Covid-19 might have left a devastating and unforgettable mark on the world but for Lize-Jeanne Coetzee – founder of MoVee Performance – the pandemic also created an opportunity that would not only positively alter her own life but that of many children.
MoVee Performance is an online kids’ exercise and physical education programme offered to schools and parents. The company’s age-appropriate programmes are designed to enhance gross motor skills, build strength, improve balance as well as develop essential coordination skills.
“By focusing on long-term athletic development and overall wellness, we teach foundational skills such as hand-eye coordination, running techniques, balance, rhythm, and sport-specific movements to help children reach key developmental milestones,” Lize-Jeanne explains.
Combining Sport and Medicine
Those who grew up with Lize-Jeanne are unlikely to be surprised if they are told that today she runs a successful business that combines exercising and sport with a medical approach to fitness.
Born in Oudtshoorn, a small South African town in the Klein Karoo area of the Western Cape, Lize Jeanne attended Wesbank Primary School and Oudtshoorn High School where she was an avid sportsperson.
She was so talented on the sport fields that she ended up representing Western Cape at provincial level in both hockey and athletics.
“From an early age, I had an interest in medicine, along with a desire to help people become stronger and prevent injuries through exercise. My studies in Biokinetics were completed at Stellenbosch University. After my honours year, I worked as a biokineticist in Paarl and Stellenbosch and founded MoVee Performance in 2022.”
Filling the Gap
Lize-Jeanne remembers how the Covid-19 pandemic made her discover a business gap and gave her an opportunity to provide an important solution to society while still being involved in the line of work she is very passionate about.
“The main motivation behind starting MoVee Performance came after Covid-19. I recognized a gap in children’s development, as many faced challenges due to muscle and joint instability, developmental delays, as well as a lack of activity, sport exposure and participation.
“Additionally, we need to acknowledge the generational shift towards technology, where computers, games and movies dominate children’s lives. Parents now have increasingly demanding lifestyles and job commitments, leaving less time for their kids.
“Safety concerns also mean children play outside less often. These factors combined made me realize we needed to act immediately. The goal for me was to create a cost-effective, interactive, and fun programme that could support kids’ development holistically, while also being accessible from home.”
Pushing Beyond Boundaries
Since she started operating MoVee Performance, Lize-Jeanne has seen her business growing from strength to strength.
She is very excited by how a new dance programme allows children to further enhance their sense of rhythm as an added benefit has been successfully implemented and has proved quite popular.
To her, coming up with such innovative activities is part of a broader strategy she hopes will see the business growing.
“As the founder of the business, I am actively involved in every aspect at this stage. We have been building and expanding on each area, adding new features along the way. I can confidently say that we are now reaping the rewards of our hard work, especially as of this year.
“This success serves as a great motivation for me to continue developing and creating new ideas to further improve MoVee Performance.”
Seeing beyond Challenges
A major challenge Lize-Jeanne and her team faced during the early stages of the business revolved around their need to streamline operations. It is these and other challenges that forced her to seriously think out of the box to come up with solutions.
“One major challenge was securing reliable suppliers for the materials required for the mats. We also had to find a trustworthy company to handle the printing and proper handling of the mats.
“Additionally, our digital programmes demanded extensive design work and animation to achieve the professional quality we aimed for. Once these processes were streamlined, operations became much smoother and more efficient.”
A Household Name
So effective have been their products that MoVee Performance is now a household name among many schools across South Africa. Looking back at such an achievement makes Lize-Jeanne’s eyes light up with optimism at what the future holds.
“This product was initially developed as a way to get children moving at home after the pandemic. Since then, our ranges have made their way into schools across South Africa as part of their physical education programmes.
“We were also invited to partner with Teneo, the number one homeschooling online education platform. This partnership opened a new door for MoVee Performance, offering parents the option to use it as an extramural activity.
“We are proud to say that MoVee Performance is now in every province in South Africa and continues to grow every day.”
Looking Ahead
With a current staff compliment of eight people, MoVee Performance is definitely poised to grow in many more leaps and bounds. And Lize-Jeanne says she is more than ready for such an eventuality.
“We have many goals for MoVee Performance in the next five years. This year, in 2025, we plan to expand MoVee Performance to the UK. This is an exciting new venture, and we really believe all the hard work we are putting into fine-tuning the programme will pay off.
“We also aim to involve more schools, increasing brand awareness in schools and homes. Our focus is on signing Curro Schools and the Advtech Group schools. We also have an exciting new range coming soon that will be sport specific and we would like to get more schools involved with this,” Lize-Jeanne concludes.
