Siphelele Mjezu is the proud owner and manager of Gertie’s creche (known as an Early Childhood Development Centre or ECD centre). The daycare is located in a 4-room house in Langa. It caters for 68 children aged 1 to 6.

To Siphelele, Gertie’s creche is a “love story” to the children of Langa. She was perhaps predestined for a teaching career: Her grandmother, Gertrude, originally founded the daycare in the 80s before passing it to her Siphelele’s mom in 2004. Siphelele then took over after her mom passed away in 2021.

ECD centres play a major role in South Africa’s township economies. Not only do they provide local employment, they help hundreds of thousands of parents across the country earn a living while their children are looked after in a place of safety and learning. In this regard, ECD centres are a major economic enabler.

Siphelele aims at offering the best possible education to the children and provide the peace of mind needed to parents often working long hours outside of the township. It aspires to be a “five-star ECD centre”.

Gertie’s creche benefits from experienced staff who assist with the daily tasks of managing, teaching, cleaning and cooking. The children’s parents pay a monthly fee including food. This amount does not seem, however, cover the centre’s running costs.

Gertie’s Creche’s sources of income are limited. Her ECD centre was only partially registered with the Department of Basic Education (for 2 years) and she is eligible for a small subsidy for each child. At this stage, Siphelele depends mainly on what parents can pay. In fact, from experience with similar structures, many parents often pay late - when they actually can - making cashflow a very challenging issue. Siphelele mentioned seeking to increase the space available and may want to save for future renovations as her vision would be to cater for children of grade R – as South Africa’s first basic year of primary education is called.