Blog
We are interested in everything ECD
Browse our blog for updates, opinions and stories from the Ilifa Labantwana team and our partners.
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Ilifa and partners join global CARE Initiative
Quality childcare systems significantly enhance child development outcomes, boost women's participation in the economy, create jobs, and drive economic growth. In South Africa, over 7 million children need quality childcare. Establishing robust childcare systems is...
Ilifa CEO is finalist for the Schwab Foundation Social Innovation Awards 2026
Ilifa Labantwana Chief Executive Officer, Zaheera Mohamed, has been named a finalist for the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship 2026 Social Innovation Awards. This accolade reflects her unwavering dedication and innovative spirit in the field of social...
Bana Pele to Global Leadership: South Africa’s Opportunity to Champion the Early Years
South Africa is stepping up to lead a push for universal early childhood development. President Cyril Ramaphosa's recent announcement at the Bana Pele 2030 Summit in March 2025 marks a potential turning point for early childhood education worldwide. He emphasises that...
Our full analysis of the 2025 National Budget – first steps towards universal early learning provision
The 2025 National Budget marks a significant shift towards prioritising children's welfare, with a historic R10 billion allocation to early childhood development (ECD) programmes that could prove to be a turning point for the sector.This allocation is a pivotal step...
Budget 2025: the first step towards a children’s budget
Photo credit: Mlungisi Mlungwana The revised 2025 National Budget contains the single biggest fiscal investment in early childhood development (ECD) in South Africa’s history. Together with Real Reform for ECD, we call on all parties in Parliament...
Government of National Unity: Investing in young children is non-negotiable
Picture credit: Mlungisi Mlungwana As the Government of National Unity (GNU) returns to the drawing board on the 2025 National Budget, Real Reform for ECD is greatly encouraged by the now-withdrawn budget proposals for early childhood development (ECD). R10 billion in...
No more empty promises – the 2025 National Budget must reflect government’s commitment to young children
Photo credit: Mlungisi Mlungwana
Press Release: Stop delaying the introduction of maternity support for poor pregnant women
A coalition of NGOs and researchers is calling on the government to greenlight a Maternal Support Grant (MSG) for poor pregnant women whose nutrition, and that of their unborn children, are at stake amid rising rates of child poverty and malnutrition. This clarion...
South African Early Childhood Review 2024 shows that the situation of young children has worsened. There is now an important window to change course.
Young children in South Africa are more likely to live in poverty, suffer from food insecurity and malnutrition, and die before their fifth birthday than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. This is according to the South African Early Childhood Review 2024,...
Kickstart Your Impact: Essential Steps to Launching a Catalytic Fund
Ilifa Labantwana and Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator collaborated on a project to explore the feasibility of catalytic funds to spur sustainable public and private investment and collaboration in early childhood development services in South Africa. The outcome...
A People’s Manifesto For Early Childhood Development
This campaign is an initiative of the Real Reform for ECD Campaign. It is 30 years after democracy, and the government has yet to properly support and invest in our youngest children and the vital work of those who care for them. The period from 2024 to 2029 is our...
A setback for children: our 2024 National Budget statement
This statement was issued in partnership with the Real Reform for ECD Campaign. Despite the President’s signalling of ECD as a key priority in his State of the Nation Address, the 2024 budget failed to allocate the funds necessary to fulfil all children’s rights to...