How to start a creche or daycare
Working parents everywhere need safe, caring childcare, and the first years of a child's life shape everything after. Running a creche is meaningful work and a real business. It also carries a responsibility no other business does, so the rules are there for good reason.
Why it is worth starting
Demand is constant: every working parent with a young child needs care. Good centres fill by word of mouth and keep children for years, from baby room to Grade R. Many successful centres started as a day mother caring for a few children at home.
What the work really looks like
An early start before parents leave for work, and a late finish after the last one fetches. In between: arrival and handover, meals and snacks, nappies and toilet routines, nap time, learning through play, outdoor time, and constant supervision. You manage staff, cook or arrange meals, talk to parents every day, and keep records of attendance, incidents and medicine.
The rules
- Registration: early childhood development programmes and partial care facilities must be registered. Since 2022 this sits with the Department of Basic Education through the provincial education department, in three tiers: Bronze (entry level, with very little paperwork), Silver (conditional registration while you work towards the full requirements) and Gold (full registration). Registration is free.
- Premises: the municipality must allow a childcare centre on the property (zoning or land use consent), and you need an environmental health clearance and fire safety approval.
- Staff screening: everyone who works with children must be checked against the National Child Protection Register and the National Register for Sex Offenders. This is not optional.
- Ratios: the national norms for ECD programmes set the maximum children per staff member by age: 1 to 6 for babies from one month to 18 months, 1 to 12 from 18 months to three years, 1 to 20 for three to four years, and 1 to 30 for five to six years. Plan your staff around them from day one.
Grey areas: know these before they find you
- Paying someone to register you. Registration is free, and the Department warns not to pay anyone who charges for "registration support". Many unregistered centres were sold help they did not need.
- Day mothers. Caring for a small number of children at home sits in a grey zone today. The Children's Amendment Bill, approved by Cabinet in 2026, proposes recognising childminders and simplifying registration, but it is not law yet. Check with your provincial education department what applies to your numbers.
- Zoning is the usual blocker. Many centres meet the care standards but are stuck on municipal zoning, fire safety or food safety for the premises. Start those conversations first.
The numbers that decide it
- Children per staff member decides your wage bill and your safety. You cannot take more children than your staff and space allow.
- Collection rate: fees owed versus fees actually paid. Unpaid fees are the most common reason small centres struggle.
- Food cost per child per day, which grows quietly as prices rise.
- Occupancy: empty places still cost rent and staff. Keep a waiting list.
What nobody tells you
- Registration unlocks money. Registered or conditionally registered centres can access the government ECD subsidy for qualifying children, and many funders and food programmes only support registered centres. Registration is not just compliance; it is income.
- A written fee policy saves friendships. Due dates, late fees, what happens in holidays and when a child is absent. Put it in the enrolment contract and apply it to everyone.
- Incident and medicine records protect you. Write down every fall, bite and dose, and have the parent sign. If something is ever questioned, the record speaks.
- Collection rules: only release a child to people the parent named in writing. Check ID if you do not know the person.
- POPIA applies to children's information and photos. Ask parents' written consent before posting any child's picture online.
Your first 90 days
- Month 1: speak to your provincial education department about registration, and to the municipality about zoning, health and fire requirements for your premises. Complete an ECD qualification or short course if you do not have one.
- Month 2: prepare the space (safe, clean, fenced, child-proofed), screen your staff, write your daily programme, menu, fee policy and enrolment contract.
- Month 3: open with a few children, build trust with parents, and keep a waiting list as word spreads.
List free on BizBoost so parents nearby can find a checked, verified centre.
Common questions
Do I need to register a creche in South Africa?
Yes. Early childhood development programmes and partial care facilities must be registered through the provincial education department. Registration is free and tiered: Bronze at entry level, Silver for conditional registration, and Gold for full registration.
What are the child-to-staff ratios for a creche?
Under the national ECD norms: 1 to 6 for babies from one month to 18 months, 1 to 12 from 18 months to three years, 1 to 20 for three to four years, and 1 to 30 for five to six years.
Can I run a daycare from my home?
Many centres start at home, but the municipality must allow childcare on the property, the premises need health and fire clearance, and the programme must be registered. Check zoning before you start.
What is the ECD subsidy?
A government subsidy paid to registered ECD programmes for qualifying children from low-income households. Registration is required to apply.