Insights and Pathways from the 2025 National Systems Mapping Workshop
In October 2025, SmartStart, the Department of Basic Education (DBE), Ilifa Labantwana, Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, and the Early Childhood Development Action Network (ECDAN) convened a two-day Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Systems Mapping Workshop. Early childhood practitioners, parents, government officials, civil society organisations, funders, academics, and international partners – all key role-players in children’s welfare, came together to examine how South Africa’s ECCE system functions in practice, and to identify the shifts necessary to reach every child, especially the most excluded. This took place in the context of significant strides towards the goal of universal ECCE access in recent years.
The report outlines key findings from the session, and highlights stakeholder insight on forging more deliberate public-private partnerships around shared goals. It calls for elevating the value of care work, centering families and communities in solutions and driving a fundamental mindset shift to make sustainable change a reality.
