STEPS Charity NPC
STEPS Charity NPC is a Cape Town-based non-profit that supports treatment of congenital clubfoot across Southern Africa using the Ponseti Method, delivering training, clinic support, brace supply, and parent education through 38-48 partner public-sector clinics in eight countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersCape Town, South Africa
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What STEPS Charity NPC does
STEPS Charity NPC is a Cape Town-based non-profit organization (NPC/NPO/PBO) founded in 2005 by Karen Moss that supports treatment of congenital clubfoot in Southern Africa using the Ponseti Method. The organization operates an integrated four-pillar programme—Clinic Support, Training, Clubfoot Advocacy, and Brace Distribution—delivered through 38-48 partner clinics in the South African public health system and across eight Southern African countries (Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania, Lesotho, Swaziland, Madagascar, Seychelles, South Africa). Since inception, STEPS reports over 18,000 children successfully treated, 5,000+ children supported annually, 500+ health professionals trained through 26 Ponseti workshops, and 40,000+ patient visits logged in the Steps Statistics Clinic Reporting System.
The organization's core products and proprietary assets include Ponseti Training Workshops (CPD-certified, using Africa Clubfoot Training curriculum), Ponseti for Parents© education materials in 10+ languages, the My Clever Night Night Shoes children's book, and the Steps Stats real-time data collection system built on Google Data Studio. STEPS is registered with SAHPRA as a medical device supplier and partners formally with the South African Paediatric Orthopaedic Society (SAPOS), Global Clubfoot Initiative, and ministries of health in multiple countries.
The revenue model is hybrid and characteristic of a grant-dependent non-profit with a social enterprise arm. Income streams include individual donations (one-time and the Stride monthly giving programme at R100/R250/R500 tiers, plus R2,500 full-treatment sponsorship), corporate and foundation grants (SAB Foundation, CSI programmes), Stepify (Pty) Ltd social enterprise sales of Mitchell Ponseti braces and AFO devices via stepify.co.za, and fundraising campaigns via Backabuddy (zero-fee) plus Woolworths MyDifference and MySchool/MyVillage/MyPlanet loyalty programmes. Donations qualify for South African Section 18A tax certificates.
STEPS Charity NPC firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- STEPS Charity NPC
- Legal name
- Steps Charity NPC
- Website
- https://steps.org.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- STEPS Charity NPC is a Cape Town-based non-profit that supports treatment of congenital clubfoot across Southern Africa using the Ponseti Method, delivering training, clinic support, brace supply, and parent education through 38-48 partner public-sector clinics in eight countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
STEPS Charity NPC industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Paediatric Orthopaedic Healthcare Services
- NAICS
- Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Community Health, Prevention & Health Education (BPAGACAC), Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health (MNCAH) NGOs (HLAJAKAG)
Keywords
Where STEPS Charity NPC is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cape Town
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
STEPS Charity NPC business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters. Monthly Stride giving programme at R100, R250, or R500 levels. One-time donations via website. Tax-deductible for South African taxpayers (Section 18A certificates available for donations over R1,000 annually).
- Corporate and Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations, corporate social responsibility programmes, and development partners. SAB Foundation, CSI programmes, and similar institutional funders.
- Stepify Social Enterprise Sales: Stepify (Pty) Ltd sells Mitchell Ponseti braces, AFO devices, and accessories to healthcare providers and families. All proceeds support STEPS Clubfoot Care programme.
- Fundraising Campaigns: Crowdfunding via Backabuddy platform, charity events including golf days, and community fundraising initiatives. Zero fees on Backabuddy campaigns as STEPS is a registered charity.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | First Step - R100/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Steady Stride - R250/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Marathon Maker - R500/month |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Full Treatment Sponsorship - R2500 |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | One-time Donations |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels14 records
STEPS Charity NPC product offering
Product offeringCore offering
STEPS Charity NPC is a non-profit support organisation that delivers the Ponseti Method of clubfoot treatment to children in Southern Africa through a four-pillar model: Training (workshops and webinars for health professionals), Clinic Support (coordinators, data systems, and resources across 38-48 partner government clinics), Clubfoot Advocacy (awareness and early-referral campaigns), and Clubfoot Braces (Iowa Brace and Mitchell Ponseti brace distribution via its wholly-owned social enterprise Stepify). It also operates a Stride monthly giving programme, sells multilingual parent education materials, and runs a Stepify social enterprise whose proceeds fund the charitable programme.
Product overview
STEPS Charity NPC is a non-profit support organisation that operates as a unified programme centred on the Ponseti Method for clubfoot treatment. The core offering consists of the STEPS Clubfoot Care Programme built on a four-pillar model: Training (Ponseti training workshops and virtual education via Clubfoot Africa Education), Clinic Support (coordinator programme, Steps Stats data system, and parent resources including Ponseti for Parents© materials), Clubfoot Advocacy, and Clubfoot Braces distribution (Iowa Brace, Mitchell Ponseti braces via Stepify, and recycled braces). Supporting offerings include the Stride monthly giving programme, My Clever Night Night Shoes bedtime storybook for brace compliance, and the Stepify social enterprise. The programme supports 38-48 partner clinics across Southern Africa.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Ponseti Training Workshops CPD-certified training programme for paediatric orthopaedic surgeons, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses, and clinic coordinators in the Ponseti Method, using the Africa Clubfoot Training (ACT) curriculum. Delivered via in-person workshops and global webinars.
- STEPS Clubfoot Care Clinic Support Programme Award-winning clinic support programme that provides coordinator training, patient resources, data collection, and ongoing support to a national network of partner government clinics delivering Ponseti treatment.
- Clubfoot Brace Supply
- Stride Monthly Giving Programme Monthly recurring donation programme with three tiers (First Step R100, Steady Stride R250, Marathon Maker R500 per month) that funds a child's four-year Ponseti treatment journey and provides Section 18A tax certificates for South African donors.
- Ponseti for Parents© Education Materials Comprehensive parent education materials covering clubfoot information, casting phase, bracing phase, and maintenance, translated into 10+ languages and used internationally in the ACT curriculum.
- My Clever Night Night Shoes Children's bedtime storybook by Karen Moss designed to encourage brace-wear compliance, published and sold globally through Amazon and distributors in German, Swedish, Spanish, Catalan, and Italian translations.
- Stepify (Pty) Ltd Medical Device Distribution Wholly-owned social enterprise subsidiary that imports and distributes Mitchell Ponseti braces, AFO devices, and accessories at fair prices to healthcare providers and families globally, with all proceeds supporting the STEPS Clubfoot Care programme.
- Clubfoot Africa Education Webinar Series Global webinar and virtual education series covering clubfoot clinic coordination, atypical and complex clubfoot treatment, and expanding treatment access, hosted on the Clubfoot Africa Education Vimeo channel and integrated with the ACT curriculum.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 95% success rate when Ponseti method is performed correctly by trained providers
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use STEPS Charity NPC
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
STEPS Charity NPC technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature4 records
STEPS Charity NPC partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.
- BackabuddysupportingPartnership with South Africa's trusted crowdfunding platform. As a registered Backabuddy charity, STEPS receives zero fees on donations, ensuring every cent raised goes directly to supporting children.
- Woolworths MyDifferencesupportingWoolworths loyalty programme partnership. Shoppers can select STEPS as their MyDifference beneficiary, and a portion of their shopping supports life-changing clubfoot treatment at no extra cost.
- MySchool/MyVillage/MyPlanetsupportingCard-based fundraising programme. Supporters raise funds for STEPS every time they shop at partner stores by swiping their card.
- Hope Walks - CEDA ProjectsupportingKaren Moss served on advisory group for Clubfoot Early Detection and Adherence (CEDA) project with Hope Walks.
- Global Clubfoot InitiativecoreSTEPS is a member of Global Clubfoot Initiative. Contributed to Africa Clubfoot Training (ACT) curriculum development. Active in #Runfree2030 global clubfoot treatment expansion campaign and training workgroup.
- Seychelles Ministry of HealthcoreSTEPS collaborated with Seychelles Ministry of Health to arrange Ponseti training workshop in April 2014. First held in Indian Ocean Islands. Ministry runs Ponseti clinic through Physiotherapy department with educational materials and braces supplied by STEPS.
- Tanzania Bugando Clubfoot ProgrammesupportingSTEPS worked with miraclefeet and Dr Isidor Ngayomela to provide administrative support, monitoring and evaluation for six clubfoot clinics around Mwanza. Supported establishment of national network and chaired first national network meeting in 2014.
- Stepify (Pty) LtdcoreSocial enterprise entity owned by STEPS that distributes paediatric orthopaedic products including Mitchell Ponseti braces and AFO devices. All proceeds support STEPS Clubfoot Care programme. Creates hybrid model where commercial sales fund charitable activities.
- Botswana Ministry of HealthcoreSTEPS helped establish National Clubfoot Programme in Botswana. Organized first Botswana Ponseti training in June 2013. STEPS Botswana Trust registered in November 2013. MOU signed May 2015. Programme transferred to government management in May 2017 after treating over 290 patients.
- Namibia Ministry of HealthcoreSTEPS introduced Ponseti method to Namibia, organized first training in November 2013, supported clinic openings in Windhoek, Oshakati, and Rundu. Namibian government took over management as sustainable programme within public health system.
- South African Paediatric Orthopaedic Society (SAPOS)coreSTEPS partners with SAPOS on all training workshops. SAPOS officially recommended Ponseti Method as best practice in 2012. STEPS Medical Director Jacques du Toit is a Ponseti faculty trainer. Joint efforts to train health professionals and establish Ponseti as standard of care.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
STEPS Charity NPC competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Smile Train: Large-scale non-profit supporting free cleft lip and palate surgery in 90+ countries through local partner training. Comparable as a similarly-modeled health non-profit that trains local providers, partners with hospitals, and uses donor funding to enable paediatric surgical/orthopaedic treatment in low-resource settings.
- Ponseti International Association: Global organization dedicated to promoting the Ponseti method worldwide through training and education. Comparable as the originator-aligned body that trains physicians and develops curricula; STEPS Medical Director Jacques du Toit is a Ponseti faculty trainer, creating direct organizational linkage.
- Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF): Large international medical humanitarian organization delivering healthcare in conflict and low-resource settings globally. Comparable as a global health implementing NGO operating across Africa with deep donor networks, though focused on broader healthcare delivery rather than a single condition like clubfoot.
- CURE International: Global non-profit operating paediatric orthopaedic hospitals and programmes in 13+ countries, including clubfoot treatment. Comparable as a larger established player in children's orthopaedic care in Africa and other developing regions, offering overlapping but broader capability than STEPS' clubfoot specialization.
Direct peers
- miraclefeet: Global non-profit dedicated to eliminating untreated clubfoot through the Ponseti method, working across 30+ countries. Directly comparable as both organizations fund partner clinics, train providers, and supply braces, with overlapping geographic presence in Africa and shared membership in the Global Clubfoot Initiative.
- Hope Walks: Faith-based non-profit working to ensure every child with clubfoot receives quality treatment in 17 countries, primarily in Latin America and Africa. Directly comparable as a clubfoot-specific implementing NGO that partners with local clinics and governments—STEPS' Karen Moss served on Hope Walks' CEDA advisory project.
- Global Clubfoot Initiative: International network of organizations working toward the goal of eradicating untreated clubfoot worldwide. Directly comparable as STEPS is a member, jointly developed the Africa Clubfoot Training (ACT) curriculum, and collaborates on the #Runfree2030 global campaign.
Emerging players
- ReSurge International: Non-profit providing reconstructive surgical care and training in 15+ low-resource countries. Comparable as a paediatric reconstructive care organization with similar train-the-trainer models and partnerships with public hospitals, though focused on burns/clefts rather than clubfoot.
Others
- Clubfoot Africa Education: Virtual education platform co-developed by STEPS providing blended learning for clubfoot treatment. Comparable as STEPS' own educational channel and ACT curriculum partner, representing the enabling infrastructure through which African clubfoot training is delivered.
Regional players
- Walk for Life: Australian-founded non-profit establishing Ponseti clubfoot treatment programmes across Bangladesh, India, and Laos. Comparable as a regionally focused clubfoot implementing NGO using similar training-plus-clinic-support-plus-brace-supply models, though operating in South and Southeast Asia rather than Africa.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
STEPS Charity NPC social profiles
Digital presenceSTEPS Charity NPC compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
STEPS Charity NPC financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
STEPS Charity NPC leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
STEPS Charity NPC subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
STEPS Charity NPC funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
STEPS Charity NPC M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about STEPS Charity NPC
What does STEPS Charity NPC do?
STEPS Charity NPC is a non-profit support organisation that delivers the Ponseti Method of clubfoot treatment to children in Southern Africa through a four-pillar model: Training (workshops and webinars for health professionals), Clinic Support (coordinators, data systems, and resources across 38-48 partner government clinics), Clubfoot Advocacy (awareness and early-referral campaigns), and Clubfoot Braces (Iowa Brace and Mitchell Ponseti brace distribution via its wholly-owned social enterprise Stepify). It also operates a Stride monthly giving programme, sells multilingual parent education materials, and runs a Stepify social enterprise whose proceeds fund the charitable programme.
Is STEPS Charity NPC a public or private company?
STEPS Charity NPC is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was STEPS Charity NPC founded?
STEPS Charity NPC was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is STEPS Charity NPC based?
STEPS Charity NPC is headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does STEPS Charity NPC make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate and Foundation Grants, stepify Social Enterprise Sales and fundraising Campaigns.
Who are STEPS Charity NPC's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Smile Train, Ponseti International Association, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and CURE International. Direct peers are miraclefeet, Hope Walks and Global Clubfoot Initiative. ReSurge International is listed as an emerging player. Clubfoot Africa Education is listed as an others. Walk for Life is listed as a regional player.
Does STEPS Charity NPC have an API?
No public API is recorded for STEPS Charity NPC.
What industry is STEPS Charity NPC in?
STEPS Charity NPC's product category is Nonprofit Paediatric Orthopaedic Healthcare Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAJAKAD, International & Local Implementing NGOs, with a secondary code of BPAGACAC, Community Health, Prevention & Health Education. Its NAICS code is 624190 and its SIC code is 8300.