South Africa is one of the lower performing countries in mathematics in comparison to other participating countries. There are improvements that need to be made and valuable lessons to be learned. Building on what we have learnt from the Grade 9 TIMSS with respect to improvements over time, this first round of TIMSS at the Grade 5 level is an important first step in establishing national and provincial benchmarks against which to record progress. Moreover, this new study offers an opportunity to learn more about activities in the pre-Grade 1 period, in terms of both the early home environment and preschool institutions, and their impact on achievement.