The two-day Limpopo Provincial ECD Multi-Stakeholder Indaba, organised in partnership with the Limpopo Department of Education and Save the Children South Africa, brought together government departments, municipalities, practitioners, traditional leaders, communities, parents, civil society, donors and private-sector partners.
The Indaba focused on a practical question: what will it take to reach more children in Limpopo with quality early learning, particularly in rural and underserved communities?
Participants identified priorities including stronger coordination between government and ECD providers, improved infrastructure and essential services, better support for practitioners, more responsive community participation, and better alignment of resources around children’s learning, safety and wellbeing.
A central message throughout the discussions was that no single organisation or department can deliver universal access to quality early learning alone. Progress will depend on partners working together with clear roles, shared priorities and a commitment to turning plans into action.
The conversations will inform the development of a Provincial ECD Action Plan, setting out commitments, responsibilities, timelines and measures of progress.
For SmartStart, the Indaba was an opportunity to contribute our experience of working with practitioners, partners and communities, while listening to the priorities shaping ECD in Limpopo. It also reinforced the value of bringing different perspectives into the same room: practitioners bring insight from daily delivery, communities share local realities, government outlines system priorities, and partners explore how they can contribute to a more coordinated response.
The work now is to build on this momentum by strengthening relationships, supporting implementation and turning shared ambition into meaningful progress for children and families across Limpopo.
Learn more about SmartStart’s work with partners and communities to expand quality early learning.
