Blueprint Quarterly Magazine · October 2026 · Issue 01
Play. Learn. Grow. Together.
In this issue
Contents
On the cover
Kulula Manona and Roshene SinghFrom Blueprint to MovementSouth Africa has a shared plan for its youngest children, and the backing to act on it. What happens next depends on all of us.4 min read
Practitioner profile · Bubble Bee EducareMeet Andiswa DamaneAndiswa Damane never wanted to be a teacher. Now, at Bubble Bee Educare, she teaches so the children can teach her.5 min read
Action 15 · Community HubsLocal hands make light workDelivering early learning at scale is not just a technical task, it is a community mission. In many areas, the strength of the local response determines whether children are reached, ELP providers are supported and services reflect the lived realities of families. That’s why cultivating Community Hubs, locally rooted groups that foster care, accountability and collective action, is essential.Read in the PDF · page 17
Action 13 · Digital BackboneA More Connected JourneyIn a system as vast and diverse as South Africa’s, technology can be a powerful enabler, helping ELP providers feel less isolated, more connected and better supported in their daily practice. With the right design, digital tools can bring learning, guidance and real-time support closer to where care and teaching happen in classrooms, homes and centres across the country.Read in the PDF · page 36
Also in this issue
- From the Bana Pele SecretariatWelcomeRead in the PDF · page 3
- Thought leadership · Sanjay PurohitFrom Neighbourhood to NationHow we must learn together to bring quality early learning within reach of every childRead in the PDF · page 14
- Q&A · Wiedaad SlemmingLeaving no child behindIn conversation with Wiedaad Slemming, Associate Professor and Director of the Children’s Institute at the University of Cape Town. She leads Action 2 of the Bana Pele Shared Blueprint, which aims to create services, policies and pathways that let every child participate meaningfully from the start.Read in the PDF · page 22
- Action 9 · Shared NarrativeListening for a Shared StoryBana Pele is not starting with a message and asking communities to repeat it. The Blueprint calls for a narrative co-created with families, providers, partners and community leaders, grounded in listening and shaped by the real voices of those involved. So we began by listening: to parents, practitioners and grandparents in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, and to children. People said what they already believe about care, learning, respect and what young children need to thrive. What came back was not one neat answer, but shared truths, tensions and possibilities.Read in the PDF · page 26
- Action 3 · Provincial and local government52 Districts and Metros. One Shared Task.Silver registration unlocks government subsidy support for early learning programmes. In 2026, Bana Pele worked across all nine provinces to strengthen local government’s role in helping more centres reach it.Read in the PDF · page 32
- Action 8 · Funding orchestrationMaking the Money Work TogetherSouth Africa is already investing in early learning. But the investments are fragmented and don’t work together for common goals. Funding orchestration asks how those different sources can work together to reach every child.Read in the PDF · page 40
- Government systems strengthening · eCaresBuilt to EnableNot long ago, registering an early learning programme meant paper files and repeat journeys, and government could not see the sector it served. One national system is changing how programmes come in, how officials support them and what government knows.Read in the PDF · page 43
- The people behind the BlueprintBana Pele OrchestratorsRead in the PDF · page 48
I Am Bana Pele
Putting children first starts with each of us.
“We should all come together to raise the child. When a child leaves home, he or she should grow up surrounded by people who love him or her.”
Nomfundo Hlongwe, Khethokuhle Day Care, Umzumbe, KZN
Across South Africa, practitioners, parents, communities and partners are finding ways to put children first. The next chapter of Bana Pele depends on more people joining them.
What does putting children first mean to you?
Join the movement and discover how you can contribute.
The Bana Pele website goes live on 20 October: banapele.org
To get involved now, or have any questions: admin@banapele.org