29 May 2026

SmartStart’s work is rooted in a simple but powerful belief: every child deserves access to quality early learning from the start. In a recent feature with Business Minds Media, CEO Grace Matlhape shares more about the SmartStart’s vision, the importance of early learning in South Africa, and the role the organisation plays in helping to build stronger foundations for children, families, and communities.

The conversation highlights the scale of the challenge, but also the opportunity to create meaningful change by supporting practitioners, strengthening systems, and expanding access to early learning in communities that need it most. It is a reminder that investing in young children is about education along with dignity, equity, and long-term social impact.

Read the full article here: Grace Matlhape on Business Minds Media

6 May 2026

Insights and Pathways from the 2025 National Systems Mapping Workshop

In October 2025, SmartStart, the Department of Basic Education (DBE), Ilifa Labantwana, Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, and the Early Childhood Development Action Network (ECDAN) convened a two-day Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Systems Mapping Workshop. Early childhood practitioners, parents, government officials, civil society organisations, funders, academics, and international partners – all key role-players in children’s welfare, came together to examine how South Africa’s ECCE system functions in practice, and to identify the shifts necessary to reach every child, especially the most excluded. This took place in the context of significant strides towards the goal of universal ECCE access in recent years.

The report outlines key findings from the session, and highlights stakeholder insight on forging more deliberate public-private partnerships around shared goals. It calls for elevating the value of care work, centering families and communities in solutions and driving a fundamental mindset shift to make sustainable change a reality. 

Download Report

10 March 2025

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For detailed information on think-cell and its features, or to get a better idea of how it works, visit www.think-cell.com.

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