There has been recent momentum and political will in South Africa to establish early childhood data and measurement systems. Together for Early Childhood Evidence has supported the Department of Basic Education (DBE), USAID, and others in communicating the importance of sound data systems to a broader group of stakeholders across South Africa.
In 2019, the South African country team completed the T4ECE Diagnostic Toolkit, which helped outline key data and measurement priorities. Defining priority areas has been especially important as the DBE recently absorbed national early childhood development responsibilities from the Department of Social Development.
In 2021, Together for Early Childhood Evidence supported a broader national effort to track South African children’s learning outcomes. Project funds supported Innovation Edge and the DBE launch of the Thrive by Five Index better to understand early childhood outcomes and quality in South Africa. Thrive by Five was co-sponsored by First National Bank (FNB), USAID, and Together for Early Childhood Evidence. Before the Index, limited systematic information was available about the diverse early learning programs in the country or the outcomes for children who attend them. There were no national data or a system to monitor and report child outcomes trends over time. The Index fills an essential gap in South Africa, providing decision-makers with information on whether children attending South African Early Learning Programs are developmentally on track for their age. Read more about the Thrive for Five Index.
Additional Information
The South African country team was established in 2019, and is co-chaired by USAID South Africa and the Department of Basic Education.
Key Indicators from South Africa
| Poverty headcount ratio at $2.15 a day (2017 PPP) (% of population) | 21% |
| GDP per capita (current US$) | $7,055 |
| School enrollment, preprimary (% gross) | 18% |
| Prevalence of stunting, height for age (% of children under 5) | 21% |
| Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) | 33 |
Data from the World Bank
Country Team Members
| Name | Title | Organization |
| Sonja Giese | Executive Director | DataDrive 2030 |
| Junita Henry | Project Manager & Analyst | DataDrive 2030 |
| Janeli Kotze | Deputy Director: Research Coordination, Monitoring and Evaluation | Department of Basic Education |
|
Kulula Manona |
Chief Director, Foundations for Learning, Delivery, and Support | Department of Basic Education |
| Simone Geyer | Deputy Director-General: Delivery and Support | Department of Basic Education |
| Vuyelwa Ntuli | Education Specialist | Department of Basic Education |
| Morgan Mthembu | Project Management Specialist | USAID South Africa |
| Felicia R. Wilson Young | Education Director | USAID South Africa |
| Wendy Rich-Orloff | Education Officer | USAID South Africa |
| Fauve Johnson | Education Officer | USAID South Africa |
This website is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the Office of Education, Bureau for Africa, U.S Agency for International Development (USAID) under the terms of contract No. 7200AA19C00080, subcontract CATALYZE-Edu-CR-2023-0352. The contents of this website are developed by the ECD Measure group hosted at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.