SmartStart
70% of kids from the poorest households in South Africa don't get quality early childhood education. Most kids end up in unstructured settings, watched by overburdened grandparents, older siblings, or sometimes no one at all.
The Idea
Early Learning Microbusinesses
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Total Investment
750000
Grants
0
Equity/SAFE
0
Debt/Convertible Debt
Funded Since
2021
Geography
Sector
Structure
The Mission
Get South African kids school-ready.
How It Works
SmartStart addresses the early learning gap by making structured play and learning the norm for kids aged 3-5. They equip women to run child care businesses using their curriculum, which builds critical cognitive, social, and emotional skills..And, they help inform government standards to lay the groundwork for an effective ECD industry.
The Dream
Affordable, quality early learning is delivered by small businesses under government regulation and subsidy.
Why We're In
SmartStart and its partners have professionalized 12K businesses that reach 130K kids in South Africa. Their kids make big gains in early learning over the national benchmark, and thanks to SmartStart’s advocacy, the subsidy available to providers is finally enough to make a reliable living from these businesses. SmartStart’s big priority is to get more providers signed up, supported, and reduce business operating expenses.
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Are you a serious funder and want to learn more?
This is just a snapshot of what we know about the organization. If you're an investor or funder that might send some serious dough their way, we're always delighted to share more. Reach out and we'll connect you with the right person on our team.
*this is not monitored for funding requests.