Entrepreneurship

Could a Franchise for Early Learning Close the School Readiness Gap? | SmartStart 2026 #SkollAwardee

Skoll Foundation
Skoll Foundation•Apr 7, 2026

Why It Matters

By coupling early childhood education with women‑led micro‑enterprise, the model tackles school readiness and gendered unemployment simultaneously, promising long‑term socioeconomic uplift.

Key Takeaways

  • •South Africa faces massive early learning readiness gap.
  • •Initiative recruits unemployed women as home‑based early educators.
  • •Training equips women to run government‑supported franchise businesses.
  • •Smart Start network empowers women and improves community outcomes.
  • •Model aims to close school readiness gap sustainably.

Summary

The video spotlights a franchise model aimed at narrowing South Africa’s early‑learning gap, a problem that leaves millions of children under five entering school without foundational skills. SmartStart, a Skoll‑Awarded initiative, leverages existing community assets—particularly women who are unemployed or underemployed—to deliver quality preschool education from their own homes.

The program recruits these women, provides intensive pedagogical training, and equips them with a government‑backed business framework. By turning homes into licensed early‑learning centers, the model creates a dual impact: it expands access to preschool for children while generating income for women, fostering entrepreneurship in low‑income neighborhoods.

A recurring theme in the presentation is empowerment: “Helping every child to reach their entire potential” is paired with the transformation of women into community leaders. Real‑world examples show participants rapidly establishing sustainable micro‑enterprises that serve dozens of families each.

If scaled, the approach could reshape educational equity and women’s economic participation across South Africa, offering a replicable template for other emerging markets seeking cost‑effective early‑learning solutions.

Original Description

What if the most effective solutions to global challenges didn’t require new infrastructure—but a new way of seeing existing potential?
SmartStart is transforming access to quality early childhood education in South Africa by building on community assets already in place. The organization trains, coaches, and supports local entrepreneurs—mostly women—to run early learning programs from their homes or other community spaces. This social franchise model ensures millions of children can access affordable, high-quality early education that sets them on a path toward greater success.
With a scalable platform, strong evidence of improved child outcomes, and deep engagement with government systems, SmartStart is on its way to securing universal early childhood education across South Africa.
This film explores how SmartStart is changing the life trajectories for a generation of children while equipping thousands of women with opportunities to achieve economic stability and independence.
Visit SmartStart here: https://smartstart.org.za/
Visit the SmartStart profile page on Skoll.org: https://skoll.wf/smartstart
About Grace Matlhape, CEO
Grace Matlhape is the Chief Executive Officer of SmartStart. She leads an inspiring social franchise that is revolutionizing access to high-quality early learning in South Africa, targeting 3- to 5-year-old children. Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling the SmartStart model to a network of 15,000 early learning practitioners who lead high-quality early learning enterprises. Looking toward the future, Grace is dedicated to reimagining SmartStart’s role as a key field catalyst that creates new access to ECCE.
Grace is a seasoned executive deeply rooted in the social justice and development fields in South Africa, with a strong focus on children and young people. Prior to her role at SmartStart, she served as the CEO of loveLife, an internationally acclaimed organization dedicated to HIV prevention and fostering social and behavioral change among young people. With extensive expertise in education and health across sub-Saharan Africa, Grace possesses a deep-seated passion for implementing innovative strategies that amplify the impact of evidence-based interventions. Her work focuses on reaching and positively influencing large segments of the population, ultimately striving for lasting change.
In 2023, Grace was one of two South Africans named top 10 finalists of the Africa Education Medal, Africa’s most prestigious education accolade. As an Ashoka fellow, she is part of a global network of change leaders dedicated to social transformation. Grace is not just a leader; she is a keen problem-solver whose work—past and present—focuses on scaling impact for societal change.
VIDEO CREDITS:
Directors - Gabriel Diamond, Matthew Beighley
Editor - Matthew Beighley
Producer - Gabriel Diamond
Cinematography - MightyFine Productions, Gabriel Diamond
Story Advisors - Tim Carlberg, Norma Rodriguez,
Executive Producer - Phil Collis
Editorial - Alissa Gulin
Poster Design - Emily Lam
About the Skoll Awards For Social Innovation
The Skoll Foundation presents the Skoll Awards for Social Innovation each year to a select group of social innovators whose work targets the root causes of societal problems that are ripe for transformational social change.
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel
Watch more from the Skoll Community:
Connect with us online:

Comments

Want to join the conversation?

Loading comments...