Ilifa Labantwana is a South African non-governmental organisation working to secure an equal start for all children through universal access to quality early childhood development (ECD).
Rather than focusing solely on individual programmes, Ilifa’s work centres on systems change, strengthening the broader ECD ecosystem to deliver quality services at scale and over time.
Type of intervention: systems-level ECD intervention
Ilifa Labantwana’s approach is a systems change intervention. The organisation works across policy, financing, service delivery, and partnerships to shift how early childhood development functions as a system in South Africa, aiming to enable sustainable, large-scale impact rather than isolated programme success.
A case study of system change in the Global South, published by Ilifa Labantwana in 2023, focuses in particular on two core system strategies:
- Unlocking public financing for ECD
- Reframing ECD service provision to support multiple models of early learning
What the intervention aims to achieve
Ilifa Labantwana aims to strengthen South Africa’s ECD ecosystem and its capacity to deliver high-quality ECD services to all children, particularly those in low-income communities. The organisation positions ECD as a critical lever for human development and a multi-dimensional pathway to address inequality.
The case study reflects on how Ilifa has worked to:
- Advance early childhood development as a national development priority
- Support government leadership and coordination in ECD
- Enable access to public funding for ECD services
- Strengthen the institutional and policy environment that underpins ECD provision
What has been achieved so far
The case study finds that Ilifa Labantwana has contributed to meaningful shifts within the ECD system by strengthening institutions, influencing approaches to public financing, and helping to reframe how ECD services are understood and supported in South Africa. These shifts are described as incremental and evolving over time, shaped through collaboration, learning and adaptation rather than linear programme implementation.
Who supports Ilifa Labantwana
The case study was developed in collaboration with Percept Collaborative Advisory and Spring Impact, drawing on strategy documents, reports and interviews with key stakeholders in the ECD ecosystem. Ilifa Labantwana’s work is deeply collaborative, engaging with government, civil society and funders as part of a broader systems approach.
Corporate involvement and future opportunities
While the case study does not describe specific corporate programmes, it highlights the importance of funders and partners working collaboratively to maximise system-level impact in early childhood development. For companies interested in ECD, Ilifa Labantwana’s work highlights opportunities beyond traditional programme funding, including support for system-enabling efforts such as financing reform, policy alignment, and ecosystem strengthening.
For corporates seeking to contribute to long-term, sustainable change in early childhood development, engagement with system-focused organisations such as Ilifa Labantwana offers a pathway to scale impact, aligned with national priorities and public-sector leadership.
