Kenyan edtech platform Craydel has expanded into Burundi and Tanzania, marking its sixth and seventh markets across Africa. This latest move cements Craydel’s position as the first Kenyan education startup to establish a continental presence. The expansion underscores the company’s ambition to serve the fast-growing number of African students pursuing education abroad.
Growing Reach Across Africa
With the addition of Burundi and Tanzania, Craydel now operates in Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Burundi, and Tanzania. The platform is targeting an estimated 400,000 African students who study overseas each year, a market it believes remains underserved. Its rapid growth makes this the fourth expansion in under a year, showing the company’s drive to scale across diverse education markets.
Tackling Student Recruitment Challenges
Craydel’s platform is designed to address long-standing gaps in student recruitment. Many African students rely on fragmented agent systems that provide limited or biased advice. By leveraging technology, Craydel provides students with direct access to an AI-powered university matchmaker tool, helping them identify and apply to their best-fit universities.
Putting Learners at the Centre
Co-founder and CEO Manish Sardana said Craydel’s mission is to flip the traditional agent-led model by putting learners in control. “Across Africa, students face the same challenge: limited, biased advice from a fragmented agent system. At Craydel, we’re flipping that model—putting control back in learners’ hands with seamless access to the tech to search, match, and apply,” Sardana explained.
Competitive Positioning
Founded in 2021 by Sardana, John Nguru, and Shayne Aman Premji, Craydel has raised more than $2.5 million in funding from investors including Enza Capital and Angaza Capital. The startup competes with international giants like Canada’s ApplyBoard and Australia’s IDP Education, which dominate global student recruitment. However, Craydel believes its locally rooted, pan-African approach will help it build trust and scale faster across fragmented education markets.
Business Model and Growth
The platform operates a commission-based model where universities and colleges listed on the site pay per successful student enrollment. Students, on the other hand, register for free, making the service more accessible. Earlier this year, following its expansion into Rwanda, Sardana described the company as being in its growth stage, focusing on partnerships with more overseas institutions to expand study and career options for African learners.
Market Potential
Africa’s edtech market is estimated to be worth about $30 billion annually, driven by its rapidly expanding youth population and demand for global education pathways. Craydel’s expansion strategy is built around deploying proven playbooks for new markets while keeping the learner at the center. Management has signalled that further launches are planned as the company pushes toward profitability.
By expanding into Burundi and Tanzania, Craydel has taken another step toward building a continent-wide education platform. Its technology-driven, student-first approach sets it apart from global competitors, while its local roots offer a strong foundation for trust and growth. As the demand for overseas education grows, Craydel is positioning itself as a key enabler of African students’ global aspirations.