South African tutoring platform Teach Me 2 was recently recognized on TIME's list of the world's top educational technology companies. This award shows a broader industry shift toward hybrid learning models that combine automated tools with human instructors. For parents and educators, the recognition shows that technology works best when it supports, rather than replaces, human relationships.
What Happened
Cape Town-based tutoring company Teach Me 2 is on the TIME World's Top EdTech Companies 2026 list. The ranking reflects the growth of African education platforms. The company has delivered over one million tutoring lessons and serves more than 10,000 families across 50 countries. It offers both online and in-person tutoring for students from primary school through university.
While this is a milestone for local innovation, parents and educators should look closely at how these awards are judged. According to the TIME and Statista methodology, the ranking relies heavily on financial metrics. Specifically, 70% of a company’s score comes from revenue, venture funding, and market capitalization. The other 30% measures industry impact and web traffic. This means the list ranks commercial success and user volume instead of classroom results or higher grades.
However, Teach Me 2’s growth reflects a larger trend. Like other regional hubs developing their own local EdTech solutions, South African startups are scaling services that use technology to support human teachers.
The Bigger Picture
The success of platforms like Teach Me 2 comes as researchers study how automated systems and human tutors work together. Technology-enabled tutoring tools can improve learning. For instance, a study in Scientific Reports analyzed the AI tool Edmentum Exact Path. The study found that using AI tutoring alongside classroom lessons improved math scores, retention, and student engagement.
But technology alone has limits. Research shows that AI-only tutoring models can place a higher cognitive load on students than human instruction. Using programs without human guidance can cause mental fatigue, which hurts a struggling student's progress.
Recent studies suggest that hybrid models are the most effective. These combine technology with active human support. A study of middle school students found that switching from an AI-only program to a hybrid human-AI tutoring model led to a 61% increase in standardized test growth and a 36% rise in student proficiency. The researchers noted that struggling students improved the most when human tutors actively guided their learning.
What This Means for Families
For parents, this research shows that software alone rarely solves academic struggles. Adaptive software can find learning gaps and assign practice problems, but students still need a human tutor to keep them accountable and help them work through frustration.
Families should look past marketing terms like "pure AI" when choosing educational software. Instead, look for programs that use technology to improve human connection. For example, using algorithms to match a student with a tutor based on personality and academic needs is an effective use of technology. Teach Me 2 prioritized this strategy in its early software investments.
What You Can Do
- Choose learning programs that pair digital tracking or adaptive software with a live tutor who regularly checks progress.
- If your child is struggling, choose services where the tutor actively contacts you and offers help instead of waiting for the student to ask.
- When looking at top-rated education apps, check if their high rankings come from business growth or from independent research showing actual classroom results.