Real Reform for ECD Movement

The revised 2025 National Budget contains the single biggest fiscal investment in early childhood development (ECD) in South Africa’s history.

Ahead of the 2025 National Budget Speech, the Real Reform for ECD movement calls on Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to put money behind the government's commitments to expand access to early childhood development (ECD) services for every child.  

On 20 November, Early Childhood Development (ECD) activists, practitioners, and supporters will gather at the Department of Basic Education's (DBE) Head Office in Pretoria for an ECD Sit-In. The action, coinciding with Universal Children’s Day, urges Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube to make ECD a top political and social priority.

Despite an improved fiscal outlook, the 2024 Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) provided no plans to invest in universal access to quality early childhood development (ECD) services and to end child hunger by 2030.

As the Government of National Unity (GNU) prepares to table its Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) on Wednesday 30 October, the Real Reform for ECD Movement calls on leaders to prioritise transformative investments in early childhood development (ECD). The time to invest in ECD is NOW!