16 September 2025 | 09:00 CAT
2-minute read

More than half of South Africa’s four-year-olds are already behind on key developmental milestones, a national survey has revealed—underscoring how inequality and poor nutrition shape children’s futures long before they reach a classroom.

The 2024 Thrive by Five Index, released this month by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and partners including the University of the Witwatersrand and Innovation Edge, assessed a nationally representative sample of preschoolers across all nine provinces. It found that only 42% of children enrolled in early learning programmes are on track in cognitive, physical, and social-emotional development.

“This is an alarming, alarming statistic because we would assume that because those children are at the centre, they are getting the developmental support they need,” said Tshepo Mantjé, Right to ECD Coordinator, in an interview on Radio Islam International.

Researchers measured fine and gross motor skills, problem-solving abilities and social interactions—milestones widely recognised as predictors of school readiness. The findings mirror earlier warnings from UNICEF and local NGOs that South Africa’s youngest citizens face persistent stunting and malnutrition. National data show that nearly 27 percent of children under five are stunted, a condition linked to long-term cognitive delays.

Mantjé stressed that simply enrolling children in preschools is not enough.

“What this reveals is that access is not enough. What we also have to solve for is quality,” he said, highlighting that children in high-fee programmes are twice as likely to meet developmental targets as those in low-fee settings.

Historically, early childhood development (ECD) has been informal and largely unregulated, with many backyard crèches operating without oversight. The DBE assumed responsibility for ECD in 2020 and has begun a mass registration drive—known as Bana Pele—to enforce minimum norms and standards and improve practitioner training.

“We have to recognise that early childhood development is not necessarily about a place the child goes to, but it is this period of time between conception and six years old,” Mantjé noted. “Parents themselves are the first teachers of young children and need to be supporting their development.”

Experts argue that better funding, nutrition support, and parental involvement are critical. The National Development Plan sets a target of universal access to quality ECD by 2030, but progress remains uneven. Without urgent action, the Thrive by Five data warn, South Africa risks entrenching inequality before children even enter Grade 1—a cost the country can ill afford.

Listen to the full interview on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat.