The MEC for Education, Ms Lindi Masina, today convened an Early Childhood Development (ECD) Stakeholder Engagement at Marapyane Community Hall as part of the Executive Council Outreach Programme and the Premier’s Imbizo Programme.
Framing the engagement as a “family meeting,” the MEC called for honest reflection, unity of purpose, and decisive collective action to strengthen and transform the ECD sector across the Province.
She emphasised that the future of the province is rooted in how it nurtures its youngest citizens today.
With 2,895 ECD centres currently operating across the province, the Department continues to expand access while improving the quality of early learning.
This is supported by increased funding interventions, including a subsidy of R24 per child per day for centre-based programmes and R9 per child per day for non-centre-based programmes.
These critical investments are already reaching more than 75,000 children, particularly those in underserved and disadvantaged communities.
The MEC highlighted the steady progress in stabilising the sector, pointing to improved coordination, the growing formalisation of centres, strengthened partnerships, and a rising societal awareness of the foundational importance of early childhood development.
Through the ECD Institute, meaningful strides continue to be made in empowering practitioners.
To date, 1,988 practitioners have been upgraded to NQF Level 4, with focused efforts underway to support the remaining 4,065 practitioners to attain the required qualifications building a capable, skilled, and future-ready ECD workforce.
In a strong call to action, the MEC urged all stakeholders to rally behind the Bana Pele Registration Campaign, encouraging unregistered centres to come forward and partner with the Department in building a compliant, inclusive, and thriving ECD sector.
Delegates were given the opportunity to share their experiences, insights, and challenges.
They expressed appreciation for the platform and raised their concerns on a range of issues, including insufficient subsidies, practitioner salaries, advocacy needs, conditions of service, criteria for accessing funding, crime and corruption, curriculum framework and the timely payment of subsidies to name but a few.
The MEC assured all stakeholders that the Department takes these concerns seriously and is committed to addressing and processing them.
reinforcing the message that government listens, acts, and works hand in hand with communities to strengthen the ECD sector.
“Bana Pele – Children First.
When we invest in our children, we are investing in the very foundation of Mpumalanga’s future, its prosperity, its dignity, and its promise.”
A Department at work for all.