Company: Little Harvard Kids Academy Secunda and Bethal , Mpumalanga

Age: 30

Name: Lucia Manthata

A couple of months before qualified scientist Manthata was retrenched by a chemicals company, she had already started planning on pursuing her passion of working with children.

Almost two years later, she runs a 24/7 daycare centre in Secunda, Mpumalanga.

Children can stay at the academy until 7.30pm. The Bethal, Mpumalanga, centre has 28 daycare children while plans are under way to launch a crèche in Embalenhle

“Most of the women in the area work on the mines and their shift starts at 5am until 6pm. Some have no one to look after their children while they are at work,” she said.

“We also offer a boarding service. Parents leave their children in our care and pick them up on weekends,” she said.

Her dream is to have franchises across the country.