Programme Director, Minister of Basic Education, Ms Siviwe Gwarube, Ministers and Deputy Ministers, Director-General of Basic Education, Mr Hubert Mathanzima Mweli, Executive Mayors and leaders of local government, Traditional leaders, Early childhood development practitioners, Social partners in business, philanthropy, labour and civil society, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Sanibonani. Dumelang. Molwen...
Programme Director, Minister of Basic Education, Ms Siviwe Gwarube, Ministers and Deputy Ministers, Director-General of Basic Education, Mr Hubert Mathanzima Mweli, Executive Mayors and leaders of local government, Traditional leaders, Early childhood development practitioners, Social partners in business, philanthropy, labour and civil society, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Sanibonani. Dumelang. Molweni. It is a pleasure to join you at this important gathering. We are here today to discuss something that lies at the very heart of our country's future. We are here to discuss our children. And, more particularly, what we must do to ensure that every child in South Africa, regardless of where they are born or the circumstances of their family, has the opportunity to develop their full potential. It is inspiring to be among some of the country's foremost specialists in early childhood education. I want to begin by expressing our nation's gratitude to the thousands of early childhood development practitioners, educators, social workers, community organisations and caregivers who devote themselves to nurturing our youngest citizens. Much of your work takes place away from public attention. Yet every day, in villages, townships, informal settlements, suburbs and rural communities, you are helping to shape the future of this nation. The future of South Africa is being shaped not only in our universities, our factories or our boardrooms. It is also being shaped in the classrooms and playrooms of our early learning centres. Preparing the next generation for lives of success is a noble undertaking and a great responsibility. The happy, contented children we see learning in nurturing environments are the result of work that mostly happens behind the scenes. Over the past weeks, we have been out in communities encouraging people to vote in the local government elections on 4 November. We are particularly keen to see young people turn out in their numbers. I have been telling these young voters – Gen Z, as they are called – to 'lock in' and to 'clock it', because it is 'going to be lit' on 4 November. These encounters have prompted a deeper reflection. The first members of Generation Z are already in their late twenties. Their successors, Generation Alpha, are already growing up. And the next generation, Generation Beta, has begun to arrive. These are children who will inherit a world profoundly different from the one in which many of us grew up. Some will learn to swipe a smartphone screen before they can hold a pencil properly. Some will become familiar with digital devices before they enter a classroom. And many will eventually work in occupations that do not yet exist. Artificial intelligence, automation and other technologies will transform how they live, learn and work. But amid all this change, one truth remains constant. A child cannot be prepared for the future unless that child is given a strong foundation in the present. Technology may change the world. But it cannot replace the love, care, encouragement and human interaction that children need to develop. It cannot replace the curiosity awakened by a good teacher. It cannot replace the confidence a child gains when someone believes in them. And it cannot replace the fundamental skills of reading, writing, counting, thinking and understanding. Indeed, as technology becomes more advanced, these human capabilities become even more important. We must therefore prepare our children not merely to use the technologies of the future, but to think critically, solve problems, communicate effectively and adapt to change. That preparation begins in the earliest years of life. Two years from now, many of these children will walk into an early learning centre somewhere in South Africa. There they will be taught the basics of reading, writing and counting. But long before they open their first picture book or pick up their first box of crayons, most will already know how a smartphone works. Today's three- to five-year-olds will grow up in a world where technology changes faster than any previous generation has known. The ABCs and 1-2-3s will not be enough. They will need to learn to think differently. To solve problems differently. And adapt to change differently. Technology will change the jobs they do, the skills they need and the way they live. In that sense, early childhood development is vital to developing a workforce ready for the future. When we moved early childhood development from the Department of Social Development to the Department of Basic Education in 2022, we recognised a fundamental distinction. Providing childcare is not the same as providing early education. That decision also means we must change how society – including parents and caregivers – sees early childhood development. Sending a child to an early learning centre is not only about making sure they are safe and fed. It is about structured learning in early literacy and numeracy that prepares them for formal schooling. It is about closing the developmental gaps that leave millions of our children unable to read for meaning by Grade 4. Early learning is about preparing our children for a future whose script has not yet been written. That is why the Bana Pele Shared Blueprint is so significant. It is our roadmap to universal access to early childhood development by 2030. First, it moves us away from fragmented early childhood programmes towards connected systems of support. Second, it strengthens data systems to improve planning in a space that has long been disjointed, where the playing field was neither clear nor level. Third, it sets clear goals for professionalising the sector through the registration of facilities and programmes and the training of practitioners. The Blueprint recognises that early childhood development creates a virtuous circle for society. We all agree that early learning builds stronger foundations for children. It nurtures the skills they need to enter school better prepared, especially in literacy and numeracy. But there are other parts to this virtuous circle. I have often said that we are starting late in building a formalised early childhood development system. Yet starting late is better than never starting at all. As they say, better late than never. But it should not mean starting slowly. These reforms we have embarked upon in early learning are part of a broader effort to renew South Africa's socio-economic architecture. Early learning touches on education, health, social protection, employment, and the economy, and it is in these interconnected areas that its benefits will be felt most widely. By investing in our youngest children, we are laying the foundations for stronger schools, healthier communities, more inclusive growth, and a more capable workforce for the decades ahead. Early learning breaks the cycle of poverty from one generation to the next. Children from poor households who receive quality early learning start school on a more equal footing with their peers from well-resourced areas. Early learning advances the empowerment of women and expands their participation in the economy. When mothers, grandmothers and caregivers know their child is safe and being prepared for school, they are free to work, to start a business, to train or to study. Early childhood development fosters entrepreneurship and creates jobs. Unemployed women and young people, particularly in poor and rural communities, can train as practitioners and open their own early learning centres. Early learning centres can improve child health and development. They provide nutritious meals, often from community gardens. They help keep vaccinations up to date. And they connect families to health and social services when they need them. The virtuous circle is completed by private sector investment. For companies with foresight, investing in early learning is not about meeting targets for the annual report. It is an investment in the workforce of the future. It is an investment in a stronger economy, where technology makes businesses more competitive and profitable. However advanced that becomes, it will still rely on human skill and ability. As a country, we have made considerable progress in expanding access to early learning. Yet around a million children aged three to five are not enrolled in any early learning programme. For many poor families, even low fees are out of reach. As government, we are committed to lowering this barrier. The early childhood development conditional grant has received additional funding. The subsidy per child per day has been increased. But too few eligible facilities receive it. That is why we are intensifying the Bana Pele Mass Registration Drive launched last year. South Africa now has over 39,000 registered early learning programmes, caring for more than 1.6 million children. We are cutting the red tape that has stood in the way of registration. Earlier this year, revised norms and standards for early learning centres were gazetted. Cabinet has also approved the Children's Amendment Bill for submission to Parliament. It will simplify the rules for early learning programmes. These reforms must make a practical difference. We must ensure that registration requirements protect children without unnecessarily excluding the very centres that serve our poorest communities. Our approach must be developmental. Where a centre does not meet the required standards, our first response should be to determine what assistance it needs to become compliant. We must uphold the health and safety of children while helping facilities improve. We must not allow administrative complexity to become a barrier to opportunity. Business can help us accelerate our drive towards universal access by 2030. I want to make a particular appeal to the business community. South African businesses have demonstrated their capacity to contribute to national development in areas such as energy, infrastructure, education and employment. We now need that same commitment to early childhood development. Businesses can help to build and upgrade early learning centres. They can support the training and professional development of practitioners. They can subsidise access for children from poor households. They can provide learning materials, digital resources and connectivity. And they can support innovative financing models that direct resources to programmes producing measurable results. I would like to see early childhood development become a central part of corporate social investment and broader economic development strategies. Not simply because it is the right thing to do. But because it is one of the most effective investments we can make in the future prosperity of our country. Technology is no substitute for learning to read, write and count. But it is an enabler, with the power to transform how early learning is delivered in our country and at scale. For example, one popular early reading app offers schools phonics exercises, teaching materials and an online library of more than 4,000 books. Technology cannot replace teachers or books. What it can do is multiply what one well-trained practitioner can deliver, reaching many more children at different levels with the same resource. I wish to thank the donors who have supported the Early Childhood Care and Education Outcomes Fund, which we launched in December last year. Government's contribution has been matched by donors. With the support of UNICEF, curriculum support packs are now available in all of the country's official languages. And more than 70 non-governmental organisations are helping early learning centres with documentation and first-aid training. The Bana Pele Shared Blueprint belongs to all South Africans. It is a shared vision, made possible by the men and women of this sector: practitioners, social workers, administrators, staff and government officials. To every one of you serving our children, we say: we see you, we value you and South Africa is grateful. I call on every South African to join the Bana Pele movement. I call on every municipality, working with the Department of Cooperative Governance and the South African Local Government Association, to strengthen its support for early learning. I call on municipalities to take a developmental approach to compliance. I call on community, traditional and faith leaders to visit early learning centres, to meet the children and practitioners, and to ask how they can help. I call on our partners in business, philanthropy and the donor community to scale up their investment in Bana Pele. Together, we can multiply the impact of every rand that government invests in our children. And to the parents, caregivers and families of our young children: we will reach our goal by working with you and alongside you. Our Constitution guarantees everyone the right to a basic education. By making early learning the foundation of every child's education, we are giving effect to that right. There is no greater investment than in our children. There is no greater opportunity than bringing government, communities, business and civil society together behind this purpose. Let us give every child a strong start. Let us make sure that no child falls behind before they even reach school. Let us truly put our children first, Bana Pele. I wish the Bana Pele Leadership Summit 2026 well as it takes forward this vital undertaking, to build the future of the South African nation. I thank you.
Speech Brief