Patience Rusere
THE #BuyaBusiness and Small Business Expo, which will be held at the TicketPro Dome, next month, will
Be showcasing a number of innovative educational programmes and business opportunities, that are expected to give will be entrepreneurs and investors an opportunity to become part of South Africa’s growing supplementary education trend.
The expo, will be held against a background of a booming educational sector and will showcase a wide range of innovative new education-related business opportunities emerging to support childhood learning.
Now more than ever, parents are willing to invest in their children’s early learning and critical skills
development through fun, educational programmes that build on the traditional school curriculum.
These education-related businesses and franchises offer excellent work opportunities for former
teachers, parents seeking flexible working hours and people focused on community development.
Among, those who will be featuring at the Expo is MiniChess South Africa, an award-winning
programme fast expanding internationally and endorsed by Grandmaster Garry Kasparov. The
programme, which was developed over years of teaching chess to students between five and nine years
old.
It not only teaches children to play chess in a fun and engaging way: it also helps them develop critical
thinking, maths and science skills and fine motor skills.
In young children, it helps develop critical skills and significantly improves school readiness.
MiniChess Founder and CEO Marisa van der Merwe, winner of the 2012 Shoprite Checkers Woman of
the Year award for her educational work in communities, says MiniChess franchises are now available
across South Africa. Suitable applicants who buy a franchise during the #BuyaBusiness
Expo will receive a 10% discount off the franchise rights, which are usually cost R55 000. Franchisees
receive training, marketing support, MiniChess equipment and access to the annual MiniChess Symposium.
“We are not prescriptive around educational qualifications or even chess knowledge, but applicants
must obviously be screened for working with children. Ideal applicants should be community minded,
interested in early childhood development and be willing to work hard and learn about business. They
might be teachers, people with educational experience andtraining, stay at home moms wanting
flexi time jobs, or people who work with children in their communities,” she says.
Sherpa Kids SA, which is the only internationally-recognised Out of School Hours Care service provider
in the country, will also highlight its franchise opportunities at the #BuyaBusiness expo and will award a
franchise to a successful, qualifying applicant who visits their stand.
Part of a global childcare brand, Sherpa Kids SA first launched in South Africa in 2014 and now operates
in more than 25 schools in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the North West Province. Sherpa Kids delivers
structured, enjoyable after care and holiday programmes at schools.
The ideal Sherpa Kids SA franchisee has a passion for working with children, an interest in the high
demand, high potential, rapidly growing childcare franchise sector, as well as the motivation and drive
to help to build this powerful brand in South Africa, says Genevieve Allen, the Master Franchisor and
Managing Director of Sherpa Kids SA.
Presenting an opportunity to investors looking to expand their portfolios in the education field, Bala
Books will exhibit its range of book writing and publishing programmes designed to get children excited
about language and reading.
With over 2 000 child-authored books already produced and many thousands of child readers impacted
by the programme, Bala Books is now establishing a book writing academy for children in Soweto and
looking to expand its programmes over a broader range of communities.
Founder Glad Mabele says the highly popular programme is now seeking business partners
and investors to grow its reach. – patience.rusere@gautengguardian.co.za Twitter@ruserep