Student’s career guidance app serves learners in under-resourced schools

When Sonwabise Gcolotela witnessed firsthand how talented friends and classmates played the guessing game as they chose what tertiary studies to pursue after school, he was determined to do something about it.

Gcolotela, who is currently completing his honours in information systems at the University of Cape Town (UCT), said career guidance in resource-constrained schools is virtually non-existent. Often, he said, learners apply for academic programmes at universities and colleges based on what they think is right, and not necessarily on what suits their personality and skill set.

“Where you grew up shouldn’t dictate whether you end up with a qualification that will lead you to a job. If a learner in Mthatha has the same quality of information as a learner in a private school, then they too will be able to make the right career decisions that will lead them to success,” he said.

Solving a problem

So, Gcolotela co-founded Guideian EDU – a mobile app that provides learners with career guidance, matches various careers with their individual skill sets and measures their job readiness. Two long-time friends – Griffiths Moshoeshoe and Sangesonke Njameni, who witnessed the same challenges growing up – co-founded the start-up with him.

“Making a career decision will influence the trajectory of your life. So, it’s important that we make the right one from the get-go. At Guideian we believe that learners need to make these decisions based on real information – and we give them that,” he said.

Thanks to this innovative business idea, Gcolotela is gearing up to pitch his start-up to a panel of judges at the 2026 Entrepreneurship Innovarsity competition final later this month. The competition is an initiative of the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education programme and is presented by the Department of Higher Education and Training. It aims to locate the top student entrepreneurs across South Africa’s 26 public universities. Earlier this year, Gcolotela’s business topped the social impact category during the regional round of the competition, and the win led him to the national final. He is one of only two UCT students who have reached this round of the competition.

How Guideian works

Gcolotela said the platform should be considered as a lifeline for high school learners who don’t have access to career guidance counsellors. The easy-to-use app requires that users import their academic results, and it automatically calculates their admission point score – a numerical rating system used by South African universities and colleges to evaluate learners’ matric results. The app then lists the various university or college qualifications users qualify for based on their results.

He said users are also required to complete a short personality test. Thereafter the app matches candidates with career options that suit their personality. And if they’re keen to find scarce skills industries, as well as industries that regularly hire in the country, the labour market data feature comes in handy.

“This helps users understand where they’re going and what career path is better suited for them. And once they know, the app helps them build a CV that easily navigates the automated screening tools that both bursary providers and employers use,” Gcolotela said.

Plugging a gap

With only a handful of career development practitioners who are meant to service thousands of high school learners across the country, Guideian EDU is the answer young people have been looking for, especially those living in under-resourced communities.

“Almost every young person has a phone. So, we saw the gap to put the guidance they didn’t know they needed into their pockets,” he said. “And our platform is not just suitable for high school learners.”

“The hard part is holding three things together: what you qualify for with your results; what fits your personality; and what industries will be hiring.”

Gcolotela said young South Africans between the ages of 15 and 30 who are either choosing subjects at high school or applying to university or TVET colleges are their primary target audience. Special focus, he added, is given to users from resource-constrained communities or first-generation students whose families are unable to provide the advice they need. And unlike other career platforms, Guideian doesn’t ask candidates what they’d like to do.

“Because that was never the hard part. The hard part is holding three things together: what you qualify for with your results; what fits your personality; and what industries will be hiring by the time you graduate. That sets us apart from other similar platforms,” Gcolotela said.

Proud moments

Since the launch earlier this year, the app has taken off. More than 200 young people have signed up, most have completed a full profile and more than a third come back regularly to interact with their profiles. The latter, Gcolotela said, indicates that users are using the tool to make decisions. In addition, he said, the platform also contains built-in feedback loops and users can easily rate Guideian’s individual services. He said users’ feedback will shape what the team builds next.

On what the team is most proud of, Gcolotela said launching on both iOS and Android in one month was a “big moment”. He said the team has also run pilot programmes at two high schools in the province and are working with a tutoring company and an education non-profit organisation to reach more users. Guideian has also started their own podcast, GuidanceTalk, and their clips have garnered more than 75 000 views on Instagram in the past three months.

“Getting to this leg of the competition means that we have an opportunity to put the learners we’re building for in front of the people who can help us reach even more learners.”

“Even though it’s just been a few months, we are thrilled that Guideian has grown this much. But what has brought the most fulfilment is seeing learners discover qualifications they never knew existed and are now considering them for tertiary study. This demonstrates that Guideian really is helping those it’s meant to serve,” he said.

Representing UCT

As Gcolotela prepares for the Entrepreneurship Innovarsity competition, he said he is both proud and excited to represent UCT on the national stage.

“It’s a responsibility I take very seriously. It’s also a moment for the whole team to shine, since there are several individuals behind the scenes who contribute to Guideian’s success,” he said.

“But more than that, getting to this leg of the competition means that we have an opportunity to put the learners we’re building for in front of people who can help us reach even more learners who can benefit from this platform nationally.”