Sherpa Kids’ expertise
In the same way as mountaineers use skills and knowledge of the Sherpa people to guide them safely to their summit, you can reply on Sherpa Kids' expertise and hard work to guide your school community in everything that goes with managing, planning and running an outstanding Before School, After School and Holiday Care service.
Founded in 1996, we now operate in over 100 schools in New Zealand (as sKids), Australia, United Kingdom and now in South Africa. We have a solid history that has been founded on a high level of know-how, integrity and expertise. Our professionalism underpins our brand, our systems and is reflected in our people.
Sherpa Kids has a genuine passion for delivering a quality, structured and safe service built on a solid business platform.
Sherpa Kids provides a creative, engaging, fun-filled, safe and secure environment for the school community.
We pride ourselves on adhering to International Best Practice and standards. This is evident in the accredited status of our operations in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom.
Genevieve Allen, Managing Director - Sherpa Kids South Africa
Genevieve's twenty years experience in Education has focused on brand development and operational excellence which is in tune with customer needs and market trends. This experience was gained at the JSE listed Advtech Group in the position of managing director of two of their tertiary education brands, Rosebank College and College Campus. While at Advtech Genevieve served as a member of the Group Executive Committee for over five years.
She holds an undergraduate qualification in Marketing, an MBA from Edinburgh Business School and most recently attained a Masters in Business Innovation from Deusto University in Spain.
Genevieve is passionate about travelling and has visited most of South Africa and parts of South America (Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina ), Mexico, China, Australia, the US, most of Western Europe, Prague, the UK, Mozambique, Swaziland, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Mauritius and Egypt. As an avid hiker of wild and distant places with a trip planned to Nepal this year for a 16 day hike in Annapurna near Everest Base Camp – she truly is the sherpa leading the Sherpa Kids Southern Africa model to new heights and opportunities for local business in South Africa.
“After working in the education industry for 20 years, I have a passionate commitment to learning in South Africa. As such, I was motivated to launch his business and offer an out of school hours programme that works,” says Genevieve.
The team which has been assembled for the Sherpa Kids South Africa management, has been meticulously selected. This team includes an array of education specialists, with focused expertise on the needs of young children and operational experts whose implementation and execution skills ensure that good ideas become great sustainable operations.
Dawn Engelbrecht, Managing Director Sherpa Kids International and sKids (Safe Kids in Daily Supervision) New Zealand
Dawn's motivation and professionalism have positioned her as an award-winning business owner, actively playing a role in expanding
sKids from 19 to over 100 sites in a very short time frame. Dawn was voted 2012 HER Businesswoman of the Year - Most Sustainable Business.
Dawn is a qualified accountant who owned her own consultancy, specialising in working with a small chain of franchised restaurants in South Africa. In 2000, Dawn and her family made the decision to move from South Africa to New Zealand. On arrival, both Dawn and hubby took on full-time employment which resulted in enrolling her children at an Outside School House Care programme. Not long after, Dawn found that sKids business was for sale. Dawn is highly passionate, focused and determined to make a difference in the lives of the children in sKids care.