Helping Early Childhood Development centre owners run professional and sustainable businesses
Grow ECD
Helping ECD centre owners run professional and sustainable businesses
Image supplied by the publicist
The government’s commitment to universal Early Childhood Development (ECD) access by 2030 is a bold and welcomed vision. However, without financial and business training for preschool owners, the reality remains out of reach for the many centres that are struggling to survive.
South Africa’s ECD sector is in crisis, not only in terms of access but also due to the poor quality of education offered and the unsustainability of centres that lack the financial know-how to keep their small businesses operating. While the Department of Basic Education (DBE) has intensified efforts to register ECD centres and are making strides to increase the ECD subsidies budget, many ECDs still fail to meet basic requirements and so will remain excluded. A key reason? ECD owners lack of financial management, business skills and compliance knowledge.
Unsustainable ECDs will not benefit from government’s plan for the sector
An ECD centre is a complex small business. ECD owners (mostly women with a basic ECD qualification) are responsible for much more than providing quality education, a challenge in itself due to few resources, limited space and numerous other hurdles. They must also manage their centre’s finances, marketing, health and safety, compliance with labour laws, parent engagement, curriculum implementation, and human resource management – usually without any formal business training.
According to the 2021 ECD Census, nearly half of ECD practitioners do not have a recognised qualification and only one-third of centres receive government subsidies, covering just 627,000 children out of the 2.3 million who need it. Many centres operate without proper budgeting or financial planning, making them vulnerable to closure or mismanagement. Government subsidies will remain out of reach for these centres because they are not compliant and so cannot be registered with the department.
Universal ECD access is not possible without business training
Tracey Chambers, Co-founder and CEO of Grow ECD says,
“We cannot achieve universal ECD access without empowering preschool owners to run viable businesses. The harsh reality is that many ECD owners are passionate educators, but they don’t have the financial and operational knowledge to keep their preschools running. These women are social entrepreneurs and educators. Their success determines the quality of learners we bring into our primary and high school ecosystems – it is crucial that we invest in their skills.”
Bridging the business skills gap with practical training for the preschool market
Non-profit organisations, like Grow ECD, have stepped in to provide centre owners and principals with the critical business skills they need to run compliant, financially resilient centres that also provide quality education.
ECD owner, Macyleen Maboi, invested in training after trying to run her Little Ones Learning Preschool in Gqeberha, without the business and financial know-how for years. Since she signed onto the Grow ECD Small Business Accelerator, she has seen her business flourish.
“Before joining the Grow ECD training, I had no idea how to manage my finances. I was using the same bank account for my personal and business finances, and it was a mess. Now I have a system, a proper budget, and a plan to grow my school,”
she says.
Macyleen Maboi
Image supplied by the publicist
Andiswa Ncamiso, owner of Little Conquerors Day Care in Milnerton, credits Grow ECD’s Accelerator training programme for transforming her centre.
“Before, I felt lost and overwhelmed. I didn’t know how to register my ECD, choose the right curriculum, or attract the right parents. This training gave me the confidence and tools to turn my centre into a sustainable business,”
she says.
Andiswa Ncamiso
Image supplied by the publicist
ECD owners interested in training can apply for the next Grow ECD Accelerator Programme, starting 9 May 2025, at the Grow ECD offices in Thornton (Cape Town), Midrand (Johannesburg), Durban and Gqeberha. The programme costs R600 for six days of in-person training and includes a certificate of completion. Spaces are limited, and applicants must meet basic eligibility criteria, including having at least 25 learners and an NQF Level 4 ECD qualification.
The six-week Accelerator programme offers ECD owners practical training in:
- Financial management: How to budget, record income and expenses, separate personal and business finances, and comply with reporting requirements.
- Sustainability strategies: How to calculate break-even school fees, attract the right customers, fundraise, and ensure affordability for low-income families while also meeting minimum wage requirements.
- Regulatory compliance: How to navigate the department’s registration process, meet best practice requirements, and qualify for government funding.
- Clever use of technology: How to streamline the administration of preschools and access quality curriculum and educational resources using free tools and resources like the Grow Giraffe App.
For more information or to apply, visit GrowECD.org.za
About Grow ECD
Grow ECD is a non-profit social enterprise within the Taking Care of Business (TCB) group, dedicated to transforming Early Childhood Development (ECD) in South Africa. We equip and connect ECD centre owners with the skills, support, and resources they need to provide 5-star early learning and build financially sustainable centres.
Our holistic model makes it possible for ECD businesses to become more sustainable while ensuring high-quality early education is accessible to every child.
Our services include:
- Free ECD management app – A powerful one-stop-shop to manage admin, finances, assessments, parent engagement, and teacher development and connect preschools with hundreds of downloadable business and education resources.
- Data-free online training – Professional and personal development courses for ECD owners, managers and teachers.
- Play-based, online curriculum – A daily, NCF-aligned, DBE-approved curriculum and teacher’s guide designed to help teachers of all levels provide quality education for 0-5-year-olds.
- ECD Business Accelerator – An intense six-part training programme that equips centre owners with a social-entrepreneur mindset and provides the essential skills to take their ECD centre to the next level.
- Small Business Programme – A comprehensive, step-by-step three-year programme to building a successful ECD Centre which includes practical training, mentorship, and resources to help ECD centres improve business sustainability and education quality.
For more information, visit www.growecd.org.za or email info@growecd.org.za
