Grow ECD Celebrates 10 Years Of Impact In Early Childhood Development

Grow ECD Celebrates 10 Years Of Impact In Early Childhood Development. Grow ECD, a South African non-profit social enterprise division of the Taking Care of Business (TCB) Group, celebrates a decade of impact in the Early Childhood Development (ECD) sector. In 2014, Grow ECD set out to transform ECD in South Africa, by creating a holistic model that makes running a financially viable ECD centre that provides top-quality 5-star education a possibility for all.

Tracey Chambers, CEO and Co-Founder of Grow ECD, says “We are not only celebrating this significant milestone but also the invaluable lessons we’ve learned along the way, the impact we’ve achieved, and the effect we aim to have on communities across the country in the years ahead. Our vision has been to facilitate quality 5-star early learning to every 0- to 5-year-old child in every neighbourhood. This is so that every child has the foundation they need to fulfil their potential. We have learned many important lessons along the way.”

Grow ECD began with a small social franchise model and spent the first seven years testing, developing, improving and fine-tuning a business and education model that would guarantee an ECD centre’s success. Chambers says, “We achieved many milestones and received local and international recognition along the way. However, the most important thing was learning and understanding exactly what it takes to operate a financially sustainable ECD business that provides consistent quality education. This tested and successful model is what Grow offers their ECD centre partners today.”

In 2024, Grow ECD is growing faster than ever before. Hundreds of centres are joining Grow’s programmes, and thousands of teachers and children benefit from Grow’s training, tools and resources. Chambers says, “By 2030, we aim to have 220,000 young children thriving and ready for Grade R, and 50,000 children benefitting from our programme daily.”

Balancing act: The complex role of ECD centre owners and teachers

ECD centre owners and teachers (mostly) women, work tirelessly, investing their time, energy, and often their own resources to create safe havens where young children are nurtured and prepared for the future. Chambers says, “These people are dedicated, resilient, and committed to the next generation but it is not easy.”

Most ECD centre owners are under-resourced and overwhelmed by their role as managers of complex small businesses. They juggle numerous responsibilities and compliance requirements and receive little practical support and mentorship. Typically, they lack the knowledge of what it takes to run a quality early learning centre. They also often face financial exclusion and cannot secure the capital needed to invest in and improve their services. These seemingly insurmountable challenges trap most centre owners in a vicious cycle of low quality and low pay, explains Chambers.

Key learnings from a decade in ECD: What it takes to succeed

The past decade has taught us invaluable lessons in what it truly takes to build and sustain successful ECD centres, says Chambers. “Firstly, ECD centres are complex small businesses. Their daily running involves HR, labour law, health and safety, marketing and all the other aspects of doing business in a highly regulated and high-risk sector. To help, Grow has developed a free mobile app where owners can access business information, support and practical tools to run her centre more professionally. We have realised that most ECD owners have a heart for children but need support to develop their ‘head’ for business, this balance is crucial to their success,” she says.

“Our experience also proves that there are no shortcuts on the journey to transforming an ECD centre into a professional, financially viable business. It is a complex, high-touch process which requires months of training, coaching and mentorship. Teachers also need help. Although the national curriculum is excellent it is just a framework. Teachers need a clear, practical step-by-step guide to delivering quality education. They can get this from Grow’s online data-free daily curriculum,” says Chambers. “We have found that our app is central to our services, but it is the combination of tech and human support that truly makes a difference. Technology must be integrated with human-centric support, mentorship and guidance to drive adoption and ensure that users derive real value,” she says.

Financial inclusion and access to capital is another essential component of success. “Grow’s low-cost ECD finance service has been revolutionary,” says Chambers. “Through this, we provide access to affordable credit and blended finance so that centre owners can invest in infrastructure, equipment and compliance, which significantly enhances quality without fostering dependency. And finally, we have learned that collaboration is key. Our decade in the ECD sector has exposed us to many passionate, purpose-driven organisations. Our partnerships across the private and public sectors have proven that when we work together, we achieve more.”

Chambers says, “As we reflect on our journey, I am so proud of what we’ve accomplished but, at Grow ECD, we know the work is far from over. Our mission to make 5-star early learning accessible and affordable in every neighbourhood continues. We remain committed to growing alongside the ECD sector, learning, adapting and innovating to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future. To the centre owners, teachers, parents, partners, and supporters who have been part of our journey – I thank you. Together, we are not just growing ECD centres; we are growing futures, one child at a time.”