# SAIDE
> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/SAIDE
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/SAIDE.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAIDE
> Source revision: 1349389480
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
{{Short description|Nonprofit organization in South Africa}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Saide (formerly South African Institute for Distance Education)
| formation = 1992
| logo =
| logo_size =
| logo_caption =
| image = SAIDE sign board outside their Braamfontein offices.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Saide sign board outside their Braamfontein offices
| headquarters = Braamfontein, Johannesburg
| location =
| coordinates =
| region_served = Sub-Saharan Africa
| founder = Saide Board of Trustees
Founding Director: Jennie Glennie
| type = SAIDE is a non-profit organization that is registered as an educational trust
| focus = SAIDE is committed to improving education using open learning.
| products =
| services =
| methods =
| leader_title = Chief Executive Officer
| leader_name = Innocent Nkata
| revenue =
| num_employees =
| num_members =
| slogan =
| website = {{Official website}}
| footnotes =
}}
Saide ''[{{Cite web | title=Saide | url=https://www.saide.org.za/ | access-date=2025-08-20 | website=www.saide.org.za}}] (''formerly the South African Institute for Distance Education) transforms education policy and practices with open learning.[{{Cite web |title=Open Pedagogy {{!}} OER Africa |url=https://www.oerafrica.org/content/open-pedagogy |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=www.oerafrica.org}}] This is a non-profit, non-governmental, public benefit organization, which seeks to contribute new or appropriate models of open and distance practice [{{Cite web |title=South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE) {{!}} Devex |url=https://www.devex.com/organizations/south-african-institute-for-distance-education-saide-22060 |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=www.devex.com}}] and enable equitable and meaningful access to knowledge and skills in [Sub Saharan](/source/Sub-Saharan_Africa) [Africa](/source/Africa).[{{Cite web |title=Saide |url=http://www.saide.org.za/ |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=www.saide.org.za}}]
Saide builds networks or brings educational communities together, develops their capabilities and increases equitable and meaningful access to knowledge, skills and learning.[{{Cite web|url=https://policycommons.net/orgs/south-african-institute-for-distance-education-za/|title=SAIDE: South African Institute for Distance Education | Policy Commons|website=policycommons.net}}] Saide seek to widen access to education,[{{Cite web | url=https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1185867.pdf | title=Education for Development: From Distance to Open Education | website=files.eric.ed.gov}}] but they do not see themselves as an implementation agency.[{{Cite web | title=SAIDE: South African Institute for Distance Education {{!}} Policy Commons | url=https://policycommons.net/orgs/south-african-institute-for-distance-education-za/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240517204909/https://policycommons.net/orgs/south-african-institute-for-distance-education-za/ | access-date=2025-08-20 | archive-date=2024-05-17}}] Instead, they are advocates for the development and implementation of open and alternative models and modes for teaching and learning at post-school level.[{{Cite web| title=Call for comments on the open learning policy framework for post-school education and training | url=https://static.pmg.org.za/170407openlearningframework-postschooleduc.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118122908/https://static.pmg.org.za/170407openlearningframework-postschooleduc.pdf | archive-date=2022-01-18}}] Their services include [learning design](/source/Instructional_design), the development and sharing of [open educational resources](/source/open_educational_resources) and educational transformation. especially at scale.[{{Cite web |title=South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE) {{!}} Devex |url=https://www.devex.com/organizations/south-african-institute-for-distance-education-saide-22060 |access-date=2024-09-12 |website=www.devex.com}}]
Since the organization's inception in 1992,[{{Cite web | title=Saide — NASCEE | url=https://nascee.org.za/membership/members/saide | access-date=2025-08-20 | website=nascee.org.za}}] Saide has taken an educational leadership role and managed a diverse range of collaborative educational projects, intended to improve the quality of education in the region. Whether synchronous or asynchronous, SAIDE promotes the use of inclusive pedagogies and technologies which promote social justice.[Musara, E., Grant, C.(., Vorster, JA. (2021). Inclusion as Social Justice: Nancy Fraser’s Theory in the South African Context. In: Mullen, C.A. (eds) Handbook of Social Justice Interventions in Education. Springer International Handbooks of Education. Springer]
Saide is based in [Braamfontein](/source/Braamfontein) [Johannesburg](/source/Johannesburg). The organisation is found operating throughout South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.[{{Cite web|url=https://www.devex.com/organizations/south-african-institute-for-distance-education-saide-22060|title=South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE) | Devex|website=www.devex.com}}] It is a member of National Association of Social Change Entities in Education (NASCEE).[Access to higher education through Open Distance Learning (ODL): reflections on the University of South Africa (UNISA) 2012 In book: Access to Higher Education: Under-prepared Students or Under-prepared Institutions?,Chapter: Access to higher education through Open Distance Learning (ODL): reflections on the University of South Africa (UNISA)Publisher: PearsonEditors: Rubby Dhunpath & Renuka Vithal] Throughput was low and when The [African National Congress](/source/African_National_Congress) (ANC) came to power, it committed to supporting distance education[{{Cite journal |last=Prinsloo |first=Paul |date=2017-06-13 |title=Leaders in Distance Education on the African Continent |url=https://jl4d.org/index.php/ejl4d/article/view/225/211 |journal=Journal of Learning for Development |language=en |volume=4 |issue=2 |doi=10.56059/jl4d.v4i2.225 |issn=2311-1550|doi-access=free }}] that was based on the principles of open learning.[African National Congress. (1994) A Policy Framework for Education and Training, Johannesburg, ANC Education Department.] The newly formed government, commissioned Saide to investigate how distance might contribute integrally to the countries new education and training system.[{{Cite web | url=https://www.cedol.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/98-101-2007.pdf | title=Distance education in South Africa | website=www.cedol.org}}]
Since then, Saide has taken on the responsibility for advocating for openness and acted catalyst for change[{{Cite web | title=Enhancing the contribution of Distance Higher Education in South Africa {{!}} Council on Higher Education | url=https://www.che.ac.za/publications/research/enhancing-contribution-distance-higher-education-south-africa | access-date=2025-08-20 | website=www.che.ac.za}}]
==Funding==
Saide receives funding from the Hewlett_Foundation for "Supporting Effective Development And Use Of OER In Higher Education Systems In Africa",[{{Cite web | title=Grants | url=https://hewlett.org/grants/saide-for-supporting-effective-development-and-use-of-oer-in-higher-education-systems-in-africa/ | access-date=2025-08-20 | website=hewlett.org}}] and the Kresge Foundation [https://kresge.org/initiative/siyaphumelela/ Siyaphumelela].
== Initiatives ==
Saide runs three major initiatives: [OER Africa](/source/OER_Africa), Siyaphumelela[{{Cite web | title=Special Report – Siyaphumelela 2019 | url=https://www.universityworldnews.com/special-report.php?publication=africa&report=Siyaphumelela2019 | access-date=2025-08-20 | website=www.universityworldnews.com}}] (we succeed) and [African Storybook](/source/African_Storybook).