More than a million five- and six-year-olds walk to school. Nearly half (48%) walk for up to 15 minutes, and about 569,200 spend 15–30 minutes on foot. Another 78,500 walk for over half an hour, according to Statistics South Africa’s 2024 General Household Survey.

Nationally, the share of young children walking 30 minutes or more has dropped since 2010. But in Mpumalanga, it has more than doubled, from 5% in 2010 to 12% in 2023, according to a Department of Basic Education report.

For many in rural areas, these long walks remain a physically demanding and potentially unsafe part of the school day, especially where public transport is scarce and early learning centres are far from home.