Early childhood development and education. Image: iStock
In September this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa noted the important role of early childhood development (ECD) centres and how they play a crucial role in stabilising the South African economy.
Ramaphosa said: “Early childhood development centres don’t just prepare our country’s youngest citizens to succeed in school; they are also an important source of entrepreneurship and job creation.
“These centres are an important part of the care economy.”
The data in the 25th edition of The Trialogue Business in Society Handbook indicates South African companies spent an estimated R10.9 billion on corporate social investment (CSI) initiatives in 2022.
These investments have a major impact for marginalised communities and play a meaningful role in empowering people battling to access education and jobs. However, there is a lot that needs to be done to improve the socioeconomic outlook for South Africa, and possibly one of the most urgent of these is investment in ECD.
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There are still millions of South African children who are unable to access the critical ECD resources they need to become school-ready. Because of this, it is estimated that around 64% of children who start school will not finish by the time they’re meant to graduate from high school.
By removing the access barrier to ECD, which remains elusive to many pre-schooler children across the nation and Southern Africa, we can begin to effectively alleviate the current economic crisis. We can also address South Africa’s education crisis by bringing more investment into ECD.
Research has proven that early childhood development is the most important driver of brain development in early childhood.
It helps children master early foundations, known as the three Rs – reading, writing and arithmetic. This takes place in the first six years of a child’s life and is an essential developmental step for children to complete before entering the school system.
According to the Trialogue Handbook, up 44% of CSI investment in South Africa has been towards education. This is an encouraging figure, compared to 39% in the previous year. This is also an indication of where the private sector is beginning to see the value of CSI investment, as education was the most supported CSI cause in 2022.
There’s an urgent need for the support of the private sector to help build on the work that has been done to date. By investing in ECD, corporates are investing in the development of the nation. This is crucial to help grow our economy, and tackle high unemployment rates.
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-Potgieter is chief executive of The Unlimited Child, a nonprofit organisation.
