The Teachers CAN Exchange is an annual conference that brings the education ecosystem together in a generative community with the aim of amplifying the voices and experiences of change agent teachers. The conference aims to provide a space for the network of change agent teachers and the education ecosystem to unpack how we can build a pipeline of support for teachers in South Africa so that they are able to realise their power and potential to improve access to quality education for all children in South Africa.
The Exchange is also an extension of the teachers voices in our network as well as our project efforts, aiming to affect the broader education system. Over the past three years we have hosted three Exchanges, each exchange has been different and every year we learn how eager teachers are to engage with the sector.
We are privileged to have leaders from three of South Africa’s largest teacher unions: the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU), the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (NAPTOSA), and the Suid-Afrikaanse Onderwysersunie (SAOU). Thank you to our panellists for sharing their insights, and to everyone for participating in this important conversation about the future of teaching in our country. Let’s continue to work together to uplift and support the teachers who shape our nation.”
The 2025 Teachers CAN Exchange focused on “Teaching is an Act of Nation-Building,” reflects our commitment to reposition teaching as a noble, respected, and aspirational profession — one that lies at the heart of South Africa’s democratic and developmental agenda. We’re thrilled to be joined by an incredible panel of educators, activists, changemakers, and community builders: Siziwe Molwana, Katlego Thwane, Bernice Skhotha, and Irfraan Mangera, who will unpack what it means to build a nation through teaching, and how we can better support the teachers shaping South Africa’s future