President Cyril Ramaphosa has reaffirmed the urgent need for universal access to Early Childhood Development (ECD), emphasising that every child in South Africa deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive by the age of five. Speaking at the opening of the Bana Pele 2030 Roadmap Leadership Summit at Atlas Studios in Johannesburg on Monday, 17 March, he described ECD as a game-changer, not just for children, but for the nation’s future prosperity.
“Universal childhood development should have started 30 years ago… We are all here today because of our shared belief in the profound importance of Bana Pele – putting children first,” he stated.
Innovation Edge supports President Ramaphosa’s strong commitment to universal ECD access. His emphasis on early childhood development as a catalyst for economic growth and social equity aligns with our belief that investing in young children is the most powerful way to transform South Africa’s future. This renewed focus on ECD is further reinforced by the 2025 National Budget, which marks the largest financial investment in ECD to date.
It is a major step toward prioritising young children and the women-led care economy that supports them. As Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana stated:
“The foundation to building the next generation of citizens who contribute economically and socially to this great nation is early childhood development.”
For too long, early childhood development has been underfunded, leaving millions of children without access to the foundational care and learning they need to thrive. Stunting affects over a quarter of South African children under five, hindering physical and cognitive development, leading to poor school performance and higher unemployment rates in adulthood.
The latest statistics from the South African Childhood Review indicate that approximately 1.15 million children between the ages of three and five are not enrolled in any early learning programme. However, quality early learning programmes can significantly improve learning outcomes for disadvantaged children. While 68% of children aged 3-5 attend such programmes, inequalities in quality remain bleak between well-resourced and low-resourced centres. Expanding access to high-quality early learning at scale requires substantial investment in infrastructure, learning materials and skilled early learning practitioners.
Key Highlights from the 2025 Budget for ECD
A R10 billion investment raises the subsidy from R17 to R24 per child per day. This is the first increase since 2019, extending support to 700 000 more children. By 2027/28, 1.5 million children will benefit.
- ECD Infrastructure and Registration Support
An extra R210 million will support the Bana Pele Mass Registration Drive, helping unregistered ECD programmes comply. With proper infrastructure and regulation, ECD investments can achieve their full potential and deliver lasting benefits.
Funding for the DBE’s Early Nutrition Pilot grows by 70%, reaching R336 million in 2025/26. This signals a strong commitment to combating child malnutrition and stunting, which currently affects more than a quarter of children under five. Effective collaboration across sectors is essential to ensure this investment reaches the most vulnerable communities.
- Increase in the Child Support Grant
The Child Support Grant rises by R30 to R560 per month.
A Future Built on Early Investment
The 2025 Budget recognises that investing in young children means investing in South Africa’s future. But this must be just the beginning of continued bold actions to ensure every child, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to thrive.
“This investment is a great step forward! South Africa’s youngest citizens need ongoing, long-term efforts to truly break the cycles of poverty and inequality. To make a lasting impact, we must also focus on innovative, scalable solutions in ECD that prioritise early learning and well-being support. These investments will give children the strong foundation they need to thrive and help build a brighter future for them and for the country as a whole,” – Gilbert Anyetei, Investment Principal, Innovation Edge
Innovation Edge remains committed to partnering with social innovators and entrepreneurs, government and funders, to drive innovative and impactful ECD solutions.
Together, we can create an equitable future, starting with our youngest citizens.
Learn more about our work at www.innovationedge.org.za or contact us at [email protected].