Actresses get down to business

Johannesburg - Award-winning actresses and entrepreneurs Terry Pheto and Mampho Brescia have started an online business, Let’s Learn Toys, to sell educational toys to children.

Brescia and Pheto said they were passionate about education being accessible to all children. They said they believed education was a right and not a privilege, which is why their business would focus on toys for children aged 18 months to 18 years.

Brescia, known for her role as Isibaya’s villain Iris Zungu, said during her childhood, her parents forced her to read, which resulted in her accumulating lots of books. That instilled in her a love for learning and helped her understand the world better, she said.

Speaking about toys, Pheto - who has been nominated in the fourth annual International Achievement Recognition Awards for her role as Winnie Madikizela-Mandela in the US miniseries, Madiba - said as a child, she used her imagination to make the most out of what she had.

The business will be launched on 29 August at the Rosebank Mall in Johannesburg.

The range of toys will be geared towards helping develop children’s motor skills, visual-eye perception and imagination.

There will also be various types of games designed to help children understand their everyday environment, including various professions. These include role-playing, which helps children understand new information better.

The toys will be categorised into subjects including maths, science, technology, art, music, literature and global cultures.

Let’s Learn Toys will also cater for children with learning difficulties and disabilities.

FAVOURITE TOYS

Asked about their ­favourite toys, Brescia said she was a fan of the Travellino Kids board game because it helps children explore and discover the world on their own.

She said the board game encourages a sense of adventure and helps children understand humanity and ­diversity, and also teaches them to embrace the ­human race.

Pheto chose Brain Box, which she said helps children learn to memorise – a helpful skill for children who have to study.

She said the game also helped families bond.

The pair intends targeting corporate, government and nongovernmental organisations to fund toys for underprivileged children.

. The toys are available at letslearntoys.co.za and takelaot.com