1K Africa Invests in Leading Online Education Company

HEPSA’s integrated approach supports universities in online program management with a model proven in the United States and Latin America.

Cape Town, South Africa and Denver, Colorado (May 10, 2018)
1K Africa, a private family capital fund backed exclusively by industry-leading families from around the globe, today announced its investment in Higher Ed Partners South Africa (HEPSA), a leading online education company based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The investment marks 1K Africa’s first investment in the education sector in Africa.

HEPSA is an integrated provider of online program management services to leading tertiary educational institutions in South Africa. These services enable HEPSA’s partner universities to expand access to high quality, affordable higher education by supporting the conversion of existing programs to an engaging online format, attracting and enrolling qualified students and providing ongoing student support from enrollment through to graduation.

“HEPSA emerged from a deep belief in the transformative power of higher education to change the lives of countless global citizens,” said Randy Best, Founder and Chairman of HEPSA. “While the value of education has been recognized since Ancient Greece, the ability to provide universal access to top quality higher education is new. Technology is a game changer for post-secondary learning/education and a great enabler. Its extraordinary ability to disseminate knowledge unbound by geography and time has captured the imaginations of people around the world. HEPSA is excited to participate in this movement, which is transforming higher education by expanding access and helping millions achieve their aspirations,” said Mr. Best.

HEPSA was founded by Best Associates, the company that founded and grew multiple leading online program management and higher education companies around the globe, including Academic Partnerships in the United States and Illumno in Latin America. “We are honored to be partnering with HEPSA to deliver innovative education solutions in South Africa. We believe the deep industry experience of HEPSA’s management team and its success to date leaves HEPSA well-positioned to capitalize on the significant growth occurring in the tertiary education sector in South Africa. We are confident that we can further enhance value by leveraging 1K Africa’s Intellectual and Relational Capital, both in South Africa and internationally,” said Hendrik Jordaan, President and CEO of 1K Africa.

This transaction represents 1K Africa’s fourth platform investment on the African continent, adding to its existing portfolio companies, Redsun Dried Fruit & Nuts®, a raisin processor located on the banks of the Orange River in the Kalahari Desert, Beefmaster®, South Africa’s largest beef exporter, and SanLei®, a specialist aquaculture business headquartered in the Kingdom of Lesotho. In addition, 1K Africa portfolio companies also concluded investments in TRUE Jerky, a San Francisco-based healthy snack foods company, and RTE Snacks, a producer of healthy, ready-to-eat trail mix products.

About HEPSA

HEPSA provides online learning program management to leading tertiary education institutions in South Africa. With HEPSA, universities can launch, operate and grow online programs, which creates new markets and revenue streams. HEPSA helps universities to convert their courses to an online format and recruits and supports students through to graduation.

HEPSA has partnered with most tertiary education institutions in South Africa, and aims to increase their presence in sub-saharan Africa. HEPSA believes that online learning creates opportunities by making tertiary education both accessible and affordable.

About 1K Africa
1K Africa is a private capital fund designed to enhance the best of what private equity investment has to offer with the Intellectual Capital, Relational Capital and Financial Capital of industry-leading families. For more information, please visit ​www.1kafrica.net​.