DBE Registers 10 000 ECD Centres Ahead of 2025 Deadline in Bana Pele Drive

The milestone, achieved three months before the 31 December 2025 deadline, marks a significant step toward ensuring access to quality early learning across South Africa.

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has announced that it has successfully registered and approved 10 000 Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres as part of its flagship Bana Pele (“Children First”) ECD Mass Registration Drive. The milestone, achieved three months before the 31 December 2025 deadline, marks a significant step toward ensuring access to quality early learning across South Africa.

Early Success of the Registration Drive

Launched in late 2024, the Bana Pele Mass Registration Drive was designed to streamline the process of formally registering ECD centres, many of which had previously operated informally or faced bureaucratic hurdles. At the launch, Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube set a target of 10 000 registrations by the end of 2025.

By September 2025, that goal has already been met—well ahead of schedule.

“This success is a testament to what can be achieved when government, the private sector, civil society, and communities join forces,” said Gwarube. “But we cannot take our foot off the pedal – much work remains to ensure every child has access to quality early learning opportunities.”

Expanding Access to Early Learning

The DBE highlighted that registered centres now gain access to vital state support, including:

• A daily subsidy of R24 per child, helping to cover nutrition and operational needs.

• Teaching and learning resources, such as educational toys, storybooks, and early literacy materials.

• Professional development and capacity-building opportunities for ECD practitioners.

Such measures are designed to standardise quality, improve the safety of facilities, and ensure that every child is nurtured in a structured and supportive environment.

Strong Advocacy and Partnerships

The department credited the achievement to robust advocacy and outreach campaigns. These included:

• A nationwide radio campaign to reach ECD practitioners in rural and urban areas.

• The launch of registration clinics in five provinces, bringing government services closer to communities.

• Collaboration with civil society organisations, NGOs, and private partners to lower barriers to compliance.

The DBE emphasised that these interventions not only sped up registrations but also created awareness of the importance of early childhood education as the foundation of lifelong learning.

Evidence of Urgency: Thrive by Five Index

The department’s push comes amid growing concern about the state of early learning in South Africa. According to the Thrive by Five Index, nearly 80% of South African children lack foundational literacy and numeracy skills by the time they start school.

Experts warn that without urgent interventions, this learning gap becomes increasingly difficult to close as children progress through the school system.

“Expanding access to quality ECD is critical to reversing this trend,” the DBE stated. “Children who thrive in their early years are more likely to succeed academically, socially, and economically in the long run.”

Next Phase: Reaching the Remaining Provinces

Having secured early momentum, the DBE is now turning its attention to the remaining four provinces where registration drives are still underway.

Minister Gwarube has pledged to personally lead provincial visits, engaging with practitioners and community leaders to encourage participation. The aim is to ensure that every ECD centre, whether in rural villages or urban centres, has an opportunity to register.

Long-Term Commitment to Children

The DBE reaffirmed that the Bana Pele drive will not stop at 10 000 centres, but rather continue until every ECD provider is formalised and supported.

At the start of the campaign in November 2024, the department urged all operators to participate, warning that unregistered centres risked exclusion from future state support.

“The DBE remains resolute in ensuring that every child in South Africa can thrive by five,” the department said.

With momentum building, the initiative stands as one of the most ambitious ECD reforms in post-apartheid South Africa, aiming not only to expand access but to raise the quality of early learning nationwide.