How it works
Star Tots is a monthly voter-based competition open to tiny tots aged 0–3 years, from all over South Africa. The three cuties with the most votes at the end of the month are declared that month's winners.
With R10,000 in cash prizes up for grabs every month, it's the perfect moment to show off the apple of your eye. Entering is completely free, and we match the full top-3 prize amount to charity.
The step-by-step process
Enter online
Share your baby's first name, date of birth, their most enchanting photo and a line about what makes them your little star. Entry is completely free and open to South African residents with tots aged 0–3 years. Entries close at midnight on the last day of the month. Every entry is reviewed and approved by an admin before it goes live — this usually takes a few hours.
Vote
Supporters can vote free every day, buy a vote pack, or vote by SMS. Every registered voter gets 10 free votes per baby every 24 hours, so a small circle of family and friends can add up fast.
Share your baby's page
Every entry gets its own page and a unique voting code. Share the link on WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram — the babies who win are almost always the ones whose families share the most.
Track your ranking
Follow your mini-me's position and voting activity in almost real time from your dashboard and the live leaderboard, including a public log of recent votes on each entry.
Win a share of R10,000
The tot with the most votes takes R6,000, second place gets R2,500 and third place walks away with R1,500. Prizes are paid by EFT into South African bank accounts.
Safe and fair
Every entry is manually reviewed, vote fraud is monitored, votes are rate-limited and duplicate accounts are blocked. Your baby's photo is watermarked and only ever used for the competition.
Confused?
Don't be — we've answered the most common questions in our Help section, and the full fine print lives in the Rules.
Who can enter
- Your tot must be between 0 and 3 years old on the day you enter.
- The parent or legal guardian must enter, and must be a South African resident.
- One entry per child per month, and one entry per account per competition.
- You must own the photo you upload, or have permission from the photographer.
- Staff of Star Tots and their immediate families may not enter.
How to vote
Visit the profile page of the cutie you're supporting and cast your vote.
Free
Register and get 10 free votes per baby every 24 hours.
SMS
Vote by premium SMS on 43366 — send BA5, BA40 or BA150 plus the baby's voting code (South Africa only).
Vote packs
Buy 250 votes for R50, 1 250 votes for R200 or 5 000 votes for R500 by card via Yoco, or pay by EFT.
The prizes
1st place
R6,000 cash
2nd place
R2,500 cash
3rd place
R1,500 cash
A total monthly prize pool of R10,000, exactly as set out in the competition rules. Cash prizes are paid into South African bank accounts only. Terms and conditions apply.
Tips for a winning photo
- Natural light beats flash — a window or shaded outdoor spot works best.
- Get down to your baby's eye level and fill the frame with their face.
- Clean, simple backgrounds keep all the attention on your little star.
- Catch a real giggle rather than a posed smile — genuine wins votes.
- Upload the largest, sharpest version you have. No filters or text overlays.
Key dates
Entries close
The last day to enter and to vote is the final day of the month — voting closes at midnight.
Winners announced
The top three are verified and announced one week after the month closes, on the Winners page and by email.
Prizes paid
Winnings are distributed by EFT within 14 days of the announcement, into a South African bank account.
We match the top 3 prize amount to charity
Whatever we pay out in cash to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, we give the same amount again to a registered South African charity chosen by the parents of that month's #1 baby. R 0 donated so far this year, published month by month.
See the charity recordQuestions parents ask most
Does it cost anything to enter?
No. Entering Star Tots is completely free, forever. Votes are the only thing anyone ever pays for, and free voting is always available.
Can I enter more than one child?
Yes — each child gets their own entry, but only one entry per child per monthly competition.
What if I miss the cut-off?
Entries close at midnight on the last day of the month. If you miss it, your baby rolls straight into the next month's competition.
Who owns my photo?
You do. By entering you give Star Tots permission to display the photo for the competition and on our social pages only.
How do you stop cheating?
Votes are tied to registered accounts, rate-limited, and monitored for bursts from the same device or network. Suspicious entries are disqualified.
Why can't I enter?
Entries close at midnight on the last day of the month. If you miss the cut-off, your baby can be entered into the following month's competition. Every entry is also approved by an admin before it appears in the gallery.
Ready to enter?
Enter the monthly Star Tots competition and stand a chance to win a share of R10,000 in cash prizes.