Zande vs Koonection: an honest comparison
Both are South African-built tools for preschools and crèches, so you're already past the "does it understand our system" question. The real choice comes down to two things: what you pay at your centre's size, and whether your biggest problem is the money side — fees and the DBE subsidy.
Updated August 2026 · Based on both products' public materials — check their site for their latest features and pricing
Respect where it's due
Koonection is a solid, locally built choice. It's designed for South African preschools, charges a flat monthly price with no per-learner fee, and handles billing through Paystack. If you run a large centre and prefer one predictable price no matter how many learners you have, that flat-rate model is clean and easy to budget.
Where Zande is different
Zande was built around one problem most centres share: getting paid, and not losing subsidy money to register errors. Two differences stand out — price at smaller sizes, and the fee-and-subsidy toolset.
| Zande | Koonection | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | R99/mo (up to 40 learners) | Flat R499/mo |
| Mid size (up to 100 learners) | R299/mo | R499/mo |
| Unlimited learners | R499/mo | R499/mo |
| Free to set up | Yes, pay to unlock | Check current offer |
| Attendance register auto-built for the R24 subsidy | Yes — export in your province's format | Attendance features |
| Automated WhatsApp fee reminders | Yes — every month, on your schedule | Billing via Paystack |
| PDF fee statements & per-learner arrears | Yes | Billing tools |
| Private & DBE-registered centre modes | Yes — switch either way | Preschool-focused |
| Online enrolment portal | Yes — Pro plan | Check with vendor |
Feature comparison based on public information as at August 2026. Koonection's product evolves — verify current features and pricing on their site.
The honest decision rule
- Choose Koonection if: you run a large centre where a flat R499 works out cheaper than per-tier pricing, and you like one fixed price regardless of learner count.
- Choose Zande if: you have under about 100 learners (R99 or R299 beats a flat R499), or your priority is the DOE/DBE subsidy register and chasing fees by WhatsApp every month. One recovered R370 fee covers the Pro plan.
What starting looks like
- Set up your centre free — no card needed. From R99/month after.
- Upload your learner list from Excel — we map the columns, or WhatsApp us and we do the import for you at no charge.
- Fee reminders and attendance registers start working the same week.
Locally built, and priced from R99 for smaller centres.
Set up free, then from R99/month. Set up in one afternoon on your phone. No card, no contract.
Try Zande free →