Ask any South African teacher about their biggest concern around AI, and the answer is often not about the technology itself, but about what happens to learning when getting the answer becomes easier than understanding it. As artificial intelligence becomes more ingrained in South Africa’s classrooms, the real question is whether the AI students are using is helping them learn or simply helping them finish their work.

HelloAida, South Africa’s first custom-built, multilingual AI tutoring platform, is designed to answer this question. The recently launched platform helps students prioritise understanding over speed, and guided learning over instant answers. Instead of simply delivering responses, HelloAida walks the learner through the problem-solving process, helping them build comprehension, confidence, and problem-solving skills.

“AI should not replace thinking – it should strengthen it,” says Leora Hessen, entrepreneur and founder of HelloAida. “The real value of learning is not in getting the answer, but in understanding why it’s the answer. HelloAida is here to make that journey more supported and accessible, helping students engage more deeply with their work, rather than simply completing it."

How HelloAida works

Built with the South African context in mind, HelloAida supports all grades and subjects across the CAPS and IEB curricula, and is available in all languages, broadening access for learners across the country. Whether a student is working through a maths problem in isiZulu or preparing a history essay in Afrikaans, the platform meets them where they are.

Rather than provide direct answers, HelloAida guides students through questions, explanations, and step-by-step prompts that encourage independent problem-solving. This approach improves retention, deepens understanding, and builds critical thinking skills that go beyond the classroom.

As AI tools become more embedded in education, many educators are grappling with a growing challenge: how to harness their benefits without losing the learning process. For parents and teachers alike, HelloAida offers a practical way to integrate AI into education while reinforcing effort, engagement, and understanding, rather than enabling shortcuts.

Designed to feel less like a tool and more like a learning partner, HelloAida is conversational, encouraging, and non-judgemental. While AI in the classroom can sometimes feel intimidating, HelloAida aims to reduce both academic and technological barriers through guided, confidence-building support.

"There is a generation of students who will grow up in a world where AI is simply part of everyday life," says Hessen. "HelloAida is about preparing them to use it responsibly and intelligently – and to become confident, capable thinkers."

Access and availability

According to the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, 81% of South African Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning in any language. As pressure on the education system grows, many learners continue to lack access to private tutors and consistent academic support.

High youth unemployment further emphasises the need to equip learners with strong core academic foundations, such as transferable skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving; because access to quality learning support should be a necessity, not a privilege.

HelloAida has been developed with the realities of South African education in mind, and supporting local curricula, multiple languages, and diverse learning environments. Individual subscriptions are priced at R200 per month, with school pricing at R25 per learner per month on a 24-month agreement; offering a scalable, accessible solution for families, schools, corporates, and education-focused NGOs.

Visit www.helloaida.ai to learn more or try 20 free questions to experience guided learning in action.