Our Inspiring Journey
Designing &
Testing
2015
Launched a co-developed model for establishing and supporting quality early learning programmes.
Proving
Impact
2018
Completed our first evaluation, which showed strong outcomes for children.
Building
Partnerships
2022
Partnered with government to shape national early learning policy and delivery.
Scaling &
Solving
2025
Expanding our reach through innovation and new partnership models.
Our Story
SmartStart was set up in 2015 with a bold vision of giving one million children aged three to five years old access to quality early learning. Through our pragmatic and scale-ready model, we have quickly become South Africa’s leading early learning network, reaching children in every type of community.
Our approach is underpinned by a deep respect for the inherent strengths of communities – and a commitment to make them count. In practice, this means empowering under-employed women in low-income areas, to use available home and community venues to run quality early learning programmes (ELPs).
Our Impact
Our latest child outcomes study shows this approach is working: independent researchers found that over eight months, the proportion of children “on track” in SmartStart ELPs increased by 20 points from 45% to 65%, while the proportion of children “falling far behind” nearly halved (using South Africa’s Early Learning Outcomes Measure (ELOM) tool).
Our Strategic Objectives
Close the early learning Opportunity gap
Close the early learning Supply gap
Close the early learning Funding gap
