Building a Custom SaaS LMS for K-12 Schools in Africa
We built a scalable SaaS LMS (Learning Management System) for French-speaking African schools, simplifying learning with multilingual support, streamlined administration, and tools for enhanced teacher, student, and parent engagement.
How We Created a Multilingual SaaS Learning Management System for K-12 Schools in Africa
Learning should be simple and adaptable, not bogged down by outdated methods. This belief drove a visionary French tech entrepreneur to transform education in French-speaking African countries by creating an affordable SaaS LMS (Learning Management System). Her goal was to simplify learning for students, teachers, parents, and school administrators. The SaaS LMS was designed to offer a multilingual experience, streamline administrative tasks like attendance tracking, payroll management, and payments, and help teachers focus on teaching by making it easier to share homework, manage grades, and communicate with parents.
Platforms
Web App
Duration
16 weeks
Industry
EdTech
Our technology choices ensured the platform was fast, scalable, and future-ready.
ReactJS for building the frontend to ensure a smooth and responsive user experience
AWS Serverless Lambda for backend operations to support scalable, real-time functionality
Hasura for secure and dynamic database handling
TypeScript for development to ensure robust and error-free performance
Partnership Goal
The client, Jennyfer Ngueno, a visionary French tech professional passionate about transforming education, set out on a mission to revolutionize learning in French-speaking African countries. Her goal was clear: to provide a secure and efficient way to manage the educational community of a school while making learning more accessible and enriching. Jennyfer’s vision aligned with her mission to create an intuitive, user-friendly SaaS LMS that would facilitate learning, streamline administrative tasks, and enhance the overall educational experience. When she found us, she knew she had the right partner to bring this transformative LMS software development project to life.
Before
- Manual attendance tracking
- Manual fee collection
- No multilingual support for broader accessibility
- Limited engagement between parents, teachers, and students
- Lack of real-time performance insights
- Difficulty scaling to support large student populations
After
- Automated workflows for attendance tracking
- Streamlined processes for fee management
- Multilingual SaaS LMS ensures inclusivity
- Dedicated portals improving parent-teacher communication
- Real-time analytics for actionable insights
- Scalable to support multiple schools and thousands of students
Team Formation
To bring our client’s vision to life, a dedicated team of 8 members was assembled, ensuring every aspect of the project received the attention to detail it deserved. Our team consisted of 1 backend developer, supported by 2 additional backend developers, 1 frontend developer, a project manager, 1 business analyst, and 1 designer. This collaborative effort allowed us to focus on delivering a platform that met both technical and user experience requirements. At the beginning of the project, we shared a detailed prototype with the client to give them a clear vision of how we would proceed, ensuring alignment from the start. Given the complexity of creating a secure, multilingual SaaS LMS for diverse user groups, precision and clear communication were crucial throughout the process.
concept to launch
students can be supported per school
strengthening school community connections
Our partnership
Our partnership with Jennyfer Ngueno, a French tech professional, was driven by her vision to create an affordable SaaS Learning Management System (LMS) tailored for French-speaking African countries. She wanted the application to serve schools, students, professors, and administrative staff, addressing diverse needs within the educational ecosystem. Her goal was to simplify school operations, including tasks like managing attendance, fees, and staff records, to ease the administrative burden. She also aimed to provide multilingual accessibility and strengthen parent-teacher-student engagement, creating a more efficient, transparent, and inclusive educational experience. In our role as a partner in learning management system development, we used Slack for daily updates and swift resolution of support issues, while Asana helped streamline project management. Following Agile methods with two-week sprints, we maintained steady progress and adaptability. Daily internal sync-ups kept all team members aligned, fostering a seamless collaboration to deliver a user-friendly and impactful solution.
Student Dashboard
Personalized learning space with access to assignments, grades, and materials.
Teacher Tools
Upload lessons, assign homework, track attendance, and manage grades easily.
Parent Portal
Real-time insights into their child’s progress, attendance, and grades.
Automated Administration
Simplified payroll, fee collection, and attendance management for admins.
Multilingual Support
Accessible in French, ensuring ease of use for local audiences.
Notifications System
Alerts for homework deadlines, fee reminders, and school updates.
Local Payment Integration
Supports regional payment gateways for smooth transactions.
Reports and Insights
Detailed analytics for student, teacher, and school performance.
Scalability
Supports thousands of students and multiple schools with seamless expansion.
Cloud-Based Access
Accessible anywhere, ensuring learning continuity.
RaftLabs has been an exceptional partner. From the start, they became more than just a service provider —they embraced our vision with their expertise and dedication. We're proud of the result.
CoFounder & CEO , Sekou
West Africa
What happened next
We built Sekou, an all-in-one online school and college management software, delivering a custom SaaS LMS platform in just 16 weeks. Initial beta testing in schools showed great success: teachers and admins reported significant time savings thanks to automated workflows, and tasks like attendance tracking, grade management, and fee collection were streamlined, increasing overall efficiency. The platform’s intuitive design received positive feedback, with schools praising how easy it was to use and how much stress it removed from daily operations. The scalable infrastructure is ready to support more schools and handle growing user demands. The client was particularly impressed by the thoughtful improvements we made, which further enhanced the platform’s functionality and user experience.
Still curious?
What is a Learning Management System (LMS)?
A Learning Management System (LMS) is software used to manage and deliver educational content, track learner progress, and streamline administrative tasks. It’s crucial for enhancing the learning experience and operational efficiency in schools and businesses.
Why choose custom LMS solutions over off-the-shelf platforms?
Custom LMS solutions are tailored to meet specific needs, offering greater flexibility, scalability, and unique features that align with your organization’s goals, unlike generic platforms that may lack necessary functionalities.
How does SaaS LMS differ from traditional LMS?
SaaS LMS is a cloud-based solution, providing easier access, scalability, and lower upfront costs compared to traditional LMS that require on-site infrastructure and maintenance. SaaS LMS also ensures automatic updates and security.
What are the key LMS features to look for?
Key LMS features include user management, course creation, progress tracking, reporting, multilingual support, integration with other systems, and mobile accessibility. These features ensure a comprehensive and efficient learning experience.
What tech stack is used in custom LMS development?
In custom LMS development, we use a robust tech stack tailored to the platform’s needs. For Sekou, we used ReactJS for the frontend, AWS Serverless Lambda for scalable backend operations, GraphQL Hasura and Postgres for dynamic data management, and TypeScript for error-free performance. This ensures a responsive, secure, and scalable solution for our clients.
Why should I choose a custom LMS development company?
A custom LMS development company like RaftLabs builds a solution specifically for your needs, ensuring you get the best fit for your organization’s objectives. Custom development also allows for flexibility and adaptability as your business grows.
What benefits does custom LMS software development offer?
Custom LMS software development provides personalized features, scalability, enhanced user experience, and integration with other systems, ensuring that the platform fully supports your organization's learning and administrative needs.
How long does it take to build a custom LMS?
The timeline for custom learning management system development typically takes 16 weeks, depending on the complexity and features of the platform. This allows for a comprehensive, fully tailored solution that meets your specific needs and requirements.
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