Clowns Without Borders

What Clowns Without Borders does

Clowns Without Borders South Africa (CWBSA) is a registered South African non-profit organization (NPO No 057-149) founded in 2004 and headquartered in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. The organization promotes psychosocial well-being and protection of children and families affected by crisis and adversity through two integrated program pillars: humanitarian clowning and arts-based field interventions, and the evidence-based Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH) programme suite — including PLH for Young Children (ages 2-9), PLH for Parents and Adolescents (ages 10-18), and specialized adaptations such as the Sibambisene Parenting Programme for Parents Who Use Drugs. CWSA functions as the dissemination and capacity-building agency for PLH, an initiative co-developed with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the Universities of Oxford, Cape Town, Bangor, and Stellenbosch, with PLH programs validated through randomized control trials and made available under Creative Commons licensing.

The core technology stack comprises digital parenting interventions — SinovuyoApp (available on Google Play and Apple App Store), ParentChat, and ParentText — alongside freely accessible online training manuals and implementation guides for partner organizations. Field methodology combines theatrical and arts-based psychosocial interventions with structured group-based parenting curricula delivered through trained facilitators. The organization has a documented track record of multi-country programming across at least seven African nations, including Mozambique cyclone response (Cyclone Idai), South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, in addition to six-province South African operations.

CWBSA's revenue model is donation- and grant-based rather than commercial. Income streams consist of individual donations (with over 90% allocated to field operating costs) collected via the Ubuntu Clown Fun(d) monthly membership program, alongside institutional grants from foundations such as the LEGO Foundation, UNICEF, and the World Childhood Foundation for specific programs. Go-to-market is community-led: the organization operates through partnerships with local NGOs, community-based organizations, and government agencies, providing capacity building, technical support, and quality assurance for partner-implemented programs rather than selling products or services. No commercial pricing tiers exist, and the organization maintains a small staff (11-50 employees) relative to its multi-country reach.

Name

Clowns Without Borders

Legal name

Clowns Without Borders South Africa

Website

https://cwbsa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Clowns Without Borders South Africa (founded 2004, headquartered in Pietermaritzburg) is a registered non-profit that delivers evidence-based psychosocial support to children and families affected by crisis and adversity, combining humanitarian clowning with the Parenting for Lifelong Health programme suite across South Africa and additional African countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian and Psychosocial Support Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (624110), Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Protection, Child Protection & Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Response (BPAGAAAG), Co-Parenting, Father Engagement & Caregiver Inclusion Programs (EDACALAI), Safeguarding, Accountability & Compliance (ESG, Gender/GBV, Do No Harm) (BPADAEAM)

Keywords

• Humanitarian clowning
• Psychosocial support
• Parenting interventions
• Child welfare programs
• Community-based arts

Headquarters

HQ city

Durban

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Over 90% of individual donations go directly to operating costs in the field. Monthly membership program (Ubuntu Clown Fun(d)) for recurring donations.
2. Foundation and Institutional Grants: Funding from foundations such as LEGO Foundation, UNICEF, World Childhood Foundation for specific programs and initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Clowns Without Borders South Africa (CWBSA) is a non-profit organization that uses professional clown performances and creative arts-based interventions to support the psychosocial well-being of children and families in under-resourced communities. The organization also delivers the evidence-based Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH) program, supported by the SinovuyoApp, to provide accessible parenting support at scale.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH): Evidence-based parenting programme suite developed in partnership with WHO, UNICEF, and universities to reduce violence against children
• SinovuyoApp
• ParentChat
• ParentText
• Ubuntu Clown Fun(d)

Products and services

• Humanitarian Clowning Performances Professional clown performances delivered in under-resourced South African communities to support the psychosocial well-being of children and families through laughter, play, and shared emotional experience.
• Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH) Program
• SinovuyoApp

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced child maltreatment risk and improved child wellbeing among low-income, vulnerable families in low- and middle-income countries

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025UNICEF funding through LEGO Foundation supported the Power of Play 2.0 campaign (May-June 2025) which reached six South African provinces. CWBSA participates in UNICEF-supported initiatives for child protection.
• World Health Organization (WHO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCWBSA is a dissemination and capacity building agency of Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH), an initiative led by individuals from WHO, UNICEF, and Universities of Bangor, Cape Town, Oxford, and Stellenbosch. WHO involvement provides global credibility and alignment with international health standards.
• University of Cape TowncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in PLH program development and research implementation. CWBSA's Head of Content Solutions co-presents with UCT researchers at conferences.
• University of OxfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in PLH initiative and SinovuyoApp development. Former Executive Director Jamie Lachman pursued academic career at Oxford.
• Nal'ibalicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with South Africa's reading-for-enjoyment campaign for literacy campaigns. Joint library roadshow and theatre performances based on storytelling. Reached 30,000 children in literacy campaign.
• NACOSAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-created the Sibambisene Parenting Programme for Parents Who Use Drugs. 10-session group programme rolled out across eight partner organisations in four provinces between January 2024 and pilot completion.
• World VisionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner in Make WASH Fun project in Gqeberha, working with community-based organisations on hygiene promotion through playful approaches.
• PLAN InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanitarian partner in Mozambique operations, particularly for Cyclone Idai response in Buzi District.
• Lefika La PhodisominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner in Johannesburg for Creativity Together project addressing stress and anxiety among young people through arts.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Broad incumbents

• Clowns Without Borders International: The parent global network of which CWBSA is a national chapter. Uses the same humanitarian clowning model to bring laughter and play to children in crisis zones worldwide, providing direct programmatic and conceptual alignment.
• Save the Children: One of the largest child welfare NGOs globally, addressing child protection, education, health, and crisis response. Comparable in serving vulnerable children through multi-country programs and partnership-based delivery.
• World Vision International: Large humanitarian organization running child welfare, sponsorship, and emergency response programs in Africa and globally. Direct partner of CWBSA on the Make WASH Fun project in Gqeberha, with overlapping community-based child well-being focus.
• Plan International: Humanitarian and child rights organization operating child-friendly spaces, protection programs, and crisis response. CWBSA's established partner in Mozambique cyclone response, sharing focus on gender equality and child protection.
• UNICEF (South Africa Country Office): UN agency for child welfare and rights with major programming footprint in South Africa. CWBSA's primary institutional funder and partner on Power of Play 2.0, addressing overlapping child protection and well-being mandates.
• ChildFund International: Child-focused international development organization working on protection, education, and youth livelihoods across Africa and Asia. Overlapping focus on vulnerable children, family strengthening, and community-based psychosocial support.

Direct peers

• War Child: International NGO focused on protecting children affected by conflict through psychosocial support, education, and child rights advocacy. Directly comparable in mission to serve war/crisis-affected children with psychosocial and creative interventions.
• Right To Play International: Global NGO using play-based approaches to educate and protect children in disadvantaged communities. Strongly comparable to CWBSA's humanitarian clowning and Power of Play 2.0 campaign leveraging play for child development.
• NACOSA (Networking HIV/AIDS Community of Southern Africa): South African nonprofit focused on HIV/AIDS, GBV, and child protection through community-level programming. Co-created the Sibambisene Parenting Programme with CWBSA, sharing a community-partnered implementation model in SA.

Regional players

• Tostan: African-led nonprofit operating community empowerment and child/women's protection programs across West and East Africa. Comparable in methodology of community-led change, capacity building, and evidence-informed intervention design.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CWBSouthAfrica
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ClownsWithoutBordersSA
• Facebookfacebook.com/ClownsWithoutBordersSouthAfrica
• Instagraminstagram.com/clownswithoutborders_sa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clowns-without-borders-south-africa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Clowns Without Borders