The drive to formalise and strengthen South Africa’s early learning sector gathered pace on 19 February 2026, as the DBE rolled out the Silver phase of its Bana Pele Early Childhood Development (ECD) Registration Drive in Citrusdal, within the Cederberg Local Municipality in the Western Cape Province.

The Silver Activation builds on the solid foundation established during the Bronze phase, which incorporated more than 13,300 ECD centres into the national registration system. With thousands of centres now formally captured, the focus has shifted towards strengthening compliance, improving infrastructure standards, and ensuring that centres are fully positioned to access available subsidies and institutional support.

This phase is characterised by structured site visits, infrastructure assessments and comprehensive health and safety verification. ECD practitioners received direct administrative and technical assistance, including support with digital registration on the Early Childhood Administration and Reporting System (eCares), document submissions, and coordination with social workers and environmental health practitioners. The objective is to ensure that compliance is both attainable and sustainable.

Members of the DBE Bana Pele Project Management Unit, Ms Mpho Papale and Ms Ivy Rapoo, jointly outlined the strategic intent and practical implementation of the Silver Activation. Ms Papale emphasised the importance of collaboration in strengthening the sector, noting that the activation is designed to guide centres towards sustainable compliance, unlock funding opportunities, and improve long-term educational outcomes for young learners.

Ms Rapoo expanded on the operational details, reassuring practitioners that registration is centred on structured support and quality improvement rather than punitive measures. “The Silver registration process provides clear steps from digital registration and site assessments to compliance guidance and phased support within defined timeframes; ensuring that centres are supported throughout the process,” she said.

The Executive Mayor of Cederberg, Mr Azrial Scheepers, underscored the strategic value of early learning in local development: “Early Childhood Development is the foundation of our community, municipality and nation. ECD centres are a bankable investment in our future.” Mr Scheepers acknowledged sector-wide challenges, including infrastructure limitations, funding pressures, training needs, and the administrative demands of compliance. He reaffirmed the municipality’s commitment to strengthening interdepartmental collaboration, supporting registration processes, and prioritising infrastructure development in forthcoming budget allocations. He called on stakeholders to approach the activation as a shared commitment to expanding equitable access to quality early learning opportunities.

During the activation, DBE officials worked alongside the Western Cape Education Department to conduct site visits at Babbel Bekkies ECD Centre and the Ubuntu ECD Centre. The visits enabled officials to assess facilities, identify areas for improvement, and provide immediate compliance guidance.

Centres that were part of the activation were assessed and awarded certificates according to their level of compliance. Differentiated support packs containing essential health and safety resources will be allocated based on each centre’s specific needs, ensuring practitioners are equipped with the necessary tools to maintain required standards.

The Bana Pele framework aims to bring more than 20,000 ECD programmes into the national system through its phased Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels. In Citrusdal, the Silver Activation reflected measurable progress in enhancing quality, safety, and professionalism within the sector. Through continued technical guidance and targeted support, the DBE is working to ensure that early learning centres are not only registered but strengthened for long-term impact.

This week, the Silver phase of the Bana Pele Early Childhood Development (ECD) Registration Drive took place in Vhembe in the Limpopo Province on 24 February and in Nelson Mandela Bay on 26 February 2026 respectively.