How to Start a Daycare (ECD) in South Africa: A Simple Beginner's Guide

This is a simple, step-by-step guide for anyone who wants to study childcare from home and one day open and run their own daycare. It is written in plain language for a complete beginner. The examples for opening a daycare use Gauteng, but the steps are similar in every province.

⚠️ About the prices: Most fees here were checked in June 2026 (Oxbridge, UNISA, and the SA Childcare Association are confirmed). College SA and Skills Academy depend on the payment plan you choose, so phone them for the exact monthly amount. College fees also rise a little each year. Always confirm the current price, start date, and accreditation before paying.

1. The basics, in plain words

• "Daycare" training is called ECD — Early Childhood Development. It means caring for and teaching children aged 0 to 6 years.
• NQF level = how advanced a course is, on a scale of 1 to 10. Higher number = more advanced.
• Accreditation = official proof that a course is real and recognised. A certificate that is not accredited can be worthless. Always check this.
• The bodies that approve courses: ETDP SETA, QCTO, and Umalusi. SAQA keeps the official national list of real qualifications. DHET registers private colleges.
• A big change to know: Since April 2022, ECD moved from the Department of Social Development (DSD) to the Department of Basic Education (DBE). So today you register a daycare mainly through the Provincial Department of Education (registering as a non-profit still goes through DSD).

2. Which qualification to aim for

Level	What it is	Usual entry requirement	How long
NQF 4 – FETC / Occupational Certificate: ECD	The main practitioner certificate. Best place to start.	About Grade 9–10 (often no matric needed)	About 12–18 months
NQF 5 – Higher Certificate in ECD/ECCE	More advanced — for managing or leading a centre.	Usually matric (Grade 12)	1–2 years

To open your own daycare: an NQF Level 4 ECD certificate + a First Aid certificate is enough to get started.

3. Where to study from home (distance learning)

Phone each one to confirm the current fee, start date, and accreditation.

1. SmartStart ⭐ (best match if your goal is to open a daycare) — a national non-profit that trains you for FREE to start a daycare, and supports you afterwards. 🔗 https://www.smartstart.org.za

2. SA Childcare Association (SACC) — accredited ECD full qualification by distance. About R400 registration + R950 per month for 12 months (≈ R11,800 total). One of the more affordable accredited options. 🔗 https://sachildcare.net

3. Oxbridge Academy — a reputable distance college. The ECD Practitioner certificate (NQF 4) — the one you need to run a registered centre — costs R23,677 in total (R1,200 registration + R1,183 per month over 19 months). You can also pay module-by-module, starting around R6,156. 🔗 https://www.oxbridgeacademy.edu.za

4. UNISA — a public university, fully by distance, well trusted. The Higher Certificate in Early Childhood Care & Education is about R27,549 for 2026 (one year), plus a R150 application fee. You pay per module, so you can spread the cost, and NSFAS may help. (They also have a longer 3-year Diploma.) Matric is usually needed. 🔗 https://www.unisa.ac.za

5. College SA — distance ECD courses. Registration about R950, then low monthly instalments (the amount depends on the course — phone to confirm). 🔗 https://www.collegesa.edu.za

6. Skills Academy — distance ECD Practitioner (NQF 4, about 18 months), with a flexible monthly payment plan. Pay in full and save 15%. Ask them for the exact monthly amount. 🔗 https://www.skillsacademy.co.za

Free or funded options:

• Public TVET colleges — government colleges, funded by NSFAS (usually in-person, very affordable).
• ECD learnerships through ETDP SETA and NGOs such as Ntataise, TREE, Cotlands, and Penreach — often free, and sometimes pay a small stipend while you learn.

4. How to open the daycare (simple steps)

1. Get trained: do ECD training + a First Aid course (start with SmartStart or an NQF Level 4 course).
2. Find a safe place: about 1.5–2 m² of indoor space per child, a fenced outdoor play area, clean toilets, a kitchen, and good fresh air.
3. Get municipal approval (e.g. City of Joburg / Tshwane / Ekurhuleni): permission ("zoning") to run a creche, plus a health clearance and a fire-safety clearance.
4. Register the business — choose one:
   • a company at CIPC → https://www.bizportal.gov.za, or
   • a Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) at https://www.npo.dsd.gov.za (an NPO can claim the government per-child subsidy).
5. Get police clearance + a Child Protection Register check (Form 29) — for yourself and any staff.
6. Register the daycare (the ECD programme and the facility) with your Provincial Department of Education, under the Children's Act.
7. Apply for the ECD subsidy — government money paid per child — once you are registered.

Start here: https://www.gov.za (search "register ECD"), your Provincial Department of Education, and https://www.npo.dsd.gov.za

5. Top 5 affordable + accredited picks (distance)

1. SmartStart — free, and designed specifically for opening a daycare.
2. SA Childcare Association (SACC) — ≈ R11,800 total; accredited ECD qualification; one of the cheapest credible options.
3. Oxbridge Academy — ≈ R23,677 (R1,183/month); trusted distance college, easy payments.
4. UNISA — ≈ R27,549 (Higher Certificate); a real university qualification, NSFAS-eligible.
5. ETDP SETA learnership (via Ntataise / TREE / Cotlands) — often free and accredited, sometimes even paid.

(Prices checked June 2026. Before paying, also read the college's reviews on Hello Peter and Google.)

6. ⭐ What the reviews say

These scores come from Hello Peter (a South African review/complaints website, scored out of 10) and other sites. Read this first: Hello Peter is mostly where unhappy people post, so big colleges often sit at 5–6 out of 10 — that is normal and does not mean a college is a scam. Use reviews to spot patterns (like billing or slow support), and always check accreditation (next section) no matter the score.

Institution	Hello Peter (out of 10)	Other feedback
SmartStart	No review page (it's a non-profit)	Widely respected; has reached 320,000+ children
SA Childcare Association	Mixed — a few complaints exist	Facebook: 100% recommend (35 reviews). Double-check its accreditation with QCTO before paying.
College SA	6.0	Trusted distance college (DHET-registered)
Skills Academy	6.1	DHET-registered; QCTO / Umalusi courses
Oxbridge Academy	5.0	Facebook: 76% recommend (790 reviews)
UNISA	2.2	A low score driven by admin/billing complaints; the qualification itself is highly respected (EduOpinions 4.3/5)

Takeaway: the scores are middling mainly because these are large institutions handling huge numbers of students. None of these is a scam — they are all real, registered providers. The free / NGO routes (SmartStart, SETA learnerships) avoid the billing complaints that pull the college scores down.

7. ⚠️ Avoid scams

• Check the qualification has a SAQA ID number at https://www.saqa.org.za
• Confirm accreditation with ETDP SETA or QCTO, and check DHET registration for private colleges.
• Red flags: "guaranteed job" promises; pressure to pay everything in cash upfront; no physical address; a "diploma" that is far cheaper or far faster than everyone else.

8. ✅ Do this first

1. Phone SmartStart (free) and the SA Childcare Association first, then Oxbridge or UNISA — ask the fee, the start date, and the accreditation.
2. Verify each one on https://www.saqa.org.za and https://www.etdpseta.org.za
3. Book a First Aid course.
4. Register a free NPO at https://www.npo.dsd.gov.za
5. Get police clearance + the Form 29 check.
6. Ask your local municipality about creche zoning and health clearance.

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Tip: SmartStart is the easiest first phone call — it's free and made for exactly this. Start there.