Opti Baby is a network of premium day care facilities, specializing in early childhood development. The business owner, Ina van der Merwe has over 20 years of experience in child and baby stimulation programs and has a passion for both entrepreneurship and early childhood development. She developed a unique model, providing specialised early childhood development at premium day care centres. Since inception, Opti-baby has opened centres throughout Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Opti-Baby approached the Vumela ESD Fund for expansion finance in order to purchase new properties and set up new schools, further expanding their footprint.
Most recently Edge Growth assisted in developing a robust franchisee model which has the potential to grow the Opti group while allowing previously disadvantaged individuals to be co-owners of Opti Centres. This means that not only are children benefitting from the expertise of the Opti-baby group, employment is being created for low skilled workers (estimated 350 jobs to be created over the 5 year investment) but previously disadvantaged individuals can gain a stake in a lucrative business in a fast growing market. The Opti-baby story is one of great nation building impact, demonstrating the power of enterprise development to transform and empower.
