This article focuses on the problem of overage children populating some of South Africa's primary schools, particularly poor rural communities. The exploratory case study aimed to investigate the various barriers to learning and development that result in the enrolment of overage children in two primary schools in a rural district in KwaZulu-Natal, one of South Africa's poorer provinces. The study also examined the challenges the two schools face in their efforts to integrate overage learners into the education system.