Renishaw and the ITSA Digital Trust partnership helps bridge the digital divide in African schools

Renishaw's long-term partnership with Gloucestershire-based computer recycling charity, the ITSA Digital Trust (ITSA), is transforming access to digital education in Africa. Since 2012, Renishaw has donated hundreds of pieces of IT equipment that are no longer suitable for business use, including laptops, desktop computers, keyboards, mice and essential accessories. After refurbishment by ITSA, the equipment is then shipped to schools in Kenya, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, where digital resources are limited.

This partnership is helping to address a stark digital divide: only nine percent of households in Africa have access to a computer, compared to over 75 per cent in Europe. Through these donations, Renishaw is helping students gain essential IT skills that can improve their chances of pursuing higher education and accessing better job opportunities in the future.

“Renishaw's commitment to sustainability and social responsibility has made partnerships like this one a vital part of its broader community engagement efforts. It's incredibly rewarding to know that equipment we no longer need is helping to change lives,” said Charles Nash, IT Service Manager at Renishaw. “By working with ITSA, we're giving technology a second life. One that supports education, opportunity and long-term impact well beyond our business.”

ITSA, formerly known as IT Schools Africa, works with a wide range of organisations in the Gloucestershire area to collect, refurbish and repurpose used IT equipment that might otherwise go to waste. The charity is driven by a mission to reduce digital exclusion both in Africa and the UK, and its efforts have already given more than 6.5 million people access to digital education.

In June 2025, Renishaw's IT & Security team visited ITSA's facilities to see the refurbishment process first-hand and capture imagery that tells the story of how these vital donations are making a global impact.

“We are incredibly grateful for Renishaw's ongoing support and commitment to digital inclusion,” said Jenny Evans, Marketing and Donations Manager at ITSA. “Access to a working computer may seem basic to many, but for the young people we support, it opens the door to opportunity and a brighter future. Partnerships like this are at the heart of what we do.”