Challenge
1,1 million children in South Africa, aged three to four, have no formal early childhood development (ECD). They are handicapped from the start. DGMT, the Hollard Foundation and Elna Foundation came together to level the playing fields. The challenge was to offer consistent, top-quality ECD, at scale, and a fraction of the normal cost.
Process
Investigations into international best-in-class ECD had been done by the DGMT team. Freedthinkers was asked to co-create and facilitate a process to develop a compelling purpose, powerful brand and operating model that would slash the cost of ECD, without compromising quality.
We co-created the purpose - “To give every child the power to succeed” - and a set of brand values. With the other donors, we developed a unique social franchise as the business model. To encourage participation between franchisees, we proposed a “Beach-Head Strategy”. Instead of launching social franchises around the country. Focus on several at a time in a confined radius.
Impact
This purpose led to a unique social franchise and distinct brand. SmartStart has reached well over 220 000 children in low-income areas through 6 000 female entrepreneurs across the country. The success and cost-effectiveness have attracted significant new funding for growth.
“The beauty of Freedthinkers is its ability to break out of conventional thinking, while concentrating the mind at the same time; to explore a plethora of ideas even as they are distilled into a powerful concept at the heart of a brand.”
David Harrison, CEO DGMT
