Jo Besford

Jo Besford is the Co-Founder and Director of Green Shoots, a South African social enterprise transforming maths education through sustainable, tech-enabled, and people-focused solutions. After a decade as an Advanced Skills Teacher in the UK, Jo moved to South Africa in 2007 and immersed herself in the country’s diverse school communities.

At the heart of Green Shoots is the Integrated Maths Program (IMP), involving digital tools and real-time analytics. In 2025, the IMP supports more than 435,000 learners and 8,300 teachers in South Africa. Yet Jo insists that technology alone is never the solution. Her passion lies in the “warmware” component of EdTech: developing the capacity of teachers, school leaders, district officials, and parents so that data becomes a tool for action, equity, and excellence.

Jo’s co-leadership has positioned Green Shoots as a key partner of the Western Cape Education Department, embedding systemic data-informed practices that improve maths learning outcomes across contexts — from rural farm schools to large urban schools.

She has represented Green Shoots on global stages, including WISE@Accra and the Reimagine Education Awards.

Believing that maths is a gateway to future opportunity, Jo’s mission is simple but profound: from one learner to entire systems, enabling success so that any child, in any context, can achieve in maths.