Thrive by Five: How Grow ECD is Transforming Early Childhood Development in South Africa

In response to the Thrive by Five 2024 results, Grow ECD is reshaping early childhood education in South Africa. Through innovative mobile apps, free resources, and teacher training, the organisation supports thousands of preschools in underserved communities to deliver quality learning and sustainable centre management. This is how technology and people-first solutions are driving lasting impact for children, teachers, and parents.

Tech with a Heart: How Grow ECD Built an ECD App That Serves the Sector

Grow ECD has developed a unique app suite designed to support early childhood education in South Africa. Serving thousands of preschools, the mobile-first tools help centre owners, teachers, and parents access free resources, training, and support to deliver quality early learning in underserved communities. This is technology with a heart, built to serve the people powering the ECD sector.

New STAR Assessment tool measures ECD centre strength and development areas

Grow ECD has developed an independent evaluation tool that helps us measure impact and make more data-driven decisions, while empowering centre owners with insights and action plans. The STAR Assessment tool is now also available to ECD investors and stakeholders. What does quality look like in early childhood education? At

ECD centre owner and teacher. Human Resources Toolkit.

Human Resource Essentials for ECD Centre Owners: What you need to know (and why it matters)

Running an Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre is deeply rewarding – but it also comes with real responsibilities, especially when it comes to managing people. As a centre owner, you’re not just an educator or caregiver, you’re also an employer. And with that role comes a legal and ethical obligation

Mandela Day 2026 South Africa: Ideas to make a difference in local preschools

Take action. Inspire change. Make every day a Mandela Day. Mandela Day, celebrated annually on July 18th, provides an incredible opportunity to take collective action and leave a lasting impact in honour of Nelson Mandela. Together, we must build a safe, prosperous future for everyone. Here is how you can

ELOM results say our learners are thriving!

Early childhood education is the foundation of a child’s learning journey, and ensuring that children receive quality education in their formative years sets them up for success. We’re so excited to share the 2024 ELOM (Early Learning Outcomes Measure) Dipstick Report conducted on learners in Grow ECD programme centres. The

National Minimum Wage (2026 updated)

The National Minimum Wage Act applies to all employers and employees in South Africa. According to this Act, an employee should be paid a minimum amount per hour or per month depending on the number of hours they work. It is illegal to contract a person at a lower rate than the minimum wage,

2024

We celebrate 10 years of growing ECD together. Our curriculum is rated 93% for Quality Pedagogy by Education Alliance Finland. We open our Gqeberha branch. We extend our curriculum to include 0-2 year olds. We are selected to join the Injini Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship Program.

Growing together: Supporting ECD centres through the DBE Mass Registration Drive

At Grow ECD, we believe that collaboration is the key to unlocking better early learning opportunities for children. That’s why we’re excited to be working alongside the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and other incredible partners to help ECD centres across South Africa get registered. Joining forces for a greater

Bringing learning to life: Our partnership with The Reach Trust

At Grow ECD, we love teaming up with organisations that share our passion for empowering young learners through creative, play-based learning. That’s exactly what makes our partnership with The Reach Trust so special! Together, we’re making a difference in classrooms by putting fun, practical tools in the hands of teachers