The Department of Basic Education (DBE) continued to take on an enablement and resourcing role to accelerate the ECD Silver Registration process in the Pinetown District in the KwaZulu-Natal Province on 19 May 2026. The approach centres on bringing stakeholders into one room to align, collaborate, and remove bottlenecks that have historically slowed registration.
Through joint efforts and successful partnerships between the DBE, Provincial Education Departments (PEDs), local government, district officials and NGOs, 14,965 Bronze Early Learning Practitioners (ELPs) have been approved to date.
Key to the registration drive is strengthening relationships between municipalities, PEDs and district officials. By distributing information packs and running robust information-sharing sessions, the Department aims to provide ELPs with clear guidance on the Silver Registration requirements and the next steps going forward.
The support is targeted at two groups: ELPs who are Bronze Registered and ready to begin their Silver Registration, and those already in the Silver process who need help completing applications and document uploads on the Early Childhood Administration and Reporting System (eCares). Site visits pairing Environmental Health Practitioners and social workers were also planned to streamline assessments and reduce duplication. Non-governmental organisations and ECD Forums attended to provide support and assisted with registration process. The local councillor also provided support and sent messages of support to the ECD programmes.
Beyond compliance, the drive focuses on visibility and trust. Community awareness efforts will reach as many practitioners as possible, whilst provinces receive personal Bana Pele branding for future events to ensure consistency and legitimacy. The Department will also test and track the impact of Silver Clinics to assess what works for long-term implementation. The event was also supported by activities from Takalani Sesame as a partner for the Mass Registration Drive. The activities were held at the Gozololo ECD Centre.
“Registration is not a paperwork exercise. It’s about bringing the whole system together so that no practitioner is left behind because they did not know where to go or who to ask,” said Ms Ivy Rapoo from the DBE. She concluded by saying that, “when national, provincial, and district teams show up together with resources and clear answers, ELPs feel supported to move forward”.