Roger Federer’s legacy is no longer limited to tennis courts, Grand Slam trophies and records. Through the Roger Federer Foundation, the Swiss great has spent years helping children gain access to better early education. His work in Southern Africa has grown into a long-running effort involving schools, teachers, families, local organisations and communities.During a 2025 visit to South Africa, Federer highlighted the scale of that work, revealing that the Foundation had already provided quality preschool education to more than 300,000 children in the country. Yet his message was not simply about celebrating progress. He also pointed to the millions of children who still need better opportunities to learn and develop.
Roger Federer’s foundation has made early education a long-term priority
Federer established his foundation in 2003 with a focus on improving educational opportunities for children. What began as a relatively small effort in South Africa gradually expanded into a broader programme across Southern Africa.By 2023, the Foundation said its work had already helped 2.5 million children gain better access to preschool education. Its programmes were operating in six Southern African countries, including South Africa, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, as well as Switzerland.The Foundation’s approach goes beyond simply putting more children into classrooms. It also focuses on the quality of learning, teacher development and the support systems around young children. Its stated mission is to strengthen early and foundational learning systems so children have a chance to learn, grow and thrive.That focus is important because the first years of education can shape how children approach school later. A child who enters primary school with basic language, numeracy and social skills has a stronger starting point than one who has had little access to structured learning.Federer has repeatedly connected this work with the opportunities he received during his own childhood. Speaking during his 2025 South Africa visit, he said, “I worked tirelessly to achieve success in tennis.” He then linked that experience to his desire to give other children access to guidance and opportunity.
More than 300,000 children have benefited in South Africa
The most striking figure from Federer’s 2025 visit was the Foundation’s reach in South Africa.At a Johannesburg event, Federer said the organisation had provided quality preschool education to more than 300,000 children through its work in the country. ATP Tour reported the figure directly from his remarks, while BusinessTech also cited the same number when detailing the Foundation’s South African programmes.The figure needs some context. The available sources do not establish that a single programme reached all 300,000 children. Instead, the number reflects the Foundation’s broader work in South Africa. One of its notable programmes is the School Readiness Initiative, launched in 2019 to help vulnerable children make a stronger transition from Grade R into primary school.The initiative focuses on several areas that can make a difference in a young child’s early years. These include improving teacher skills, creating mentoring networks, involving parents and education officials, and giving schools better tools to monitor children’s development.The programme also recognises that school readiness is about more than knowing letters and numbers. Children need support with language, social development, emotional skills and basic problem-solving before they enter the next stage of their education.BusinessTech reported that the Foundation had invested about R175 million in the School Readiness Initiative, with the programme designed to improve preschool participation, strengthen children’s readiness for primary school and help reduce repetition and dropout rates.
Federer says 1.3 million children still need support
For Federer, the 300,000 figure is a milestone, but not an endpoint.During his February 2025 visit, he highlighted the gap that remains in South Africa. According to ATP Tour’s report, Federer said another 1.3 million children were still waiting for better opportunities and basic learning resources, including books, playgrounds and building materials, as well as well-trained educators.That challenge puts the Foundation’s work into a much wider context.South Africa has made efforts to expand early childhood development, but access and quality remain uneven. BusinessTech, citing UNICEF and South Africa’s Department of Basic Education, reported that around 1.15 million children aged three to five were not enrolled in an early learning programme. It also noted concerns about teaching quality and educators’ understanding of child development.Federer therefore used his visit to call for wider cooperation rather than presenting philanthropy as a complete solution. He met South African rugby captain Siya Kolisi, whose foundation also works with communities in the country, and encouraged business leaders to contribute to the effort.Reuters reported that Federer and Kolisi discussed the need for collaboration as South Africa faces continuing challenges in education. Federer also visited Salani Primary School in Mpumalanga, giving him an opportunity to see some of the Foundation-supported work more closely.
The Foundation’s Southern Africa work stretches beyond South Africa
South Africa is only one part of Federer’s education project.The Foundation has developed programmes across several Southern African countries, with an emphasis on helping children from vulnerable communities gain access to early learning. In Lesotho, for example, its School Readiness Initiative uses digital tools to help teachers access educational resources and improve classroom practice.The Foundation has also invested in teacher development. Its model recognises that giving children access to classrooms is only one part of the challenge. Teachers need training, useful resources and ongoing support if early education is going to produce lasting results.The organisation’s wider work has grown considerably since its early projects in South Africa. In 2023, the Foundation marked its 20th anniversary, with ATP reporting that more than 2.5 million children had benefited from its education programmes by then.The Foundation’s current resources also include the Early Learning Kiosk, a digital platform offering locally adapted tools and resources for quality pre-primary education.For Federer, the ambition now extends to ensuring that early education becomes available to every child who needs it. His 2025 South Africa visit showed that his post-tennis chapter is increasingly tied to that goal.The numbers tell part of the story. More than 300,000 children have already received quality preschool education through the Foundation’s work in South Africa. Millions more have benefited from its programmes across Southern Africa and Switzerland.But Federer has made clear that the work is far from finished. The next challenge is reaching children who remain outside quality early learning and ensuring that those who do enter the system have trained educators, suitable resources and supportive communities around them.That makes the Foundation’s work less about a single celebrity charity project and more about building stronger foundations for education. Federer may have finished competing professionally on the tennis court, but his long-term work in early education continues to focus on giving children the kind of start that can shape everything that comes after it.
