Executive summary
Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) for children aged 0-5 years is increasingly recognized as the foundation for individual development and societal transformation.1 However, in South Africa, of the approximately 3.5 million children aged 3-5, approximately 1.15 million remain excluded from any form of early learning (Hall et al. 2024; Teacher Demographic Dividend 2024). Despite progressive policy commitments to ensure universal access to early learning, structural and socioeconomic inequalities, capacity challenges, resource constraints, and entrenched power dynamics continue to prevent many, particularly marginalized children, from accessing quality early learning opportunities.
Utilizing an interpretive qualitative approach, this report draws on the 3C framework—the catalytic conditions of capacity, commitment, and cohesion—to assess the strengths and gaps within the South African early learning ecosystem and to explore how these factors support or hinder education systems transformation. The report also explores how network-based models, such as SmartStart, a network of and platform for early learning providers, present opportunities and learnings for ensuring equitable access to quality early learning for all young children in South Africa.
Based on the analysis utilizing the 3C framework, the study demonstrates the need for policymakers and ECCE actors to find cohesion around a shared purpose amidst fragmentation, commit to realizing policy intentions in practice (including revising policies to achieve said intentions), and build on the existing capacities and strengths of the ECCE ecosystem to transform early learning in South Africa. Building on the findings, the report offers practical recommendations for ECCE changemakers, as well as state and non-state actors in South Africa. The recommendations emphasize the importance of mobilizing local actors and building productive partnerships between policymakers, government, civil society, practitioners, and communities. Finally, the report highlights the broader systemic shifts required to strengthen and sustain the transformation of early learning opportunities in South Africa.
Authors
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Acknowledgements and disclosures
The authors wish to express their sincere gratitude to all those who contributed to the completion of this research. We are especially indebted to SmartStart network partners, the Siyakholwa Development Foundation, Project Preparation Trust, Khululeka, the coaches who guided and facilitated SmartStart site visits, as well as the hub staff, franchisors, and franchisees (anonymized) who participated in interviews. Their openness and thoughtful engagement provided invaluable insights into everyday barriers and levers for change. We are also grateful for the SmartStart staff who coordinated logistics for site visits, and for the Policy and Advocacy team for their constructive guidance and intellectual input throughout the research process. Our deep and sincere appreciation goes to Sarah Lytle, non-resident fellow at CUE for her insightful comments on an earlier draft of the paper, and to our editor, Jennifer O’Donoghue, deputy director of CUE, whose thorough review greatly enriched this paper.
Brookings gratefully acknowledges the support provided by the LEGO Foundation. Brookings recognizes that the value it provides is in its commitment to quality, independence, and impact. Activities supported by its donors reflect this commitment.
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Footnotes
- ECCE is defined as the range of out-of-home care and educational settings that children experience between birth and school entry. It is a specific sector of services within the larger universe of early childhood development (ECD) policies and programs, which encompass health, nutrition, child protection, and social protection, as well as water, sanitation, and hygiene policies.
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