A R1.3 million partnership set to transform Early Childhood Development (ECD) for residents and community members in Tshwane

Tuesday, 6 February 2024 – JSE-listed REIT, Octodec Investments Limited, in collaboration with its long-standing social impact partner in Early Childhood Development (ECD), Cotlands, is proud to announce the launch of the Kamane Educare Centre, a transformative ECD facility in Tshwane. This initiative underscores Octodec’s long-standing commitment to enhancing the inner-city residential quality of life and actively supporting community welfare.

Cotlands, a highly respected non-profit organisation with an 87-year track record of successfully delivering on early learning initiatives that serve vulnerable children, says that 90% of a child’s brain development occurs within the first five years of life. Children who experience high-quality play-based early learning opportunities during the first five years of life have the advantage of acquiring holistic skills needed to succeed in school, employment, and later life.

Kamane Educare Centre officially opened in January 2024 and addresses the pressing need for accessible, high-quality services in Tshwane’s residential areas. It provides a Cotlands early learning playgroup programme, comprising of annual lesson plans linked to the National Curriculum Framework birth to 4, tailored to nurture young children’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. To ensure quality play-based lessons, the ECD practitioner has also received accredited online training through Cotlands Ignite®.  Moreover, the Centre extends its services to school-going children, offering aftercare in a nurturing and educational environment.

Lisa Carne, Head of Sustainability at City Property said, “This partnership is vitally important to us as it holistically integrates the development of our surrounding community. We are investing in this Centre for the benefit of the children and families and contributing to our communities’ overall well-being and vitality. Our investment in the Kamane Educare Centre promotes accessibility, supports working families, and facilitates early childhood development while breaking the cycle of poverty and fostering community cohesion.”

With an investment of R1.3 million, Octodec’s property management arm, City Property, played a crucial role in overseeing the comprehensive renovation of Pete’s Place to establish the newly created Kamane Educare Centre. Every aspect of the facility is meticulously designed to ensure a safe, enjoyable, and enriching environment for children. Notable features include a dedicated sick bay, educational play areas, classrooms, sleeping areas with bathrooms tailored for minors, and a kitchen to make nutritious meals.

Beyond the physical enhancements, Octodec’s support for the Kamane Educare Centre aligns with its dedication to enterprise development and community empowerment. Annah Gumbi, a Cotlands-trained regional manager, is the proud owner of the Centre, which currently employs five professionals and Cotlands-accredited staff members and cares for 16 young students.

“We deeply appreciate the chance to establish a quality ECD Centre. It’s not just about delivering quality education but crafting a nurturing and practical environment. Parents are astonished at how we’ve turned this dream into reality. Unlike many ECDs in makeshift spaces around the CBD, this partnership has enabled us to redefine what a true home, safety, and convenience mean for our children,” said Gumbi.

In an exciting development, the Centre will soon introduce a toy library, facilitating educational toy exchanges among residents and neighbouring ECD centres. Octodec’s staff has eagerly embraced this initiative, with many volunteering to contribute pre-loved educational toys.

The long-standing partnership between Octodec and Cotlands extends beyond the Kamane Educare Centre. Octodec has historically provided free rent to Cotlands’ Head Office, while City Property actively supports a community skills development programme, focusing on Cotlands-accredited teacher training. Furthermore, Octodec champions ECD learnerships through its POP-UP program, contributing to youth upskilling and empowerment.

Octodec Investments Limited takes immense pride in its commitment to transforming inner cities in Gauteng and uplifting surrounding communities through various empowerment initiatives for tenants. Since 2022, Octodec has been providing complimentary access to Kibooks, an online reading platform, as part of its efforts to empower young readers residing in its buildings.

This online reading platform, accessible through Octodec’s free Wi-Fi for tenants, serves as a digital pocket library, offering over 6,000 titles in South Africa’s 11 official languages. The primary goal is to foster a culture of literacy and learning among children in Octodec’s communities.

Octodec views Kibooks as an educational tool that can supplement traditional learning methods, creating a stimulating environment for children that reside at its properties. The platform’s interactive features and diverse content aim to bridge educational gaps and provide additional resources to enhance literacy skills. The diverse language options of Kibooks reflect the cultural diversity of inner-city spaces like the Pretoria and Johannesburg CBDs, ensuring children see themselves represented in the stories they read.

“In a world driven by continuous progress, literacy stands as the cornerstone of personal and societal development. Initiatives like Kibooks are crucial because they address a fundamental need — the need for accessible, diverse, and engaging educational resources. By fostering a culture of reading, Octodec contributes not only to individual development but also to the collective growth of the community,” said Lisa Carne, Head of Sustainability.

Recognising the importance of parental engagement in children’s education, Kibooks, with its user-friendly interface, serves as a tool for parents to actively participate in their child’s learning journey. Octodec has initiated a communication campaign to ensure that every family in its buildings is aware of the initiative, encouraging them to make use of Kibooks for the benefit of their children’s education and enjoyment.

Matshwane Molomo, a resident, shared, “My child enjoys Kibooks. Reading is becoming as easy as 1-2-3. She can independently navigate the app to explore various topics, stories, and subjects available on the Kibooks platform, and I value this added service. As a parent, I appreciate the importance of reading – if your child can read well, it’s easy to learn. Reading is an indispensable skill and enriches children’s lives.”

In a further demonstration of its commitment to community development, Octodec has extended access to Kibooks to its employees, promoting a shared passion for reading and continuous learning. This initiative contributes to creating a workplace culture that values knowledge and growth, attracting businesses to the area, fostering economic growth and stability.

Octodec remains dedicated to its principles of sustainable and responsible investing in the inner city, aiming to create thriving and empowered communities.

Octodec, with the help of City Property, has put smiles on the faces of 652 underprivileged children through the Santa Shoebox Project.

20 November 2023 – JSE-listed REIT, Octodec Investments Limited, hosted a Santa Shoebox packing day on 27 October 2023, an initiative that has consistently demonstrated the company’s commitment to giving back to the community while building thriving inner cities. Through the collaborative efforts of its staff, 652 Santa Shoeboxes were packed at 012central in the Pretoria CBD to distribute to underprivileged children throughout the province.

In South Africa, where more than half of all children live below the poverty line, the Santa Shoebox Project plays a crucial role in collecting and distributing personalised gifts consisting of essential items and treats to these disadvantaged children across South Africa and Namibia. The project, which originated in Cape Town in 2006 with a total of 180 shoeboxes being packed, has now entered its 18th year, having positively impacted the lives of more than 1,152,580 children. Each shoebox is thoughtfully curated to include vital items such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, facecloth, school supplies, a toy, sweets, and an item of clothing.

Lisa Carne, Head of Sustainability at City Property, said, “We take immense pride in our involvement in this initiative, which brings joy to disadvantaged children throughout this country. Our employees’ enthusiastic participation demonstrates our unwavering commitment as City Property and Octodec to positively impact the communities we serve. We operate with purpose and our collaboration with the Santa Shoebox Project is one such demonstration that we invest in the well-being and sustainability of our communities.”

Octodec has been an active supporter of this initiative since 2017 by providing Santa Shoebox with rent-free space. For Octodec, providing a free-of-charge space or space at a reduced cost to a non-governmental organisation (NGO) such as Santa Shoebox, signifies its dedication to social responsibility and community support when funding is often limited.

“We believe that by alleviating this important NGO’s operating expenses especially at this time of their meaningful events, we are playing a role in helping the organisation direct more of its resources towards its mission and initiatives, ultimately contributing to the betterment of society and the welfare of those children in need. Given the magnitude of the impact of this project on vulnerable children, we are pleased to be in partnership with Santa Shoebox and look forward to continuing to support the initiative,” concludes Carne.

This initiative is also part of Octodec’s various social impact focusses in which the company spent R3.2 million in 2023 to assist communities in need. Together with its partnership alongside Santa Shoebox, Octodec also offers free rental space in their buildings to several charitable organisations, including Dignity Dreams and Cotlands. As part of its long-standing relationship with Cotlands, Octodec is in the process of establishing an Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centre in 2024. This initiative will assist Octodec’s tenants who work full-time to entrust their young children with qualified daycare staff in a warm, nurturing, and educational environment.