Basic Education Minister, Ms Siviwe Gwarube, Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Francine Higham, attended an Early Childhood Development (ECD) Indaba, hosted by the City of Cape Town’s Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews, to outline the regulatory and other support the City is offering the sector. The ECD Indaba took place at the Council Chambers, Cape Town Civic Centre on 2 August 2025.

The Programme Director, Yusrah Ehrenreich from the Centre for Early Childhood Development (CECD), welcomed participants and provided an overview of the ECD Indaba. The opening address was delivered by Mayor Hill-Lewis on the origin and importance of the ECD Task Team: “The challenges facing ECDs cannot be solved by one department or one tier of government alone. That is why we have established the City’s ECD Task Team, a joint initiative between the City, Province, ECD providers and private sector partners, with the aim of removing systematic barriers to registration and compliance, especially in our most vulnerable areas”.

Minister Gwarube provided a national perspective and discussed strategic partnerships with a focus on how private sector-accredited ECD centres partner with the DBE in delivering Grade R services. The Minister relayed the tale of South Africa’s two ten-year-olds, contrasting the urban child enrolled in a quality ECD centre with an underprivileged, rural child with a lack of resources – no books, no formal early learning, and limited exposure to rich language environments, entering Grade 1 already behind.

“The latest national assessments confirm that 8 out of 10 Grade 4 learners in South Africa cannot read for meaning. This shocking statistic is not merely about reading; it is about whether children will be able to comprehend the curriculum, stay in school, or secure a future of dignity and opportunity. This dire state is the reason why, since taking office, I have led a strategic reorientation of the basic education system to strengthen the foundations of learning. We are shifting the system towards early intervention, and injecting quality from the earliest years. This is the only sustainable path to improving educational outcomes. Recent data reveals that 58% of children aged 2 to 5 are not enrolled in any form of ECD programme. Most of these children come from rural, informal, or other disadvantaged communities. We must ensure access to quality early learning for every child, regardless of where they are born or live,” the Minister said.

Minister Gwarube added that, “we are at a moment of transformation and opportunity. We have the policy foundation through the BELA Act and the integration of ECD into basic education. We have evidence from science and research. We have a willing and capable network of partners in the private sector, civil society, local government, and beyond. But we must now match intention with action. We must register ECD centres, standardise quality, support our educators, and expand infrastructure in underserved areas. Most importantly, we must place the child, the ten-year-old, the three-year-old, the newborn at the centre of every decision. Together, let us commit to ensuring that every child, in every community, has access to quality early learning. That is how we build a nation from the ground up”.

Deputy Mayor Andrews said: “ECD is the foundation of any healthy, capable and thriving society. This Indaba is a commitment from the City to walk alongside our ECD sector, helping them to become compliant, resilient, and more accessible. According to the 2021 ECD Census, Cape Town is home to around 2,620 ECDs serving almost 100,000 children, but nearly 60% of these facilities remain unregistered. That’s more than 1,500 centres, supporting over 63,000 children, that are operating in a system that is often simply too complex and too expensive. This is why the City has placed a focus on undoing many of these barriers”.

Ms Sarah Atmore delivered a photographic case study showcasing infrastructure and compliance achievement in an informal settlement, followed by a panel discussion, whilst Prof Eric Atmore, Director, CECD, concluded the session with a reflection, synthesis of key themes and a call to action. The Indaba comes at a moment when city reforms are reshaping the regulatory space for ECD centres, providing them with more support and making it easier for them to operate.