In the 2026 State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa reaffirmed government’s commitment to ensuring that every child in South Africa has access to quality early childhood development (ECD) services.
The message was clear: investing in children under five is a national imperative. ECD is foundational to cognitive development and future learning, which has a significant impact on long-term economic inclusion.
At Innovation Edge, we spent time reflecting on what this renewed focus means for the sector and for our work as early investors. For us, the commitment to the development of a child does not begin in Grade R or even at age three. It begins in the earliest moments of life, and even before birth.
Establishing a Firm Foundation in the Early Years
The President highlighted that six out of ten children aged 0-4 now have access to some form of ECD programme, according to the 2022 Census. His emphasis on “establishing a firm foundation for learning in the early years of a child’s life” signals recognition that ECD is central to national progress. While this signals progress, it also underscores the scale of the remaining challenge and the urgent need to strengthen both access and quality.
The expansion of access to early childhood development programmes and services, through the Bana Pele mass registration of ECD facilities and increased subsidies for learners, is widening the reach of quality early learning. Formalising centres and ensuring they have facilities, training, and materials to provide quality early learning reflects an important shift toward strengthening the ecosystem.
However, access alone is not enough. The Thrive by Five Index reminds us that only around 42 % of enrolled four-year-olds are developmentally on track, highlighting the critical need for expanding access and improving quality and support to ensure that all children benefit fully from early learning programmes.
Quality early learning beings long before a child enters a centre. The foundations begin in the home through daily brain-building interactions and caregiver engagement that sparks curiosity, language development, and a love of learning. Supporting caregivers with practical tools and knowledge to create nurturing learning environments in the home is therefore as critical as improving centre-based provision.
Literacy, Numeracy and the Early Learning Pipeline
We welcome the renewed focus on literacy and numeracy, including ensuring every child can read for meaning in the foundation phase. Reading for meaning is shaped in a child’s earliest years through responsive caregiving, play-based learning, and supportive early learning environments.
Building and strengthening the pipeline of skilled educators is essential. Equally important is supporting the broader early childhood workforce such as practitioners, caregivers and community-based providers, who lay the groundwork for later educational success. Their training, well-being and professional recognition directly influences the quality of children’s early learning experiences.
Prioritising the First 1 000 Days
The President’s acknowledgement that more than a quarter of children under five are stunted is sobering. The commitment to end child stunting by 2030, focus on the first 1 000 days, and provide targeted nutritional support for pregnant women and low birth-weight children, reflects an understanding that health, nutrition and cognitive development are deeply interconnected.
Children cannot learn if they are hungry. They cannot thrive if their nutritional and developmental needs are unmet. Early development begins before birth and requires coordinated support from maternal health and nutrition to responsive caregiving and early stimulation.
Therefore, investing in the first 1 000 days must go beyond maternal health and nutrition to include strengthening father involvement and broader caregiving networks. Evidence shows that when fathers and male caregivers are present and positively engaged during the first 1 000 days of a child’s life, they are more likely to remain involved throughout childhood, positively influencing the child’s emotional, social and cognitive development. Creating enabling environments for fathers and male caregivers and disrupting harmful gender and social norms around parenting and caregiving, strengthens families, protects children and supports their holistic development.
What the State of the Nation Address Means for Innovation Edge
The national focus on early childhood represents an opportunity and a responsibility.
We invest early in innovative solutions that support children from 0-6 years to thrive. We back entrepreneurs who are addressing systemic gaps across early learning in the home, quality early learning programmes, early health and well-being and early safety and security, giving children a strong foundation to grow, learn and flourish.
Government’s commitment to expanding access, simplifying registration and integrating ECD within the basic education system creates enabling conditions for innovation to scale. But, translating policy into meaningful outcomes requires partnerships and collaborations across government, civil society, philanthropy and the private sector.
As early investors, our role is to:
- Support bold, evidence-informed solutions that strengthen both access and quality
- Back entrepreneurs who can respond to system bottlenecks
- Invest in models that support caregivers and practitioners
- Catalyse partnerships that accelerate impact in the sector
The 2026 State of the Nation address signals momentum. The question now is how do we collectively ensure that this momentum translates into measurable improvements in children’s developmental outcomes.
Innovation Edge remains committed to investing early because we know that when we get the early years right, we change the trajectory of a child’s life, and ultimately the future of our country.
Send us an email to [email protected] if you’d like to partner with us. Although our investment process is currently on hold, we’ll reach out to you when we resume.
Photo: Jairus Mmutle / GCIS