What began as a desire to improve learning experiences in their grade R classrooms has grown into a publishing company that’s helping shape early childhood education.
Adell Lebabo and Koenane Thakalekoala, both 37, are the founders and directors of Thutong Edu-Mat, a company that produces curriculum-aligned educational books that centre African languages and culture.
The two met at Thethe High School in Luka village, Rustenburg in the North West, and later studied for their bachelor degrees in foundation phase at the North West University.
Just after graduating in 2012, they began teaching grade R at Moremogolo primary in 2013, where the spark for their future business was lit.
“We were inspired by the shortage of learning and teaching materials in African languages, particularly Tswana,” said Thakalekoala.
“We started by creating our own materials for the classroom and sharing them with colleagues. Eventually, we realised this need to be extended far beyond our school.”
Recognising that schools often sourced materials only from registered companies, not individuals, Thakalekoala and Lebabo formalised their efforts and launched Thutong Edu-Mat, a platform through which they could design and distribute tailored resources for the foundation phase.
Their flagship product, the Mebalabala Colouring and Tracing Books, bridges a key gap in the early childhood development (ECD) space as it combines fun with structure, and creativity with curriculum.
“Mebalabala is different from generic colouring books. Each activity is aligned with the CAPS curriculum, covering all subjects across all four terms. It’s also culturally relatable and instantly engaging for young learners,” said Lebabo.