Preparing Students for Real Creative Work
Not Just Assignments

CoLab is a creative project management and collaboration platform designed for institutions that teach film, design, media, music, and creative disciplines.

It helps students manage projects professionally, lecturers track progress clearly, and institutions bridge the gap between education and industry.

Programs

Programs

Schools

Schools

Residencies

Residencies

Residencies

An image of Dreelio's dashboard

An image of Dreelio's dashboard

CoLab is built to support creative education at scale — from student group projects to final-year productions while aligning academic outcomes with real-world creative workflows.

We work with institutions shaping the next generation of creative professionals.Creators, studios, universities & production teams use CoLab to plan, manage & complete their best work.

Built for Creative Education

Designed specifically for creative disciplines not a generic learning tools.

Built for Creative Education

Designed specifically for creative disciplines not a generic learning tools.

Industry-Aligned Project Workflows

Students learn how real creative projects are planned, managed, and delivered.

Industry-Aligned Project Workflows

Students learn how real creative projects are planned, managed, and delivered.

Clear Oversight for Educators

Lecturers and coordinators can see progress, participation, and delivery at every stage.

Clear Oversight for Educators

Lecturers and coordinators can see progress, participation, and delivery at every stage.

What Problems CoLab Solves for Institutions

solutions

solutions

Disorganised group projects

Uneven student participation
Limited visibility for lecturers
Poor documentation of student work
Lack of industry-relevant project management skills

CoLab turns creative assignments into structured, trackable, professional projects.

AA Gallerie

Normvl

illume studios

Picha stock

BAI Foundation

AA Gallerie

Normvl

illume studios

Picha stock

BAI Foundation

AA Gallerie

Normvl

illume studios

Picha stock

BAI Foundation

What CoLab Does for Creative Institutions

1.Structured Student Project Workspaces

Each student group receives a dedicated project workspace with: Clear briefs Defined phases Tasks and deliverables Deadlines and ownership Educational Benefit: Students learn structure, accountability, and collaboration — skills required in industry.

2. Lecturer & Programme Oversight

Lecturers can: Monitor project progress in real time See individual student contributions Identify bottlenecks early Review work without chasing emails Educational Benefit: Improved assessment accuracy and reduced administrative burden.

3. Industry-Aligned Creative Workflows

CoLab mirrors professional creative pipelines: Pre-production Production Post-production Delivery Educational Benefit: Students graduate already familiar with professional creative processes.

4. Portfolio & Assessment Documentation

Every completed project becomes: A documented learning journey A verifiable student portfolio A reference for moderation and review Educational Benefit: Institutions produce graduates with tangible, organised proof of work.

1.Structured Student Project Workspaces

2. Lecturer & Programme Oversight

3. Industry-Aligned Creative Workflows

4. Portfolio & Assessment Documentation

Why CoLab Is the Best Platform for Creative Schools

Benefitsss

Benefitsss

Purpose-Built for Creative Education

Not adapted from corporate software — designed from the ground up.

Purpose-Built for Creative Education

Not adapted from corporate software — designed from the ground up.

Scales Across Departments

From one course to entire faculties.

Scales Across Departments

From one course to entire faculties.

Scales Across Departments

From one course to entire faculties.

Supports Hybrid & Remote Learning

Perfect for modern, blended education environments.

Supports Hybrid & Remote Learning

Perfect for modern, blended education environments.

Aligns Education with Industry

Bridges the gap between classroom and creative careers.

Aligns Education with Industry

Bridges the gap between classroom and creative careers.

Aligns Education with Industry

Bridges the gap between classroom and creative careers.

Institution-Friendly Pricing

Affordable, scalable licensing models.

Institution-Friendly Pricing

Affordable, scalable licensing models.

Secure & Compliant

Designed with data protection and academic governance in mind.

Secure & Compliant

Designed with data protection and academic governance in mind.

Long-Term Student Value

Students can continue using CoLab beyond graduation.

Long-Term Student Value

Students can continue using CoLab beyond graduation.

Look at Our Stories

Stories

Stories

How It Works

Process

Process

1

2

3

4

Step 1 — Institutional Setup

Create institution, faculty, and course structures.

1

2

3

4

Step 1 — Institutional Setup

Create institution, faculty, and course structures.

1

2

3

4

Step 1 — Institutional Setup

Create institution, faculty, and course structures.

Built different (in a good way)

Differences

Differences

Traditional LMS / Tools

Content-focused

Limited collaboration

Poor creative structure

Static submissions

Little industry relevance

CoLab

Project & process-focused

Real team-based workflows

Industry-aligned pipelines

Living project documentation

Career-ready experience

Building a Creative Learning Community

Testimonials

Testimonials

Beyond the platform, CoLab supports institutions through:

CoLab Sessions (industry talks & panels)
Workshops for students and lecturers
Industry partnerships & guest collaborations
Access to creative networks across Africa

We help institutions stay connected to the creative economy.

Pick your Plan

Pricing

Pricing

Pricing

Everything in Studio, plus:

Institution Admin Dashboard

Lecturer portals

Class-based project workspaces

Student activity tracker

Project assessment tools

Attendance + engagement reports

Bulk student onboarding

Secure institution data environment

Separate roles for Admin, Lecturer & Student

Custom templates for curriculum-linked projects

API integration for LMS platforms

Dedicated Account Manager

Onsite/online training for staff

2TB storage

CoLab Enterprise

Custom

/year per institution

Creative institutions, universities, incubators, ESD programs, hubs.

A complete project, collaboration & curriculum support system for creative organisations. Helps institutions track student work, facilitate collaboration, manage classes, and assess practical output.

CoLab Enterprise

R19,500

/year per institution

Creative institutions, universities, incubators, ESD programs, hubs.

A complete project, collaboration & curriculum support system for creative organisations. Helps institutions track student work, facilitate collaboration, manage classes, and assess practical output.

CoLab Enterprise

R19,500

/year per institution

Creative institutions, universities, incubators, ESD programs, hubs.

A complete project, collaboration & curriculum support system for creative organisations. Helps institutions track student work, facilitate collaboration, manage classes, and assess practical output.

CoLab started as one creator’s struggle to find collaborators and organise projects ,a challenge shared across Africa’s creative industry. What began with a small community event grew into a platform built specifically for how creatives work: a space to plan projects, collaborate, and showcase real portfolios. Today, CoLab is becoming the creative operating system for Africa turning ideas into finished work and helping creatives, studios, and institutions thrive.

About us

CoLab started as one creator’s struggle to find collaborators and organise projects ,a challenge shared across Africa’s creative industry. What began with a small community event grew into a platform built specifically for how creatives work: a space to plan projects, collaborate, and showcase real portfolios. Today, CoLab is becoming the creative operating system for Africa turning ideas into finished work and helping creatives, studios, and institutions thrive.

About us

Creative thinker

Team Image

Sethu

Nzimande

CEO, Creative Director

Business Wizard

Team Image

Hussein

Ismail

Business Developer

Tech Genius

Team Image

Benis

Mulenda

CTO & Product Manager

!!!!

Maybe You

Cause we are hiring

Admin

You ask, we answer.

FAQs

FAQs

Is CoLab only for big studios?

No — CoLab is built for studios of all sizes, from small teams to growing agencies.

Can we collaborate with freelancers?

Does CoLab replace tools like Asana or Monday?

Can we try CoLab before paying?

Is CoLab only for big studios?

No — CoLab is built for studios of all sizes, from small teams to growing agencies.

Can we collaborate with freelancers?

Does CoLab replace tools like Asana or Monday?

Can we try CoLab before paying?