Operatingrealities and responses
South Africa's socio-economic environment is shaped by a complex interplay of historical inequalities, high unemployment rates, and persistent poverty.
The education sector, in particular, reflects these challenges. Access to early childhood education is critically limited, with more than 1 million children unable to access good-quality early childhood programmes due to financial constraints and a lack of early childhood development (ECD) services within marginalised communities.
The importance of ECD cannot be overstated, particularly during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, a period often regarded as the foundation for lifelong learning, health, and well-being. This phase encompasses critical brain development that shapes cognitive, physical, social, and emotional skills. Early learning lays the foundation for pre-literacy and numeracy skills. These skills are crucial for future development as they lay the foundation for skills like reading for meaning. A lack of access to proper ECD services during this time can have long-term negative effects, perpetuating cycles of poverty and hindering social mobility. Investments in ECD not only empower individuals but also contribute to broader economic growth and social stability. Addressing these issues aligns with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all.
The ECD ecosystem in South Africa is undergoing major change. From 1 January 2026, Cotlands pivoted its strategy to align with the Bana Pele Shared Blueprint to Achieve Universal Access to Quality Early Learning (DBE, 2025).
Since the ECD function shift to the Department of Basic Education (DBE), Cotlands has experienced a significant reduction in government funding. DBE has confirmed that future funding (FY 2027 onward) will prioritise centre-based programmes with silver registration. For the year under review, this either excluded or underfunded non-centre-based playgroups and toy libraries, as norms and standards for these models were not available when Cotlands strategic pivot was conceptualised.
Establishing multiple NPOs to access funds would create unsustainable governance risks.
As a result, Cotlands restructured and closed all Cotlands-operated playgroups in their current form, with the view to setting up playgroups when it is possible to obtain silver registration and access government funding.
Despite this, Cotlands remains committed to ensuring that quality, non-centre-based early learning and toy library programmes remain part of the national strategy to achieve universal access by 2030.
A case study to document the impact of Cotlands’ Early Learning Playgroup Programme was undertaken in partnership with SAIDE and UNICEF:
Young children access early learning and development opportunities in different ways, including ECD centres, play groups, childminding services, mobile programmes, toy libraries, and at home. Each of these modalities has its own unique characteristics and place in the ECD ecosystem. Playgroups are recognised as a popular modality, but there is limited information about how they are implemented. This case study aimed to provide a snapshot of the key characteristics, implementation processes, benefits, and evolution of one particular model: the Cotlands Early Learning Play Groups (ELPGs).
This case study examined the approach, features, benefits and challenges of the Cotlands Early Learning Playgroup Model, identifying it as a high-quality, high-impact early learning intervention with strong institutional support. While the inputs required may limit large-scale replication in a context of constrained national resources, the model offers valuable lessons for the future role of playgroups in ECD. Evidence from the case study highlights clear benefits: improved child outcomes and parental understanding, stronger community cohesion, professional development for facilitators, and affordability for both the system and parents.
Expanding access to early learning opportunities for marginalised children is a critical national priority. As a complementary early learning modality alongside other programmes in the system, playgroups can play an important role in advancing this goal. The key insights from this case study have been distilled into a Policy Brief: this presents recommendations (in the context of orchestrated public and private funding mechanisms as suggested in the Bana Pele Blueprint) to inform policy review and support the sustainable growth of community-based playgroups.