Gauteng ECD centres face registration barriers

Approximately 5,900 early childhood development (ECD) programmes in Gauteng, South Africa, remain unregistered due to significant infrastructure and safety hurdles. Gauteng Education MEC Lebohang Maile noted that many of these centres operate in informal settlements where meeting requirements for zoning, food safety, fire safety, and building conditions is difficult.

Nationally, the Department of Basic Education estimates that over 20,000 ECD centres operate without formal oversight. Challenges for these programmes include a lack of bank accounts, insufficient staffing, and the absence of separate classroom spaces.

To address these issues, the Department of Basic Education launched the Bana Pele ECD Mass Registration Drive in June 2026 to simplify the registration process and facilitate access to child subsidies. In Gauteng, the drive has resulted in over 3,000 applications, with 800 centres registered and 1,479 applications currently under review.

At the Bana Pele Leadership Summit 2026, discussions focused on bridging the gap between policy and practice. Data indicates that roughly one million children aged three to five in South Africa are not currently accessing early learning programmes.