For many schools, the end of term comes with another familiar task: spreadsheets.
Marks have to be entered, formulas checked, grades calculated and report cards prepared. A small error in a spreadsheet can mean going back through records and doing the work all over again.
It is a problem Mainza Namangani believes technology can solve.
Namangani is the founder of Micho Technologies, a Zambian technology company developing software, cybersecurity and practical digital solutions. One of its products, MichoSMS, is designed to bring many of the everyday processes involved in running a school into one digital platform.
Rather than having student information, marks, report cards, timetables and other records scattered across different files and systems, MichoSMS puts them in one place.
From a school problem to a technology product
The idea started with something fairly ordinary: seeing educators spend too much time managing academic information manually.
For teachers, calculating results and preparing reports can become a significant administrative task, particularly when records are maintained across multiple spreadsheets or paper documents.
Namangani's approach has been to build around that problem rather than simply digitise an existing form.
With MichoSMS, teachers can enter marks for each term while the platform handles grading and generates report cards and other academic records.
Administrators can manage learner profiles, enrolment, subjects, classes and performance information through the same system.
The platform supports ECZ-aligned grading and reporting and is designed for different types of schools, including primary and secondary, day and boarding institutions.
Designing for the realities of Zambian schools
A digital platform can look very different on paper from how it works in a school where internet connectivity is inconsistent.
Micho Technologies says its Android application has been designed to be offline-ready for low-bandwidth environments.
That is an important consideration for a product intended to operate beyond Zambia's largest cities.
MichoSMS currently lists schools in places including Mansa, Mwinilunga, Chibombo, Mushindamo, Chipata, Lusaka, Ndola and Kalumbila.
The geographic spread also reflects a broader opportunity for locally developed education technology: building products around the operating conditions that Zambian institutions actually face.
Making school data more useful
Namangani's vision for MichoSMS also goes beyond simply replacing paper report cards.
The platform includes academic analytics that allow school administrators to examine performance across classes and subjects.
Instead of waiting until the end of the academic year to manually compile statistics, school leaders can use dashboards to look at performance patterns and identify areas that may need attention.
That changes the role of school data.
Information that was previously collected mainly for record keeping can potentially become a tool for understanding academic performance and supporting decisions within the school.
The wider platform also includes timetable management, teacher portals and AI-assisted lesson planning.
Putting parents closer to the information
Another part of the platform is aimed at the other side of the school relationship: parents.
Through the parent-facing mobile application, parents and pupils can access published results, view previous academic records and download report cards.
For parents, this means academic information can be accessed from a phone rather than relying entirely on printed reports or physically visiting the school.
It also gives schools another channel for communicating academic information to families.
From an idea to schools across Zambia
MichoSMS says the platform currently has 31 schools and more than 10,000 pupils using the system.
Schools listed on its platform include Musaila Secondary School, Lunga Day Secondary School, Kabangalala Primary School, Muyange Day Secondary School, Chizongwe Technical Secondary School and Jiwundu Boarding Secondary School.
The company is also trying to make adoption easier.
New schools can currently use MichoSMS for one full school term without payment. Annual subscription packages listed on the company's website range from K1,100 to K2,500, depending on the package.
For a school, that means it can introduce the system into its normal operations before deciding whether to continue with a paid subscription.
The bigger idea
For Namangani, the opportunity is bigger than digitising report cards.
The underlying problem is how schools manage information.
When learner records, academic results, timetables and other information exist in disconnected systems, it becomes harder for teachers and administrators to get a complete picture of what is happening.
Connecting those pieces creates a different possibility: a school where information moves more easily between teachers, administrators, pupils and parents.
Micho Technologies says its broader mission is to use technology to reduce the administrative burden on educators, improve access to academic information and reduce reliance on paper-heavy processes.
For Namangani, MichoSMS is therefore not simply an attempt to replace Excel.
It is an attempt to build a digital layer around the way Zambian schools already operate.
And as more schools move from paper records and disconnected spreadsheets toward integrated systems, the question may become less about whether schools should digitise — and more about what they can do with their data once they do.
Website: michosms.com
Developer: Micho Technologies
Founder: Mainza Namangani
Contact: +260 777 183 520 / +260 974 481 038
