Officials from the DBE, the nine Provincial Education Departments (PEDs), civil society, education public entities, and resource and training organisations met from 29 to 30 January 2026, in Johannesburg at the Premier Hotel OR Tambo to discuss the Early Childhood Development (ECD) Human Resource Development (HRD) Strategic Plan, focusing on reviewing minor and substantive feedback and the costed implementation plan.
The meeting reviewed the work of the task team appointed by the Director-General in 2022. Members were officially nominated and appointed, demonstrating the importance of their role in shaping the ECD workforce. The team has now reached its principal milestone and is ready to submit the plan for approval.
Ms Kulula Manona, Chief Director for Foundation for Learning and HRD Task Team convenor, opened the meeting by explaining that the team's goal is to create a strategic human resource development plan to help achieve universal access to quality ECD programmes. She reminded members that their involvement shows a shared commitment to real progress and lasting change. She also emphasised putting children first and helping them Thrive by Five, which is enabled by building a skilled and well-supported ECD workforce.
Dr Janeli Kotze, Director for Early Childhood Development, began the meeting with a presentation on the 2024 Thrive for Five Index and its workforce development recommendations. She shared findings from a 2024 national assessment that included 5,001 children across 1,388 early learning programmes in South Africa.
The ECD HRD Strategic Plan aims to strengthen support for practitioners and assistants, as outlined in the Early Learning Workforce Recognition Framework. It sets clear qualifications for starting, progressing, and advancing in the field to improve early learning outcomes, with a goal to raise workforce qualifications by 2030. The plan aligns with the Department of Basic Education's 2030 Strategy for Early Childhood Development. It focuses on those delivering early learning programmes for children from birth to four years, including practitioners, assistants, and centre principals. The plan also covers workforce regulation through registration with the South African Council for Educators (SACE) and offers guidance on recognising prior learning and creating clear career pathways.
UNICEF-supported presentations highlighted the need for fair and well-managed evaluation processes, clear criteria, defined roles, and quality assurance. They also encouraged using digital tools to improve efficiency and quality.
Participants agreed to combine feedback from the meeting for sharing with the task team for internal approval and then be shared through the National Integrated Early Childhood Development Policy (2015) structures and ECD Forums. Ms Manona closed the meeting by thanking the HRD Task Team for their dedication to improving access, quality, and equity by strengthening and supporting the ECD workforce.