Technikon Natal is a higher education contact institution in Durban, South Africa. In the last 6 years, the Online Learning Center has evolved bottom-up, driven by the contagious creative spirit of champion lecturers. Activities have grown to such an extent that it has become necessary for the institution's management to develop an institutional vision and model for online education. This paper reflects upon trends and developments in this environment, from 1994 to 2000. It speaks of experiences and lessons learned by online learning practitioners, and weighs up various issues in order to suggest a sustainable model for an institution that faces constraints commonly experienced by the majority of higher education institutions in the developing world. Examples are given from the range of past and current online learning projects at the Online Learning Center. (Author/AEF)