South Africa President shows bold leadership on the early years

President Cyril Ramaphosa addressing a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in South Africa last week (Picture: The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa)

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has emerged as a champion for the world’s youngest children, with a passionate promise today to put the early years “front and centre” of the education agenda in his country and on the global stage.

In a powerful speech on laying the foundations for children to thrive, he said: “Early childhood development plays a critical role. It is a strong social equaliser, with children from disadvantaged families benefiting most.”

President Ramaphosa’s bold leadership on the early years is crucial, as South Africa has the 2025 presidency of the G20 forum of the world’s major economies and will host the G20 summit in November. He said that offers South Africa “a unique opportunity to drive a progressive agenda for inclusive and equitable education”.

The president also admitted regret that South Africa did not prioritise early childhood development 30 years ago when the African National Congress (ANC) came into power. He added: “We should have realised that to get this country on a much higher plane of development, we should have started with early childhood.”

His comments were welcomed by Senzo Hlophe, Director of Partnerships and Impact at Ilifa Labantwana, a South African early childhood development programme. He said: “The president’s assertion of the importance of early childhood development is refreshing and exciting – making sure we invest early in children which will benefit individuals, families, communities, the economy and the country.”

President Ramaphosa’s speech to education leaders today echoes many of the calls from the Act For Early Years campaign. And it follows an Act For Early Years open letter to the president signed by more than 130 organisations, urging him to place early childhood at the heart of the G20 agenda in 2025.

The early years is when inequality sets in, with millions of children around the world lacking the quality care and early learning they require.

Michael Simpson, Senior Research & Project Manager at Theirworld, said: “Our evidence shows the early years are the critical missing foundation. As G20 President, South Africa can show leadership by galvanising global partners to prioritise investment in the early years.”

Act For Early Years has been campaigning for all countries to spend 10% of their education budgets on preschool care and education. The open letter to President Ramaphosa also highlighted that a modest investment of around 1% of GDP by G20 countries could transform millions of lives within a few years – lifting 17 million children out of poverty and enabling 70 million women to enter the workforce.

In his speech today, the president said research showed that more than 80% of fourth-grade students in South Africa cannot read meaningfully in any language, including that spoken at home.

He added: “Not having mastered basic skills in reading and maths at foundation level sets the tone for how a learner will perform in high school and beyond. So correcting these shortcomings is the most urgent of tasks.

“There is no substitute for solid foundational education led by committed and capable educators that sets the stage for a more effective and equitable educational system.”

Bongumusa Walter Ngema, a Theirworld Global Youth Ambassador from South Africa, also welcomed the leadership shown by President Ramaphosa. He said: “The president’s commitment to transforming the early years is a crucial step toward preparing South Africa’s youth for the future. By embracing innovative learning methods while strengthening foundational education, we can position the country as a leader in equipping the next generation with the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.”