Can local innovation replace imported classroom tech, transform completely?

RUSSIA: INSIDE a brightly lit classroom, pupils gather around a miniature solar system. At the flick of a switch, planets begin revolving around the sun while the Earth rotates on its axis, vividly demonstrating day and night. Instead of relying solely on textbook diagrams or a globe, learners watch astronomy unfold before their eyes, making complex scientific concepts easier to understand.

The demonstration represents more than an engaging science lesson. It reflects Tanzania’s growing commitment to strengthening science education through locally developed technologies while nurturing a new generation of scientists, engineers and innovators capable of driving the country’s industrial transformation.

At the centre of this effort is the Mugana Solar System Teaching Device, developed by Tanzanian inventor Boniphace Rutta, founder of African Invention Company. Supported by the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH), what began as a handmade prototype has evolved into a professionally manufactured teaching aid now finding its way into classrooms across the country.

The project demonstrates how strategic investment in science, technology and innovation can bridge the gap between research and commercialisation while strengthening local manufacturing and improving classroom learning.

For decades, science teaching in many Tanzanian schools has relied heavily on theory. Limited laboratory facilities, inadequate teaching materials and unreliable electricity have made it difficult for students to visualise scientific concepts that require practical demonstrations. The Mugana Solar System Teaching Device was designed to change that.

“Previously, students learned about the solar system through drawings or a rotating globe,” says Mr Rutta. “Now they can observe how planets move in relation to one another, making astronomy much easier to understand.”

Unlike conventional teaching aids, the device combines mechanical and electronic systems to demonstrate planetary motion, Earth’s rotation, revolution around the sun, seasons and planetary alignment in real time. Powered by electricity with solar energy as a backup, it can also operate in schools without reliable access to the national grid, making it particularly valuable for underserved communities.

Future versions, Mr Rutta says, will incorporate Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to make classroom learning even more interactive and adaptable to modern digital education.

The innovation also highlights a challenge faced by many African inventors. Developing a good idea is only the beginning. Transforming it into a commercially viable product often requires resources beyond the reach of many entrepreneurs.

Mr Rutta encountered the same obstacle before receiving approximately 10 million shillings (about US$4,000) through one of COSTECH’s innovation support programmes. The funding enabled African Invention Company to improve the product’s design, durability and finishing, turning a handcrafted prototype into a market-ready educational tool.

“You can build a product by hand, but professional finishing is essential if it is to compete in the market,” he says. “Customers judge quality by appearance as well as performance.”

The support strengthened the company’s ambition to manufacture educational technology entirely in Tanzania.

“Our goal is to produce technology that proudly carries the label ‘Made in Tanzania’ while competing with imported products,” Mr Rutta says.

The company is now seeking advanced industrial finishing equipment to expand production while maintaining high manufacturing standards. For Mr Rutta, local production is about more than reducing imports. It demonstrates that Tanzanian innovators can design, manufacture and commercialise worldclass products.

According to COSTECH Director General Dr Amos Nungu, this is exactly the transformation Tanzania hopes to achieve.

“Innovation has little value if it remains in laboratories or notebooks,” Dr Nungu says. “Our role is to help innovators turn research into products and services that solve national challenges, create jobs and contribute to economic growth.”

He says COSTECH has shifted its focus from supporting research alone to helping innovators commercialise their ideas, connect with investors and development partners, and build sustainable businesses capable of driving industrial growth.

The Mugana Solar System Teaching Device illustrates what such support can achieve. Since its development, the technology has been introduced in more than 50 public and private schools, with adoption progressing faster in private institutions because of more flexible procurement systems.

African Invention Company has conducted demonstrations across Dar es Salaam, introducing teachers, school administrators and education stakeholders to practical science learning. Students at schools including Turiani Primary and St Augustine Tagaste Secondary have used the technology to explore astronomy through interactive demonstrations rather than static illustrations.

For many learners, the difference has been immediate. Student Ediva Mbuligwe says observing planetary movement has made astronomy easier to understand than learning from drawings alone. At Green Belt Pre and Primary School, Grade Five pupil Mary Boniface used the rotating model to explain how Earth’s rotation causes day and night, turning an abstract lesson into a practical experience.

The Mugana teaching package consists of three complementary learning tools: the Solar System Kit, the Solar System Teaching Device and the Solar System Standard Earth Globe. Together, they provide structured instruction in astronomy, geography, mechanics, electricity and electronics for both primary and secondary schools.

To strengthen local manufacturing, African Invention Company has partnered with the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT) to fabricate several components using the company’s original designs. Producing these parts locally instead of importing them demonstrates the potential of partnerships between innovators and technical institutions to build Tanzania’s manufacturing capacity, develop technical skills and reduce dependence on foreign products.

Despite growing interest, expanding the technology into government schools remains a challenge. New teaching equipment must undergo formal approval and procurement processes before it can be adopted nationwide, slowing the spread of innovation.

“We continue engaging the relevant authorities because teachers do not have the mandate to procure new teaching equipment independently,” Mr Rutta explains.

To broaden access while awaiting wider institutional approval, African Invention Company is exploring leasing arrangements for schools, colleges and organisations interested in practical science demonstrations. The approach is expected to make the technology more affordable while allowing more learners to benefit from hands-on science education.

For Mr Rutta, however, the project extends far beyond teaching astronomy. He believes Tanzania must cultivate scientific curiosity from an early age if it is to compete in emerging fields such as robotics, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and space science.

He points to countries such as the United States, India and Russia, whose achievements in space exploration were built on decades of investment in science education. Tanzania, he argues, must lay similar foundations by exposing children to science, engineering and innovation from the earliest stages of learning.

“There is no reason why Tanzania cannot build its own future in space science,” he says. “That journey begins by inspiring children to ask questions, experiment and develop confidence in science.”

To support that vision, African Invention Company conducts space science awareness programmes in primary schools, secondary schools, colleges and local communities, introducing young people to concepts that many previously encountered only in textbooks.

The initiative reflects a growing understanding that practical learning is essential for students for a technology-driven economy. As industries increasingly rely on innovation, schools must equip learners with critical thinking, creativity and problemsolving skills rather than memorisation alone.

The Mugana Solar System Teaching Device demonstrates how locally developed solutions can address these needs while supporting national development priorities. It also shows that innovation is not confined to laboratories or universities but can emerge from entrepreneurs determined to solve everyday challenges.

For policymakers, the project’s success offers an important lesson. Investment in innovation should be viewed not as expenditure but as an investment in productivity, industrial growth and human capital.

Relatively modest financial support enabled African Invention Company to transform a promising idea into a marketready product now benefiting schools across Tanzania. Similar investments could produce comparable results in sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, renewable energy, manufacturing and digital technology.

As Tanzania pursues its vision of becoming a knowledge-based and industrialised economy, initiatives such as COSTECH’s innovation support programmes will become increasingly important. Expanding commercialisation funding, strengthening partnerships between universities and industry, improving access to investment and creating procurement opportunities for locally developed technologies could accelerate the country’s innovation journey.

Building public confidence in homegrown technology is equally important. Locally designed products often compete with established imported brands despite offering solutions better suited to local conditions. Supporting domestic innovators strengthens industry, retains technical expertise and keeps greater economic value within the country.

Education experts agree that exposing children to practical science at an early age encourages curiosity, strengthens analytical skills and inspires future careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Interactive tools such as the Mugana Solar System Teaching Device bridge the gap between theory and practice, making classrooms more engaging while improving learning outcomes.

Ultimately, the Mugana Solar System Teaching Device is about much more than teaching astronomy. It symbolises Tanzania’s growing confidence in its innovators and demonstrates what can be achieved when creative ideas receive the support needed to reach the marketplace.

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In classrooms where planets now orbit through locally designed technology, students are doing more than learning about the solar system. They are witnessing the power of Tanzanian innovation firsthand. For many, the lesson extends beyond science, proving that world-class ideas can be conceived, designed and manufactured at home.

As more schools embrace practical learning and more innovators receive support to commercialise their ideas, Tanzania moves closer to building a vibrant knowledge economy driven by research, creativity and enterprise. The Mugana Solar System Teaching Device offers a compelling glimpse of that future, where local innovation transforms education, strengthens industry and inspires generations of young Tanzanians to dream, invent and compete on the global stage.