Taking Care of Business (TCB) stands proudly among the finalists for the 2026 CSI Legacy Awards, recognised in the Best Social Enterprise category for its extraordinary contribution to poverty eradication, entrepreneurship development and circular economy innovation in South Africa. At the heart of this transformative organisation is Tracey Chambers, its co-founder and CEO, whose leadership has inspired a movement centred on dignity, opportunity and long-term financial independence for families who have historically been excluded from the economy.
Tracey is a Chartered Accountant, a Schwab Social Entrepreneur and an Ashoka Fellow, known globally for her pioneering approach to social impact. With over 30 years’ experience, she has empowered thousands of unemployed mothers, fathers, and early childhood development (ECD) centre owners to build sustainable businesses that break the cycle of poverty. After a successful corporate career, including serving as Head of Finance for Woolworths, Tracey felt compelled to pursue work with deeper social purpose. She channelled her skills into creating inclusive ecosystems where women, families and communities can thrive. Her belief that investing in women reshapes the trajectory of entire households remains a driving force behind TCB’s mission.
Founded in 2010, TCB is a leading social enterprise dedicated to unlocking entrepreneurial potential through circular economy solutions and holistic skills development. The organisation operates across Cape Town, Durban, East London and Midrand, supporting more than 2,000 entrepreneurs each year. Its impact is rigorously measured through the Greenlight Poverty survey and ELOM studies, ensuring accountability and continuous improvement.
The programme TCB entered into the 2026 CSI Legacy Awards embodies its innovative approach: a collective model anchored in five transformative initiatives—Resell, Repair, Remake, Reskill and Grow ECD. These programmes address some of South Africa’s most pressing socio-economic challenges, including unemployment, waste, inadequate early learning infrastructure and systemic barriers to economic participation.
Resell empowers unemployed mothers to become clothing traders through a two-year enterprise development journey fuelled by excess retail stock that would otherwise go to waste. Repair trains participants, many of them fathers, to restore and resell appliances, reducing e-waste and turning waste streams into viable income sources. Remake supports sewists in creating high-quality upcycled products, proving that creativity and circular design can coexist with sustainable livelihoods. Collectively, these three programmes respond directly to unemployment, poverty and environmental degradation. To date, TCB has diverted over 22 million items from landfills and processes 172 tonnes of e-waste annually.
Grow ECD extends TCB’s impact to early learning, equipping women who run preschools with business, educational and compliance skills. In a sector where 90% of practitioners earn less than half the minimum wage, Grow ECD helps centre owners achieve sustainability while providing high-quality early learning. More than 15,000 children benefit daily from the programme, with 4–5-year-old developmental outcomes at 70%—a remarkable improvement compared with the national average of 48%.
The Reskill programme offers life-changing training to participants and partner organisations, covering financial literacy, computer skills, entrepreneurship and personal development. It recognises that poverty is multidimensional and that emotional resilience and holistic growth are essential for lasting economic independence.
Under Tracey’s leadership, TCB has achieved extraordinary milestones: more than 7,000 entrepreneurs have completed its programmes, and 82% reach financial independence within 24 months—results that endure long after graduation. These achievements reflect the organisation’s Heart-Head-Hands model, which blends emotional empowerment, practical skills and enterprise development into a powerful engine for change.
Tracey describes her proudest moments not in awards—though TCB has earned global recognition, including the Schwab Social Enterprise of the Year Award—but in the personal stories of transformation: women building homes, parents reintegrating into families, children accessing better education. For her, being a finalist in the 2026 CSI Legacy Awards affirms that social change is possible when compassion, innovation and collaboration align. It strengthens TCB’s resolve to keep growing, reaching further and changing more lives through the belief that poverty is not destiny—it is a challenge that can be overcome with the right support, opportunity and humanity.
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