South African startup The Marking App has developed an AI-powered platform that automates the marking of handwritten test papers in seconds, providing teacher-style feedback directly on learner scripts without the need for learner devices or ICT infrastructure upgrades.
The idea for The Marking App emerged in 2020 from founder Kabelo Mahlobogwane’s own experience as a teacher.
“I became increasingly concerned by the amount of time teachers spend on marking and administrative tasks, often at the expense of actual teaching, learner support, and personal wellbeing,” Mahlobogwane told Disrupt Africa.
The Marking App seeks to address this issue via its AI-powered platform. Designed for real classroom environments, particularly in under-resourced and low-connectivity contexts, it enables teachers to scan and upload assessments, receive instantly marked scripts, and access detailed performance analytics at learner, class, school, and institutional level.
Learners continue writing assessments on paper as normal, while teachers use standard printers, scanners, or mobile phones to upload scripts to the platform. The system then marks assessments, generates feedback directly on learner scripts, and produces analytics and reporting for educators and education systems.
“By reducing marking and administrative workload by up to 80 per cent, The Marking App allows educators to focus more on teaching while ensuring learners receive timely, meaningful feedback that supports improved learning outcomes,” said Mahlobogwane.
He said uptake has been “encouraging”, particularly in public education contexts where teacher workload and infrastructure limitations remain significant challenges.
“We are currently working with more than 50 schools, over 200 teachers, and have impacted more than 8,000 learners through pilots and institutional partnerships,” Mahlobogwane said. “We are also seeing growing interest from education districts, universities, and teacher development stakeholders who recognise the need for practical AI solutions that work within existing classroom realities rather than replacing them.”
The Marking App has thus far largely been supported through grants and innovation programmes, including from the likes of the Trevor Noah Foundation, SAB Foundation, Injini, the Tony Elumelu Foundation, and the Mastercard Foundation Scholars programme. Though its main market is South Africa, it has also expanded into Eswatini through a partnership with the University of Eswatini.
“We are actively exploring broader African expansion opportunities through institutional and public-sector partnerships,” said Mahlobogwane. “Long-term, we believe the platform has global relevance, particularly in emerging markets and education systems where handwritten assessment remains dominant.”
The Marking App operates a B2B/B2G SaaS model focused on institutional adoption rather than individual teacher subscriptions.
“At this stage, the business is still in a growth and implementation phase, with a strong focus on pilots, validation, institutional onboarding, and scaling rather than short-term profitability,” Mahlobogwane said.
