimately to significantly grow the profitability of E-Square Education,” he added.
Niemann, who will remain CEO of E-Squared Education Enterprises, said she is thrilled that they are going to be part of Genius Group, as their aims and vision for the future of education are perfectly aligned.
“I am looking forward to the next chapter of our story and with some great new programmes and digital learning opportunities in the pipeline; we are excited that we will be able to broaden our reach and enrol more students, helping the younger generation in South Africa reach their potential and become the future leaders that this country needs.”
Niemann has built her career on redressing the balance by making quality learning accessible to all.
She is also a committed philanthropist, launching the Rara Avis Foundation to help talented learners and students achieve their potential, as well as offering bursaries for excellent achievements in academic, music and sport.
Last year CEO Today Global Awards 2020 announced Niemann as one of its list of winners published in their 2020 CEO Today Global Awards Winners Edition magazine. Dedicated to recognising strong leadership, the CEO Today Global Awards celebrate business leaders who work tirelessly to achieve success and reach new heights of innovation and growth.
In September 2020, she won two awards in the Business Worldwide Magazine 2020 Global Corporate Excellence Awards, namely the Social Entrepreneur of the Year – South Africa award and Business Leadership and Dedication to the Community Award.
Asked whether the acquisition will have an impact on how she has always operated E-Square Education and what this means for the day-to-day lives of learners at E-Square Education, she said E-Square Education Enterprises always had a wide scope of educational opportunities, from pre-primary, primary, high school and matric upgrade, to a vocational college, a private higher education institute and short courses.
“In 2020 we added eCUBE Online, and via e-learning and online learning, we took our education platform online.
“It was the best kept secret in the Eastern Cape and we are very grateful that a global company saw and bought into our potential.
“All our students, our on-site learners and students and online learners and students will have a wonderful opportunity of connecting globally to international best practices, latest education trends, and the latest technology,” Niemann said. “Digital learning programmes will be immediately introduced to the curriculum which will include coding to advanced levels, robotics and artificial intelligence.
“Our learners and students’ education lives will change dramatically with their exposure to many global educational opportunities.
“They will be exposed to the Genius Group’s very own metaverse. E-Square Education’s focus will remain to create entrepreneurs who will be job creators and not job seekers, a key focus in our current Covid-challenged world.
“E- Square Education and Genius Group are committed to assist all our customers to live their best lives and tap into their very own very unique genius.”
