What's the future of early childhood education in South Africa amid funding woes?

Deb Zelezniak | image supplied

This leaves thousands of young children without proper care, education, or basic necessities. As a result, non-profit organisations (NPOs) are left to fill the gap where the state falls short.

The harsh reality of ECD in SA

Recent data paints a grim picture: 45% of ECD centres lack running water, 40% are not connected to sewage systems, and 34% have no access to outdoor play areas crucial for development.

Many centres do not have the infrastructure and learning materials needed to provide quality early education. While the Department of Basic Education (DBE) acknowledges these shortcomings, progress remains slow.

For thousands of children, their first introduction to books, structured learning, and basic resources comes from NPOs rather than government-funded centres.

For example, in the past four years, the Santa Shoebox Project has invested over R2m in transforming five rundown facilities into nurturing learning environments for over 200 children annually. But these interventions, though impactful, are not a substitute for systemic change.

A literacy crisis in the making

Without proper funding, ECD centres lack essential educational resources. Nearly 44% have no age-appropriate books, and 39% have fewer than ten books available at all.

Consequently, 26% of four- and five-year-olds struggle with basic literacy, and 19% lag significantly behind. Some children enter Grade 1 without ever having held a book.

NPOs like Book Dash, however, work to bridge this gap by creating, translating, printing, and widely distributing African storybooks for the country’s youngest children.

The skills deficit among ECD practitioners

A well-trained ECD workforce is crucial to ensuring quality early education. Yet, nearly half of all ECD practitioners lack formal qualifications, and 22% have no relevant training at all.

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NPOs have taken on the task of upskilling them – especially as further education is unaffordable for these minimum-wage earners.

If the government truly aims to improve early education, it must prioritise the upskilling of practitioners.

This is especially urgent given that only 10% of South African primary school teachers believe most children are developmentally ready for school.

NPOs like Ort SA Cape offer training to ECD educators in economically disadvantaged communities. These programmes equip practitioners with formal qualifications and mentoring skills, ensuring knowledge is passed down to others.

DBE’s mass registration drive: A double-edged sword

The DBE launched a mass registration drive towards the end of 2024 to ensure ECD centres have the facilities, training and materials they need to provide quality early learning. However many centres struggle to comply due to a lack of resources. NPOs are now helping centres navigate the complex registration process.

Even as an increasing number of centres gain access to the government’s ECD subsidy, the core problem persists - the subsidy itself. While an additional R10bn is being allocated over the medium term to increase the subsidy to R24 per day per child, up from just R17, centres will be forced to stretch already thin resources.

Currently, only one-third of ECD centres are receiving the subsidy, covering 627,000 children, well below the 2.3 million target.

Rising costs in food, sanitation, and education materials mean that, even with registration, many centres are still unable to provide quality care. Won’t this ultimately place an even greater burden on the private sector?

A call for greater Investment

If South Africa is serious about improving early childhood education, funding must follow intent. Greater investment is needed – not just in ECD centres but also in the NPOs working directly on the ground to fill systemic gaps.

Research has consistently shown that investing in early childhood education is one of the most cost-effective ways to drive economic growth.

A stronger ECD system means better educational outcomes, increased productivity, and a future workforce equipped to contribute to the economy.

Failing to act now will not only harm the country’s most vulnerable citizens but also weaken South Africa’s long-term development prospects.

The pressing question is: how much longer can NPOs be expected to shoulder the burden of government responsibility? And how much more can they do without meaningful public-sector support?