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. Form 7: the quarterly attendance return
The return that keeps the subsidy coming, the five-day deadline, and the 80% rule that quietly cuts your places. Form 6: the quarterly expenditure return
The 40:40:20 nutrition, staffing and materials split, and what a shortfall looks like from the district's side. 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.
What it's worth, who qualifies, how to apply, and why centres lose subsidy money. Form 7: the quarterly attendance return
The return that keeps the subsidy coming, the five-day deadline, and the 80% rule that quietly cuts your places. Form 6: the quarterly expenditure return
The 40:40:20 nutrition, staffing and materials split, and what a shortfall looks like from the district's side. 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. How to get an EMIS number
What it is, why you need it, and the DBE steps to get it. The DBE eCares registration walkthrough
The online system, channels, documents and the Bronze/Silver/Gold stages. Municipal clearances: zoning, health and fire
The hardest registration blocker, explained step by step. POPIA for crèches + consent form
What the law requires, plus a ready-to-use parent consent template. The DOE attendance register explained
What must be on it, how provinces verify it, and the five mistakes that cost money.
The Bana Pele Bronze/Silver/Gold stages and the full document checklist. How to get an EMIS number
What it is, why you need it, and the DBE steps to get it. The DBE eCares registration walkthrough
The online system, channels, documents and the Bronze/Silver/Gold stages. Municipal clearances: zoning, health and fire
The hardest registration blocker, explained step by step. POPIA for crèches + consent form
What the law requires, plus a ready-to-use parent consent template. The DOE attendance register explained
What must be on it, how provinces verify it, and the five mistakes that cost money.
Forms and contacts, by province
Every link checked by hand. Most provinces publish no ECD forms at all, and these pages say so rather than pretending otherwise.
Eastern Cape
Free State
Gauteng
KwaZulu-Natal
Limpopo
Mpumalanga
Northern Cape
North West
Western Cape
Registration in your province
Eastern Cape
Free State
Gauteng
KwaZulu-Natal
Limpopo
Mpumalanga
Northern Cape
North West
Western Cape
Free templates
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. Best crèche software in South Africa (2026)
An honest ranking — Zande, Koonection, EarlyTrack, Grow Giraffe, ECD Connect, international tools, and spreadsheets. Zande vs Koonection
Two South African tools — tiered pricing from R99 vs a flat R499. Zande vs EarlyTrack
Fee collection and DOE registers vs assessments, payroll and accounting. Zande vs MyKidReports
A US tool with no DBE or EMIS support — its exports are built for US state licensing. Crèche spreadsheet vs Zande
When a spreadsheet is fine, and when it starts costing you. Famly alternative for South African crèches
An international platform vs a locally built tool. Brightwheel alternative for South African crèches
A US childcare app vs a locally built tool.
An honest comparison — development tools vs the money side. Zande vs ECD Connect
Free all-rounder vs fee collection and subsidy capture. Best crèche software in South Africa (2026)
An honest ranking — Zande, Koonection, EarlyTrack, Grow Giraffe, ECD Connect, international tools, and spreadsheets. Zande vs Koonection
Two South African tools — tiered pricing from R99 vs a flat R499. Zande vs EarlyTrack
Fee collection and DOE registers vs assessments, payroll and accounting. Zande vs MyKidReports
A US tool with no DBE or EMIS support — its exports are built for US state licensing. Crèche spreadsheet vs Zande
When a spreadsheet is fine, and when it starts costing you. Famly alternative for South African crèches
An international platform vs a locally built tool. Brightwheel alternative for South African crèches
A US childcare app vs a locally built tool.
Less admin. More of the subsidy. Fees actually collected.
Zande puts learners, fees, attendance and your DOE register in one place — on your phone. Set up free, then from R99/month.
Set up free → See pricing