Early Childhood Development (ECD) is often perceived primarily as a social welfare issue. It’s an understandable, but flawed perception that underestimates the profound economic benefits that investment in ECD can bring. This is especially true in South Africa, where economic inequality persists and unemployment – especially amongst the youth – remains unacceptably high. Against this backdrop, a strategic and comprehensive approach to effective investment in ECD promises substantial returns, both immediately and over the long term it underpins economic growth, enhances skills development and promotes inclusion, opportunity and equality.
Research globally has repeatedly shown that investing in young children yields significant economic benefits over time. Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman highlighted that for every rand invested in quality ECD programmes, societies typically see returns of between 7% and 13%, which are much higher than many other forms of public spending. These returns come from improved educational performance, increased employment opportunities, higher lifetime earnings and reduced social costs.
In South Africa, the economic case for investing in ECD is particularly strong due to the persistent educational and social inequalities seen in this country. Currently, approximately 1.15 million South African children aged three to five do not have access to early learning programmes. As a result, many of these children start school already behind their peers due to a lack of vital cognitive development during these important years. To make matters worse, this gap often widens as these children grow older. Quality early education programmes can narrow this gap by preparing children better for school, improving their long-term academic and career prospects, reinforcing the message that every child can be anything they want to be, and ultimately supporting their ability to become effective contributors to economic growth later in life.
Despite these clear benefits, investment in early childhood development in South Africa remains alarmingly low. In the 2024 financial year, early learning received around 0.5% of total government expenditure. The allocation for ECD as a whole was even lower, coming in at around 0.2% of government expenditure. While government has committed to increasing this amount in the coming years, the level of funding remains untenably low, and this will continue to limit the potential economic and social benefits that could be realised through more significant investment into the lives and development of SA’s young children.
Countries that have successfully prioritised early childhood development have seen considerable long-term economic and social rewards. A well-known example is the Perry Preschool Project in the United States, which provided high-quality preschool education to disadvantaged children. Participants were tracked into adulthood, showing significant improvements in earnings, employment stability, and reduced crime rates. Economically, every dollar invested yielded about 12 dollars in benefits through increased productivity and reduced welfare and crime-related costs.
Delivering employment and economic inclusion
In addition to long-term benefits, investing in ECD in South Africa can provide immediate economic gains through job creation. Most ECD centres in South Africa are small, women-run enterprises. The sector currently employs around 300 000 people, with women comprising about 95% of this workforce. Increasing funding to these centres can quickly generate new jobs, empowering women economically and strengthening local economies. This is especially meaningful in May, as we commemorate Worker’s Day, and Mother’s Day– a time to celebrate the vital role women play in building our workforce and nurturing the country’s future.Studies suggest that targeted ECD funding could directly create approximately 670 000 new jobs and indirectly support an additional 200 000 jobs in related sectors.
Expanding affordable childcare through strengthened ECD services will also allow more women to enter or remain in the workforce. Research conducted in South Africa shows each new position created in the ECD sector enables six to 10 other women to pursue employment opportunities because they have reliable childcare. This not only significantly boosts household incomes but also helps reduce poverty and economic inequality in communities across the country as money in the hands of women is typically reinvested significantly into the economy in support of families and communities.
The imperative for a focused strategy
To effectively harness the full economic potential of ECD, South Africa needs a two-pronged strategic approach. Firstly, immediate investments in existing ECD micro-enterprises can quickly expand childcare availability and enhance early learning quality. This includes providing essential training and learning resources, increasing subsidies and improving infrastructure to stabilise and formalise these crucial community-based services.
Secondly, a comprehensive, long-term strategy is vital. This needs to focus on strengthening the integration of ECD into national, provincial and local educational and social development frameworks, significantly increasing government funding, ensuring collaboration across various government departments on matters relating to ECD, and incentivising private sector participation beyond the current relatively low levels of corporate social investment earmarked for ECD. By establishing a robust, sustained investment framework, South Africa can secure substantial long-term economic and social returns.
A proven approach
Global examples of the value of this long-term investment approach abound. Canada and Jamaica are two stand-out cases that highlight the far-reaching economic benefits of sustained investment in early childhood development.
In Canada, the province of Quebec introduced a subsidised universal childcare programme in 1997. The initiative led to a marked increase in female labour force participation—by as much as 8 percentage points—and has been credited with generating enough additional tax revenue and economic activity to recover much of the programme’s cost. In some estimates, for every dollar spent on childcare, the government gained back $1.05 in increased revenue.
Jamaica’s Early Stimulation Programme offers another compelling case. Launched in the 1980s, this low-cost intervention provided weekly home visits focused on play, cognitive stimulation and nutrition for young children in low-income communities. Follow-up studies found that by their 30s, participants were earning up to 43% more than their peers who had not received the intervention – demonstrating how early developmental support can translate into higher productivity and economic contribution over a person’s lifetime.
The potential that a comprehensive early childhood development strategy has to deliver transformative change is significant, and the evidence of success elsewhere in the world is clear. Such strategic investments in ECD represent not only a necessary social responsibility but also one of the smartest economic decisions South Africa can make, as they will lay the foundation for sustained economic prosperity, equity and resilience, build a society that makes it possible for every child to shape their own future.
The report presents the findings of an independent evaluation conducted by Ipsos into the effectiveness and impact of Takalani Sesame’s mass media content in engaging fathers in their children’s development through play. The evaluation focused on assessing changes in both child and adult in key areas such as caregiver knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours, caregiver-child interactions, time spent in guided play, reduction of gender stereotypes, child autonomy in activity selection, and the adoption of nurturing parenting practices
The purpose of the evaluation was to better understand how media can promote father engagement and to uncover key learnings for future programming. Over a 12-week period, 1 200 fathers and 240 children across Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and the Free State took part in the study. The study also incorporated qualitative insights drawn from focus groups with caregivers and children, providing deeper understanding beyond quantitative data.
The findings, which were shared at a Sesame Workshop event in Johannesburg on 10 April, show that fathers involved in the study became more confident and joyful in playing with their children, reported improved relationships and spent more time in meaningful interactions. While time constraints remained a challenge – with 71% of fathers citing a lack of time as a key parenting challenge – the intervention successfully made play more appealing and rewarding for fathers.
Importantly, the intervention also reduced gender stereotypes among both children and adults. The evaluation found encouraging trends towards more diverse, gender-neutral play choices. Girls increasingly engaged in outdoor activities traditionally associated with boys, while boys showed greater acceptance of puzzles and traditionally female-associated toys like dolls. Children exposed to the media content also demonstrated an increased understanding that domestic tasks and play activities are suitable for both genders, reflecting a reduction in rigid gender norms. Meanwhile, caregivers showed an 8% increase in agreement that girls can play with cars and trains. The data also revealed a 10% increase in children preferring to play with their fathers, and a 9% rise for uncles – showing a clear shift toward valuing fathers as play companions.
“These are positive signs,” said Dr Onyinye Nwaneri, Managing Director of Sesame Workshop South Africa. “Children recognising that play, chores and emotions aren’t gender-specific is a powerful step towards equality. And seeing fathers support that journey shows real promise for long-term change.”
Positive parenting practices also showed improvement over the course of the 12-week evaluation. Findings revealed that more fathers were engaging with their children and they reported stronger emotional bonds and more nurturing interactions. However, while fathers reported feeling more supported by female caregivers, preliminary insights indicate that mothers did not experience a reciprocal increase in support. This highlights an important area for further exploration in future research into enabling genuinely collaborative parenting environments.
Dr Nwaneri noted that, while insightful, the study’s findings are bound by certain limitations. These include a relatively small sample size from only three provinces, limiting the gathering of broader insights. The non-randomised design of the study could also introduce selection bias, and the findings relied on self-reported data. Additionally, some unintended exposure to campaign material occurred due to a concurrent social media campaign during the study’s final four weeks.
She emphasised, however, that these limitations don’t detract from the significance of the study findings or the valuable understanding they have provided into the positive impact of exposing parents and children to appropriate media. They also present clear opportunities for refining methodologies in subsequent research.
“This evaluation reinforces the significant potential of appropriate and well-targeted media to catalyse positive societal transformation, particularly in challenging entrenched gender roles and enhancing inclusive, nurturing parenting practices,” Dr Nwaneri concluded. “Our intention is to build on this study to improve future research and enhance our delivery methodologies so as to maximise the depth, scalability and positive impact of the work we are doing.”
Sesame Workshop International South Africa is shining a spotlight on the role of fathers – both biological and social[1] – in early childhood development with the launch of a new report entitled Transforming Gender Norms and Advancing Child Wellbeing through Innovative Father Engagement Initiative in South Africa.
The report presents the findings of an independent evaluation conducted by Ipsos into the effectiveness and impact of Takalani Sesame’s mass media content in engaging fathers in their children’s development through play. The evaluation focused on assessing changes in both child and adult in key areas such as caregiver knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours, caregiver-child interactions, time spent in guided play, reduction of gender stereotypes, child autonomy in activity selection, and the adoption of nurturing parenting practices
The purpose of the evaluation was to better understand how media can promote father engagement and to uncover key learnings for future programming. Over a 12-week period, 1 200 fathers and 240 children across Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and the Free State took part in the study. The study also incorporated qualitative insights drawn from focus groups with caregivers and children, providing deeper understanding beyond quantitative data.
The findings, which were shared at a Sesame Workshop event in Johannesburg on 10 April, show that fathers involved in the study became more confident and joyful in playing with their children, reported improved relationships and spent more time in meaningful interactions. While time constraints remained a challenge – with 71% of fathers citing a lack of time as a key parenting challenge – the intervention successfully made play more appealing and rewarding for fathers.
Importantly, the intervention also reduced gender stereotypes among both children and adults. The evaluation found encouraging trends towards more diverse, gender-neutral play choices. Girls increasingly engaged in outdoor activities traditionally associated with boys, while boys showed greater acceptance of puzzles and traditionally female-associated toys like dolls. Children exposed to the media content also demonstrated an increased understanding that domestic tasks and play activities are suitable for both genders, reflecting a reduction in rigid gender norms. Meanwhile, caregivers showed an 8% increase in agreement that girls can play with cars and trains. The data also revealed a 10% increase in children preferring to play with their fathers, and a 9% rise for uncles – showing a clear shift toward valuing fathers as play companions.
“These are positive signs,” said Dr Onyinye Nwaneri, Managing Director of Sesame Workshop South Africa. “Children recognising that play, chores and emotions aren’t gender-specific is a powerful step towards equality. And seeing fathers support that journey shows real promise for long-term change.”
Positive parenting practices also showed improvement over the course of the 12-week evaluation. Findings revealed that more fathers were engaging with their children and they reported stronger emotional bonds and more nurturing interactions. However, while fathers reported feeling more supported by female caregivers, preliminary insights indicate that mothers did not experience a reciprocal increase in support. This highlights an important area for further exploration in future research into enabling genuinely collaborative parenting environments.
Dr Nwaneri noted that, while insightful, the study’s findings are bound by certain limitations. These include a relatively small sample size from only three provinces, limiting the gathering of broader insights. The non-randomised design of the study could also introduce selection bias, and the findings relied on self-reported data. Additionally, some unintended exposure to campaign material occurred due to a concurrent social media campaign during the study’s final four weeks.
She emphasised, however, that these limitations don’t detract from the significance of the study findings or the valuable understanding they have provided into the positive impact of exposing parents and children to appropriate media. They also present clear opportunities for refining methodologies in subsequent research.
“This evaluation reinforces the significant potential of appropriate and well-targeted media to catalyse positive societal transformation, particularly in challenging entrenched gender roles and enhancing inclusive, nurturing parenting practices,” Dr Nwaneri concluded. “Our intention is to build on this study to improve future research and enhance our delivery methodologies so as to maximise the depth, scalability and positive impact of the work we are doing.”
[1] A social father is an individual who takes on a paternal role and responsibilities without necessarily being the biological parent. This could include uncles, grandfathers, stepfathers, or community members who act as caregivers (Ratele, Van den Berg, Malinga & Makusha, 2024).
