About
Zaio is adapted from the Nguni word Okuzayo, which means the future.
Origin
Where it came from
Seven students at the University of Cape Town started it, from Kenya, Malawi and South Africa. They had come to the same conclusion separately: there is no shortage of talent on this continent, only an unequal distribution of the chances to use it.
The first version was a way for student developers to get the practical experience a degree was not giving them. What it has become is an accredited institute with two schools, but the reason has not moved: close the distance between someone’s potential and the opportunity to use it.
“We gave ourselves a constant reminder in our name.”
History
How it has gone
- 2017
Started on a university campus
Seven UCT students — Mvelo Hlophe, Thando Hlongwane, Mihlali Xozwa, Harjot Singh, Akhil Boddu, Ntuthuko Mpaku and Asif Hassam — build a way for student developers to get the practical experience a degree was not giving them.
- 2019
Recognised nationally
Mvelo is named South Africa's inaugural National Student Entrepreneur of the Year, and Zaio moves from a side project to a company.
- 2024
Backed to go further
E Squared Investments invests in Zaio, with grant funding from the Injini EdTech Accelerator.
- 2025
Accredited by the QCTO
Zaio becomes an accredited skills development provider, and the bootcamps are joined by Occupational Certificates registered on the National Qualifications Framework.
- Today
Two schools, two hubs
Innovation Hubs in Cape Town and Durban, and nine registered qualifications alongside six career bootcamps.
Leadership
Who runs it
Two of the four still teach on the programmes, which is not a coincidence.
Mvelo Hlophe
Chief Executive Officer
BCom in Politics, Philosophy and Economics, UCT. Named South Africa's inaugural National Student Entrepreneur of the Year in 2019.
LinkedIn
Akhil Boddu
Chief Operating Officer
BSc in Computer Science and Information Systems, UCT. AWS Certified Developer, and still teaches the Fullstack AI Engineering bootcamp.
LinkedIn
Asif Hassam
Chief Technology Officer
BSc (Eng) in Electrical and Computer Engineering, UCT. AWS Certified Developer, and still teaches agentic AI and LangChain.
LinkedIn
Campuses
Where we are
Head office
Woodstock, Cape Town
Fl 2, Block B, 66 Albert Rd, Woodstock, Cape Town, 7915The Woodstock Exchange, a converted warehouse full of people building things. Classes, open days and most of the team are here.
Berea, Durban
221 Musgrave Rd, Berea, DurbanPress
What has been written about us
Red BullThis coding game is helping African developers get jobs
UCT NewsGiant leap for student start-up
IOLFrom student to start-up: Zaio's entrepreneurship journey in African edtech
InjiniFounder story: Zaio
Heavy ChefMvelo Hlophe on coding and app development- IT-OnlineE Squared Investments finances digital skills with Zaio's edtech
In 2024 alone Zaio appeared 146 times across 85 publications, on television, radio, in print and online. The full record is here.
Careers
Working with us
When nothing is open this section says so, rather than collecting speculative applications.
- Admissions
Sales consultant
Guide people who are deciding whether to change their career. The job is to be useful first, including telling someone Zaio is not right for them.
- Full time
- Remote
- 08:30 to 17:30
- Marketing
Performance marketing manager
Own paid acquisition end to end. You get the accounts, the budget and the decisions, and you are measured on enrolled students rather than on clicks.
- Full time
- Cape Town, on site
Questions
Questions people ask.
What is Zaio Institute of Technology?
A South African, QCTO-accredited tech education provider founded in 2018 that teaches software, data, cybersecurity, AI, cloud and digital business skills through live online bootcamps and Occupational Certificates registered on the NQF.
Who founded Zaio?
Seven University of Cape Town students started it on campus in 2017; four of them, Mvelo Hlophe, Harjot Singh, Akhil Boddu and Asif Hassam, run it today.
Where is Zaio located?
Cape Town (66 Albert Road, Woodstock) and Durban (221 Musgrave Road, Berea), with classes online across South Africa.
Is Zaio a university?
No. Zaio is a private provider accredited by the QCTO. It offers Occupational Certificates and bootcamps, not degrees.
What does Zaio mean?
It is adapted from the Nguni word "okuzayo", meaning the future.
Is Zaio accredited?
Yes: QCTO-accredited Skills Development Provider. The accreditation page shows how to verify it.
Admissions
Come and find out for yourself.
Open days run at both hubs, and an advisor will tell you honestly whether this is for you.
- QCTO-accredited Occupational Certificates
- Live online, with hubs in Cape Town and Durban
- Tuition from R19,950 upfront, or R1,950 a month financed