Brightening Futures, For Every Child
We have a Bold Vision for Our Children
At SmartStart, we believe every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and shine – no matter their background. Quality early learning lays the foundation for a brighter future, and we’re committed to making it accessible to all, especially in our most underserved communities.
That’s why we’re on a mission to reach one million children aged 3 to 5 every year by 2030, giving them the best start in life and helping to build a better future for South Africa.
Join the Early Learning Movement
We’d love to give every child the opportunity to succeed, but we can’t do it alone. Whether you’re passionate about teaching, eager to support, or looking for the best start for your child, there’s a place for you in our community.
01 Practitioners
Start an early learning programme in your community
Turn your love for children into a dignified livelihood. SmartStart equips you with training, tools and ongoing support to set up and run a quality programme from your home or community venue.
02 Investors
Invest in a scalable solution to inequality
Your capital can unlock proven, at-scale early learning in the communities that need it most, while enabling women to build sustainable livelihoods. Partner with SmartStart to back an evidence-based national platform with measurable outcomes and system-level impact.
03 Partners
Build the ecosystem with us
NGOs, social enterprises, research bodies, government and private networks are all part of the solution. Collaborate with SmartStart to strengthen systems, expand access, and support women to participate and benefit from the early learning economy nationwide.
04 Caregivers
Give your child a smart start in life
Find a nearby SmartStart programme and get simple, practical tools to support your child’s learning at home – working together with their teacher to give them the best possible start.
How We Create Impact
SmartStart is South Africa’s leading network of partners and practitioners working collaboratively to provide quality early learning opportunities to children in every type of community. We seek to harness the power and potential of affordable home and community-based early learning programmes, which can reach more children, more quickly.
Our robust value chain unlocks 5 strategic levers for affordable, home-based, early learning at scale:
Setting up new early learning programmes
Ensuring quality early learning
Building partnerships
Enabling the early learning ecosystem
Driving systems change
The Early Learning Crisis in South Africa
Access Gap
Roughly one-third of 3- to 5-year-olds (over 1 million children) lack access to early learning programs.
Learning Outcomes
Only 35% of children aged 3-4 are on track with development milestones.
Skills Development
55% of children struggle with foundational skills by age 4-5.
Economic Context
Approximately 67% of children live in extreme poverty, perpetuating cycles of exclusion.
Our Network Implementation Partners
Our Network Implementation Partners are franchisors who implement SmartStart’s social franchise model across diverse communities. Rooted in local contexts, they leverage deep community knowledge to recruit, train, and mentor practitioners while ensuring quality, relevance, and scale.
