Records were fragmented
Paper lists, class files and spreadsheets could tell different versions of the same story.
Our story
30 years in the making.
IFUNDA was not born in a boardroom. It grew from 29 years of teaching, observing, solving problems and understanding how South African schools really work.
Where it began
Great school software begins by understanding the school.
For nearly three decades, Gary Berends has worked where education systems succeed or fail: inside schools, alongside educators, administrators and learners.
He has seen the pressure of textbook issue days, the uncertainty of year-end returns, the hours spent checking class lists, and the frustration of trying to reconstruct what happened to missing or damaged books long after the evidence has disappeared.
The challenge was never that schools did not care. Staff worked hard. The real problem was that many schools were expected to control valuable LTSM stock with paper records, disconnected spreadsheets and processes that were never designed for the pace and complexity of school life.
“The closer you work to the classroom, the clearer the gap becomes.”
The problem became impossible to ignore
Schools were investing in books—but often lacked one reliable view of their investment.
Across everyday school processes, the same gaps appeared again and again.
Responsibility was unclear
A book could move between learners or educators without a dependable copy-level history.
Losses surfaced too late
By the annual stock count, the opportunity to recover a book or identify responsibility was often gone.
Evidence was difficult
Principals, finance teams and governing bodies needed clear information—not another pile of paperwork.
The turning point
What if the system followed the book—not just the title?
That question became the foundation for Textbook360. Instead of treating a textbook collection as a total on a spreadsheet, IFUNDA treats every physical copy as a school asset with its own identity, condition, borrower and history.
Textbook360 was designed to close the gaps Gary had witnessed first-hand: stock uncertainty, slow circulation, mismatched returns, missing accountability, replacement losses and the difficulty of producing evidence when leadership needs it.
See how Textbook360 works30 years of observation. One clear mission.
A platform shaped by the journey.
- 01UNDERSTAND
Teach and listen
Years inside schools created a practical understanding of people, pressure, processes and the realities behind policy.
- 02OBSERVE
See the pattern
The same LTSM control gaps appeared in different forms: fragmented records, unclear responsibility and late discovery.
- 03DESIGN
Build around reality
The solution had to work during busy issue days, on ordinary school equipment, with clear roles and practical workflows.
- 04DELIVER
Create IFUNDA
IFUNDA became the vehicle for turning decades of educational experience into software that protects school resources and supports learning.
A note from the founder
“I wanted to build the system I wished schools had always had.”
After 29 years as an educator, I know that schools do not need technology that creates more work. They need technology that makes responsibility clearer, protects scarce resources and gives staff confidence that the record can be trusted.
IFUNDA is my response to the gaps I have seen throughout my career. Textbook360 is the first major expression of that purpose: practical, accountable LTSM control designed around South African schools.
Our ambition is simple—to build the most trusted LTSM control platform for schools and continue improving it through real educational experience.
Gary Berends Founder, IFUNDAWhat IFUNDA stands for
Purpose before complexity.
Every IFUNDA product should earn its place in a school by making an important job clearer, faster and more accountable.
Built for school reality
Workflows must reflect how South African schools actually operate—not an idealised office process.
Accountability without fear
Clear records should support fair decisions and responsible behaviour, not create unnecessary complexity.
Protect the investment
Every textbook represents funding already spent and a learner who needs access to learning material.
Keep improving
IFUNDA will continue to grow from feedback, school experience and the changing needs of education.
The story continues
Built from experience.
Focused on what schools need next.
See how Textbook360 can help your school move from uncertain records to confident LTSM control.