Family Support
Help your team take care of what matters most
Monthly contributions toward school fees, childcare, and family essentials — employer-funded, employee-directed.
School fees, nursery costs, and the family weekly shop are among the biggest household pressure points for working parents across Africa. A family support allowance doesn't just help financially — it signals that your company sees employees as whole people with lives and dependants outside the office.
3
Benefit categories
Any
School partners (onboardable)
4.8/5
Avg. employee satisfaction score
24 hrs
Processing time for school codes
The benefit explained
What is it, exactly?
A flexible monthly allowance employees can direct toward school fee contributions, nursery and childcare costs, or family grocery shops. One of the most valued benefits for employees with children across African markets.
Step by step
How it works
From setup to employees spending — here's the full flow.
Employer loads a monthly family support credit to each qualifying employee.
Employee chooses how to direct it: school fees, childcare, or family groceries.
For school fees and childcare, a payment code is issued within 24 hours.
Employee presents the code to their school or nursery bursar.
For groceries, a voucher is issued instantly for partner supermarkets.
Full coverage
What's included
The difference
Before RibiBenefits vs. after
- No support for school or childcare costs
- School fee contributions require payroll changes
- Parents manage all family costs alone
- High attrition among employees with young children
- No way to target benefit to employees who need it most
- Monthly family support credit, employee-directed
- School payment codes issued within 24 hours
- Company contributes to household's biggest costs
- Measurable retention improvement among parents
- Flexible eligibility rules — you set the criteria
For your organisation
Why HR teams choose it
Standout benefit for working parents
School fees and childcare are significant costs for employees with children. Contributing directly drives loyalty and retention.
Flexible for your workforce
Employees without children can redirect this allowance to grocery or another category — your HR policy decides.
Simple to administer
Codes and vouchers are issued automatically. No manual processing of school invoices or childcare receipts.
Targeting
Who is this benefit for?
This benefit works across many employee profiles. Here's where it has the most impact.
Employees with school-age children
School fees are among the largest recurring expenses for families across Africa. Even a partial contribution is deeply valued.
New parents and employees with infants
Nursery and childcare costs are prohibitive in most African cities. This benefit has an outsized impact during these early years.
Senior staff retention
At mid-to-senior levels, family support benefits are a key retention factor — employees with dependants weigh total compensation differently.
Companies in competitive sectors
In banking, FMCG, and telecoms — where family benefits are increasingly common — not offering this puts you at a disadvantage.
The question Finance always asks
Why not just increase salary for parents?
A salary increase for employees with children creates equity complexity and typically requires permanent adjustment — it's very hard to reverse. A family support benefit is a clean, ring-fenced contribution that every eligible employee can direct as they choose. It also carries higher perceived value: parents associate it with their children's education and wellbeing, not with general compensation.
The perception gap
Equivalent cash added to salary
55% perceived value vs cost
Named benefit credit
87% perceived value vs cost
Based on RibiBenefits employee surveys across African markets, 2024.
Employee perspective
What employees get
Benefits only work if employees actually use them. Here's why they do.
Real help with real costs
School fees and childcare are major household expenses across Africa. This benefit makes a tangible difference.
Flexible each month
Need more grocery support this month instead of school fees? You can reallocate within your allowance.
Simple redemption
Show the payment code to your school or nursery bursar. For groceries, use the voucher at checkout.
“I was paying my children's school fees entirely out of pocket. When the company introduced the family support benefit, it covered nearly a full term's fees over the year. That's not something I was going to find somewhere else for the same salary. I'm not going anywhere.”
Where it works
Available markets
Tax & compliance note
In several African markets, employer contributions toward education and childcare expenses qualify for tax exemptions or reduced rates. This is a complex area and varies significantly by jurisdiction — our team will work through the specific treatment for your markets.
Common questions
Questions
Build your package
Pair it with
Most companies combine 3–5 benefit categories. Here's what works well alongside family support.
Ready when you are
Add Family Support to your package
Book a demo and we'll show you exactly how it works for your team and markets. Most companies go live within two weeks.
- No procurement process — one contract
- Go live in 2 weeks or less
- Dedicated onboarding support included
- Cancel any time, no lock-in