Our new chapter as a holistic hub for teacher compliance and professional growth
By Paige Davidson de Grandhomme
In the words of award-winning educational reformer and visionary, John Cotton Dana: “he who dares to teach must never cease to learn.” And according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, over 70% of South African educators found that undertaking professional development activities over the past year had a meaningful, positive impact on their teaching performance.
Guided by this philosophy, we have unveiled a new brand identity as Empower-Ed; the only independent organisation in South Africa that provides end-to-end teacher compliance and professional growth solutions for schools and educators.
At Empower-Ed, our training approach is consultative. We work with schools and teachers to understand their specific needs and design training that responds to those realities from the bottom up rather than the top down. All training is practical and hands-on, giving teachers tools that they can implement immediately in their classrooms.
What’s new
Our extended list of courses and programmes are modelled on key developmental phases across every milestone in the curriculum. This encompasses Foundation Phase (Grade R–3) frameworks focused on cultivating emotional regulation through play, alongside Intermediate and Senior Phase (Grades 4–12) approaches for addressing digital distractions and screen-dependent learning behaviours.
Going beyond these formative years, course topics also help tackle questions like how teachers can provide classroom support without overstepping, in alignment with parental issues such as how to have tough conversations with teenagers.
Programmes extend from the classroom into the staffroom, providing insight into how to develop professional communication skills for tough colleague conflicts and for school managers, how to give constructive criticism without crushing confidence.
Cross-phase and general development topics provide useful guidance on pertinent issues such as AI literacy for teachers, time and workflow management and how to teach in resource-limited environments.
Schools like Rivonia Primary School, Pretoria Preparatory and Durban Girls’ College; as well as a community of individual educators, have offered glowing reviews of the training initiatives delivered to date. More online and in-person learning opportunities will be added to this portfolio in 2026 and all suggestions from teachers and schools are welcome.
All-in one career support for teachers
Empower-Ed’s professional development service will still form part of a holistic offering that also includes other educator compliance requirements as set out by the South African Council of Educators (SACE).
This includes help with SACE registration, police clearance, National Sexual Offenders Register (NSOR), and Child Protection Register (CPR) checks, as well as CPTD points management and portfolio reporting.
Connected platform, Get SACE CPTD will continue to serve as the centralised platform for professional development, with its running calendar of workshops, conferences and learning sessions.
Likewise, teachers and schools will also still have access to the Get SACE Mobile App, designed to simplify and enable the task of managing a professional development portfolio, tracking CPTD points, and accessing instant support.
We take our lead from the very evident, growing need to bridge the gap between regulatory compliance and genuine professional growth for teachers. Since 2016, we’ve specialised in equipping teachers and schools with everything they need to remain compliant.
Now, with a concerted move to broaden our reach as a professional development partner, Empower-Ed will build on this foundation and empower more teachers to deepen their knowledge, skills, and confidence in the classroom – including guidance for teachers who often ask, “How can I earn CPTD points as a teacher in South Africa?”
A holistic resource hub
We want to become a one-stop-shop for everything related to compliance and professional development for educators and schools. The majority of our team are former teachers, which means that we have hands-on experience and personal insight into how the CPTD system works and what it takes to really make it work for you, your learners and your career.
When teachers thrive, classrooms, schools and communities flourish. As we open this new chapter of our brand, we’re excited to be a part of shaping the future with confidence and purpose.
