SmartStarters Unite events across all provinces brought together thousands of SmartStarters, parents, children, partners, ECD forums, traditional leaders, government stakeholders, and communities to honour 10 years of SmartStart transforming South Africa’s ECD landscape.
Nationwide celebrations, local stories
From East London to Durban, hundreds of awards celebrated outstanding SmartStarters and their clubs. SmartStarters shared moving testimonies of personal transformation – from humble beginning in their living rooms to community leadership – proving women closest to the challenge deliver its greatest solutions.
Strategic partnerships powered 10 events
Provincial SmartStarters Unite events were held in collaboration with:
- Eastern Cape – Khululeka and Siyakholwa Development Foundation
- Free State – Lesedi Educare Association
- Gauteng – Lima Rural development and Siyakholwa Development Foundation
- KwaZulu-Natal – Letcee, Project Preparation Trust (PPT) and Training and Resources in Early Education (TREE)
- Mpumalanga – Penreach
- Northern Cape – 3L
- Western and Southern Cape – ELRU and Little Seeds
- Limpopo and North West – Provincial SmartStart branches
Province-by-Province highlights
Gauteng: Men breaking ECD stereotypes
Orlando East, Soweto in front of 3 000 attendees, Moremane Derick (Atteridgeville) and Siyabonga Mndebele (Orange Farm) challenged male underrepresentation. “Caregiving isn’t women only work, they stated, calling for greater male recruitment to shift perceptions.
Free State: Grace Matlhape’s partnership vision
SmartStart CEO Grace Matlhape attributed the organisation’s decade-long success to collaborative partnerships while flagging that 1.3 million children still lack access. “ECD is everyone’s responsibility, not just government’s.”
Eastern Cape:
Tafara Shuro (Siyakholwa) honoured SmartStarters’ sacrifices reaching remote areas.Mary Venter (Siyakholwa celebrated sustainable futures via regional hubs.
Mpumalanga: ECD coordinator calls for unityThembi Nkadimeng (Nkangala ECD Forum) invited SmartStarters to join the forum saying, “If we stand for children, we need to unite”.
Northen Cape: Community growth
Councillor Arlene Bosman (Sol Plaatjie) said she was “looking forward to welcome more ECD practitioners to grow Northern Cape children.
Western Cape: The foundation is “love”
SmartStarters Maria Viewer (Mangaliso, George): “With love, anything is possible.” and Elsabe Speelman (Mandela Village), who sheltered children during eviction protests, “I became a light in dark times.”
KZN and Limpopo: Traditional leadership shows support
Ndlunkulu Mamohale Buthelezi highlighted the importance of cultural preservation in early learning, noting the role of indigenous language, storytelling, and singing in nurturing good citizenship among children.
Chief Humprey Magakula: “If we had ECD programmes like this in the last 30 years, we as a nation would have been much further.” He called for traditional, government and community partnerships for accelerated ECD access.
Over 15 000 SmartStarters operate in low-income areas where little to no early learning services are available. Using their homes and other community spaces, women (and some men) from these communities – with training and support – establish early learning enterprises to serve excluded children with dedication, understanding the profound impact on children, families and their communities.
