Naledi3d Factory NPC

The establishment of Naledi3d Factory NPC aims to lead and carry forward the successful tradition of social entrepreneurship pioneered by Naledi3d Factory (Pty) Ltd for more than two decades. Throughout this period, the use of virtual reality (VR) has played a crucial role in enhancing education and socioeconomic conditions in marginalized and underprivileged communities across Africa.

The organization is deeply committed to continuing the legacy of upholding and promoting the values and principles of “knowledge as a human right” and reducing the disparity in access to digital resources, particularly in Africa and other developing nations.

  • Vision

    An enabled and self-sustainable Africa, rich in knowledge, rooted in its heritage and capabilities.

  • Mission

    To meet Africa’s developmental needs through the application of VR/AR technologies, especially in disadvantaged communities and by addressing past and current inequalities by:

    Knowledge is a human right

    Overcoming language and literacy barriers

    Bridging the knowledge, skills, and digital divides

    Making knowledge freely accessible.

  • Purpose and goals

    Spearhead social development through the application of VR and other visual interactive technologies, focussing on but not exclusive to:

    Education (STEM) and training (TVET)

    Heritage

    Health

    Water and sanitation

    Agriculture

    Information Communication and Technology

    See projects

Why?

The intensely visual nature of VR allows for the creation of content that is content and context-rich. The intensely visual nature of VR overcomes both literacy and language barriers by showing – and not simply telling.

This gives VR a distinct and powerful advantage over text-based communication

How? 

Evolving and building on our previous experience and typical developmental projects by growing the scale and scope of 3D content through:

  1. Directly funded developmental projects in partnership with grants and other funding agencies, both local and international, on developmental projects in the above fields.
  2. Working with on-the-ground implementation agents and organisations to ensure effective rollout.
  3. Also, encouraging Corporates to use CSI funding to this end
  4. Naledi3d Factories clients to donate their 3D content from projects
  5. Build on, and develop an accessible Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) platform called WIKI-XR to serve XR (education, vocational and community skills training 3D content) in a way that is freely available to all across Africa who can benefit
  6. Capitalising on the concept of “Interative3d Learning objects” (i3dlo’s) – for which Naledi3d owns the trademark (registered in 2010 through support from the Finnish Government.
  7. Build on and develop Mmpone, a Naledi3d Factory concept and approach that grew in Naledi3d Factory in late 2020 through discussions with international colleagues and following the US “Black Lives Matter” movement.  

Based on the concept of “Mmpone” or “See me as you see yourself…”, Mmpone seeks to bring forth the wealth of indigenous peoples’ heritage, knowledge and history by touching the human strings and our commonality – and targeting our Youth.

For almost all stories captured in the historical record by the victors, there is always another hidden story that has yet to be told. Mmpone intends to capture these untold stories visually.

Mmpone also strives to bring together other local and global initiatives working to bring indigenous knowledge to the fore.

NPC Projects