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By Johnathan Paoli
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has welcomed the Bana Pele Early Childhood Development (ECD) Mass Registration Drive successfully registering and approving 10 000 ECD centres, three months ahead of the original 31 December deadline.
She said this signals that the campaign is not only on track but exceeding expectations.
Gwarube, who earlier this year set an ambitious target of bringing 10 000 centres into the formal system, described the milestone as a victory for children, practitioners, and communities across South Africa.
“This success is a testament to what can be achieved when the government, the private sector, civil society, and communities join forces. But we cannot take our foot off the pedal, much work remains to ensure every child has access to quality early learning opportunities,” she said.
The drive, which was launched nationally in July, has rolled out in five provinces with great success.
Through community-based registration clinics, a nationwide radio campaign, and direct engagement with practitioners, the department has lowered barriers that historically kept many centres unregistered.
The approach has brought government services closer to communities, particularly in rural and under-resourced areas, where ECD facilities have often operated informally without oversight or funding support.
The success comes at a time when South Africa is facing a severe early learning crisis.
According to the recently released Thrive by Five Index, 80% of children tested were found not to be developmentally on track, with the vast majority struggling to grasp foundational literacy and numeracy skills.
Experts warn that without intervention in the earliest years, these children face significant hurdles in school and beyond.
Gwarube has historically reiterated that addressing South Africa’s literacy and numeracy crisis requires urgent investment in early learning.
“If we want to fix the outcomes in senior primary school, we must first fix the foundations. This means ensuring children aged zero to four are enrolled in structured ECD centres where they can benefit from a curriculum, professional practitioners, and supportive learning materials,” she explained at the campaign’s launch.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana previously bolstered the initiative with a R10 billion allocation to early childhood development, reflecting the government’s recognition that strong foundations are critical to long-term educational and social outcomes.
Last week, the Western Cape leg of the registration drive doubled as a Literacy Month celebration.
Registered centres stand to benefit significantly from formalisation.
Once approved, ECD centres become eligible for departmental support, including a daily subsidy of R24 per child, as well as access to essential learning and teaching materials such as toys, colouring books, and reading resources.
These resources are intended to level the playing field for children from disadvantaged households, many of whom currently lack access to structured learning environments.
The department has introduced a tiered certification process, namely Bronze, Silver, and Gold; that allows centres to progressively improve their compliance and quality standards.
While the initial target has been met, the department is pressing ahead with the next phase of the drive.
Efforts will now intensify in the remaining four provinces, where unregistered centres remain widespread.
Gwarube confirmed that she will personally lead provincial visits to encourage practitioners to register and to engage directly with communities about the benefits of early learning.
Provincial leaders have already begun aligning with the initiative.
In the Northern Cape, Premier Zamani Saul has committed to building 10 new ECD centres annually over the next decade, while Education MEC Abraham Vosloo has acknowledged that the registration drive will help address longstanding challenges around infrastructure, practitioner training, and compliance.
Similarly, Free State Education MEC Mamiki Maboya has highlighted the campaign’s role in extending oversight, improving safety, and unlocking subsidies for low-income families.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, speaking earlier this year at the Bana Pele ECD Leadership Summit, conceded that the government should have prioritised early childhood development decades ago.
He framed the current drive as a long-overdue correction, essential to ensuring that every South African child has the chance to “thrive by five”.
INSIDE EDUCATION
