Guides

Guides for ECD centre owners

Practical, South Africa-specific guides on the money and paperwork side of running a crèche — the subsidy, the registers, the registration process, and getting fees paid.

New guides added regularly

Money

How to claim the R24 DBE subsidy
What it's worth, who qualifies, how to apply, and why centres lose subsidy money.
Crèche fee collection: letters, scripts and a system that works
Payday-matched due dates, a reminder cadence, copy-paste WhatsApp scripts, and a 30-day escalation letter.

Paperwork & compliance

How to register your crèche with the DBE
The Bana Pele Bronze/Silver/Gold stages and the full document checklist.
The DOE attendance register explained
What must be on it, how provinces verify it, and the five mistakes that cost money.

Registration in your province

Eastern Cape Free State Gauteng KwaZulu-Natal Limpopo Mpumalanga Northern Cape North West Western Cape

Free templates

Free downloads: attendance register, fee policy, arrears letters
Excel and Word templates, no sign-up required.

Comparisons

Zande vs Grow ECD (Grow Giraffe)
An honest comparison — development tools vs the money side.
Zande vs ECD Connect
Free all-rounder vs fee collection and subsidy capture.

Less admin. More of the subsidy. Fees actually collected.

Zande puts learners, fees, attendance and your DOE register in one place — on your phone. Free up to 20 learners.

Set up your centre free →