Unlocking Potential.
Building Brighter Futures.

Empowering children and families in rural Mpumalanga through Early Childhood Development, nutrition, health, and community support. 

What We Do

Early Learning

We provide quality early learning programs that spark curiosity, build foundational skills, and prepare young children for a brighter future through play-based education.

Nutritional Support

We ensure children receive nutritious meals and support to combat malnutrition, helping them grow strong, stay healthy, and thrive every day.

Parental Skills

We empower parents and caregivers with practical skills, knowledge, and confidence to create nurturing, supportive environments for their children’s development.

Health Screenings

We offer essential health screenings to detect and address medical needs early, giving children the healthy start they deserve.

Psycho-Social Support

We provide emotional and psychological support to help children heal from trauma, build resilience, and develop strong social and emotional well-being.
Early Learning and Stimulation
Annually, we support over 4000 children and ECD staff through centre-based stimulation, enrichment visits, and garden-linked learning programmes. Up to 56 ECD centres benefit from ongoing mentorship and programme support. Through initiatives such as Read and Plant, created by Authentic Roots, children develop literacy skills while learning environmental responsibility and practical food-growing knowledge.
Skills Development and Training
We equip individuals with accredited and practical skills that expand employment pathways and support income generation. Our initiatives include: Accredited ECD Practitioner Training, Create Your Own Job programme focused on livelihood development, Tshala Impumelelo.

In 2025, we expanded our livelihood focus through the Tshala Impumelelo Livelihood Restoration Programme delivering structured agricultural training and providing starter packs including seeds, netting, and essential tools. This initiative empowers participants to establish productive gardens that strengthen both household nutrition and income potential.
Nutritional Support and Food Security
Food security is central to long-term child development and family wellbeing. Annually, our vegetable garden programme supports:

Over 5,000 school beneficiaries through school gardens More than 150 household gardens Up to 40+ communal gardens Approximately 2,000 ECD beneficiaries linked to nutrition initiatives.

We provide seeds, tools, and technical support to ensure sustainability. In partnership with Rise Against Hunger, we distribute nutritious meal packs to vulnerable households, ensuring immediate food relief while long-term food production systems are strengthened.
Primary Health Care
We provide accessible, preventative healthcare services that reduce barriers to early diagnosis and treatment in rural communities.

Annually, our services reach:

Over 2,500 children through developmental screenings, growth monitoring, hearing and vision checks More than 300 women through Pap smears and women’s health screenings Hundreds of community members through essential non-prescription medication via the Topsy Pharmacy Over 300 individuals through diagnostic services.

These services reduce travel burdens, promote early detection, and significantly improve health outcomes for vulnerable families.
Psycho-social Support and Parental Capacity Building
Strong families are the foundation of thriving communities. Through structured home visits, counselling, and parental support sessions, we strengthen caregiver capacity and child protection. Annually, our community workers conduct over 5,000 home visits, reaching more than 14 000 direct beneficiaries through psychosocial and social support services.

We assist families with birth registrations, identity documents, and access to social grants, ensuring that vulnerable households can access essential services and exercise their rights.
Social Support and Basic Needs Assistance
In times of severe vulnerability, we provide emergency and basic needs assistance, including food parcels, blankets, clothing, and referrals to specialised services. This immediate support stabilises households while longer-term developmental interventions are implemented, ensuring dignity and protection during crisis periods.

Who We Are

The Topsy Foundation is a Non-profit Organisation serving rural communities in Mpumalanga’s Gert Sibande District. For over two decades, Topsy has worked alongside vulnerable communities to address systemic challenges including poverty, food insecurity, limited access to healthcare, unemployment, and inadequate early childhood development support.

Our model is community-based, integrated, and prevention-focused. Rather than addressing challenges in isolation, we deliver coordinated programmes across early learning, healthcare, food security, skills development, and psychosocial support. This holistic approach ensures that children thrive in their formative years while communities build resilience, dignity, and sustainable livelihoods.
Each year, our interventions reach thousands of beneficiaries across Dipaleseng, Grootvlei, Siyathemba, Nthorane, Embalenhle, and surrounding communities.

Make a difference

With the support of our donors, we work to break the cycle of poverty in Mpumalanga’s poorest rural communities. We do this by empowering and supporting parents and caregivers, and capacitating Early Childhood Development practitioners to raise happy, healthy and capable children. 100% of your contribution provides support to a child in need during the crucial early years of their development.

Click on an icon to learn more

Volunteer your time

Give in celebration

Leave a legacy

Myschool MyVillage MyPlanet

Donate goods or services

Our Impact

The Topsy Foundation delivers six integrated pillars of support that collectively strengthen individuals, families, and communities. Our work combines immediate relief with long-term development solutions. Early Learning and Stimulation, Skills Development and Training, Nutritional Support and Food Security, Primary Health Care, Psycho-social Support and Parental Capacity Building, and Social Support and Basic Needs Assistance

Our Sponsors

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VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME

Our programmes are run from Grootvlei, Mpumalanga, and our head office is in Bryanston, Johannesburg.

If you have the following skills, please email your CV here.

Skills needed in Johannesburg Head Office:

  • Fundraising
  • Marketing
  • Admin
  • Database building

Skills needed in Grootvlei:

  • Medical
  • Nursing
  • Dentistry
  • Social work
  • Monitoring & evaluation

GIVE IN CELEBRATION

Turn your special day into the greatest gift of giving! Instead of buying gifts, rally your friends to donate and give to Topsy.

Or, you can personally leave a legacy by including us on your will. If interested, please drop us a line here.

WE WOULD LIKE TO QUANTIFY WHAT YOUR DONATION CAN DO

R150 provides 23 families with seeds to grow a vegetable garden to feed themselves for 6 months.
R300 provides medication for a sick child visiting our Health Centre.
R440 transports 40 disadvantaged children to our Play and Learn Centre.
R740 provides mentoring and training at 8 early childhood development centres each month.
R1 480 feeds 160 children a week at our Play and Learn Centre.
R2 960 pays a community care worker who provides essential care and support to an at-risk child.

LEAVE A LEGACY

If you would like to include Topsy in your will, please contact us and we will advise you on the process.

WE WOULD LIKE TO QUANTIFY WHAT YOUR DONATION CAN DO

R150 provides 23 families with seeds to grow a vegetable garden to feed themselves for 6 months.
R300 provides medication for a sick child visiting our Health Centre.
R440 transports 40 disadvantaged children to our Play and Learn Centre.
R740 provides mentoring and training at 8 early childhood development centres each month.
R1 480 feeds 160 children a week at our Play and Learn Centre.
R2 960 pays a community care worker who provides essential care and support to an at-risk child.

MYSCHOOL MYVILLAGE MYPLANET

MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet is one of South Africa’s biggest fundraising programmes and allows you to make a difference, just by shopping.

Every time you use your card at any Woolworths or partner store (Engen, Altech Netstar, Flight Centre, Loot, Power24 and WorksheetCloud) they’ll give back a percentage of your purchase value, on your behalf, to our cause at absolutely no cost to you!

To apply for your Topsy MySchool card click here .

PLEASE HELP US BY DONATING SPECIFIC GOODS OR SERVICES

Goods

  • Food
  • Medication
  • Clothing
  • Educational resources
  • Toiletries

Services

  • Transportation
  • Fundraising
  • Marketing
  • Building

Support our projects and initiatives by making a donation below

GIVE MONTHLY VIA DEBIT ORDER

Bank
Account Number
Account Type
Account Name
Branch
Branch Code
Swift Code
 

Nedbank
1469030454
Current Account
Topsy Foundation
Business North Rand
146905
NEDSZAJJ

WE WOULD LIKE TO QUANTIFY WHAT YOUR DONATION CAN DO

R150 provides 23 families with seeds to grow a vegetable garden to feed themselves for 6 months.
R300 provides medication for a sick child visiting our Health Centre.
R440 transports 40 disadvantaged children to our Play and Learn Centre.
R740 provides mentoring and training at 8 early childhood development centres each month.
R1 480 feeds 160 children a week at our Play and Learn Centre.
R2 960 pays a community care worker who provides essential care and support to an at-risk child.

HOW MUCH DO YOU WISH TO GIVE?

DONATE USING SNAPSCAN IN 3 EASY STEPS

1. Download the SnapScan app on your phone (getsnapscan.com)

2. Fill in your details and link your credit card or debit card

3. Scan the QR code below with your smartphone to make your donation

HOW MUCH DO YOU WISH TO GIVE?

Please use the drop-down arrow to select your preferred donation amount. For amounts over and above what is listed, please contact us at info@topsy.org.za

WE WOULD LIKE TO QUANTIFY WHAT YOUR DONATION CAN DO

R150 provides 23 families with seeds to grow a vegetable garden to feed themselves for 6 months.
R300 provides medication for a sick child visiting our Health Centre.
R440 transports 40 disadvantaged children to our Play and Learn Centre.
R740 provides mentoring and training at 8 early childhood development centres each month.
R1 480 feeds 160 children a week at our Play and Learn Centre.
R2 960 pays a community care worker who provides essential care and support to an at-risk child.