Hands-on Learning Brief June 2024

Issue 27: June 2024

The legacy of Douglas and Eleanor Murray Invest in South Africa’s potential

DGMT is a South African public innovator through strategic investment. Our goal for South Africa is a flourishing people, economy and society. Towards this end DGMT currently distributes about R200 million per year and leverages and manages a similar amount of funding through joint ventures with other investors.

Through the newly rebranded edition of our Hands-on Learning publication, we hope to play a helpful role in synthesising information from innovators and implementers in civil society, supporting them to share what they have learnt so that others are able to draw from and build on their experiences.

Have you read our 2023-2027 strategy titled Escaping the Inequality Trap?

To build a thriving society, more people must have the knowledge, skills and opportunity to participate fully in society and the economy, for the good of one another, and in synergy with the environment. To escape the inequality trap in South Africa we set three goals and then identified practical opportunities to realise each goal. This framework guides everything we do.

We have identified ten opportunities that constitute some of the most profound twists to enable South Africa to escape the inequality trap. This is because we can’t keep tracing the same old pathways to development in South Africa. We need bold and decisive twists that get us out of the rut, give fresh perspective and create new opportunities.

OUR 2023-2027 STRATEGY

available at: dgmt.co.za/our-approach

IN THIS ISSUE WE FEATURE

LEARNING BRIEF 1

Putting Children First:

What can South Africa learn from other countries?

Early childhood development (ECD) is one of the most powerful levers to unlock South Africa’s potential and is recognised by government as a national priority. Yet the first nationally representative survey of pre-school children, Thrive by Five, found that 57% of children attending early learning programmes (ELPs) are not on track to meet normative development milestones (such as socio-emotional, cognitive and physical development) by age five. Skills beget skills, which means that the rate of return on investments in older children is determined by the size of investment in younger children. This learning brief takes stock of South Africa’s ECD landscape and explores what we can learn from countries facing similar predicaments. 6

LEARNING BRIEF 2

Productive Communities

DGMT’s investment in agroecology seeks to respond to malnutrition, youth unemployment and food insecurity at household level in a given community. We are interested in learning from civil society organisations (CSOs) focused on building sustainable local food systems, while enabling the transfer of skills and knowledge about agroecological farming practices and entrepreneurship. This brief explores how the Southern Africa Food Lab (SAFL), Siyavuna, the Seriti Institute, Thanda and Khulisa Social Solutions have done this for the benefit of the communities they work with. 14

LEARNING BRIEF 3

Wraparound Support for Young People

South Africa’s youth bulge is significant and in an election year, we are reminded that young people have the power to shape South Africa’s future. Yet a third of young people are not in education, employment or training (NEET) due to the multiple and complex barriers that young people face in accessing and seizing opportunities. Effective support requires a coordinated response from local service providers who share an understanding of the realities of young people and a commitment to supporting their development. Wraparound support places young people at the centre and is intended to respond to individuals with a range of needs in a specific community. By design, this type and level, of support is different to one-dimensional interventions. This learning brief looks at the pioneering work conducted by Bumb’INGOMSO (BI) and its partners delivering multi-faceted HIV-prevention and youth development initiatives in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) in the Eastern Cape. 26

PUTTING CHILDREN FIRST: WHAT CAN SOUTH AFRICA LEARN FROM OTHER COUNTRIES?

Early childhood development (ECD) is one of the most powerful levers to unlock South Africa’s potential and is recognised by government as a national priority. Yet the first nationally representative survey of pre-school children, Thrive by Five, found that 57% of children attending early learning programmes (ELPs) are not on track to meet normative development milestones (such as socio-emotional, cognitive and physical development) by age five.1 Skills beget skills, which means that the rate of return on investments in older children is determined by the size of investment in younger children.

This learning brief takes stock of South Africa’s ECD landscape and explores what we can learn from countries facing similar predicaments.

1 Giese, S., Dawes, A., Tredoux, C., Mattes, F., Bridgman, G., van der Berg, S., Schenk, J. and Kotzé, J. 2022. Thrive by Five Index Report Revised August 2022, Innovation Edge, Cape Town. https://thrivebyfive.co.za

The first five years of a child's life are crucial for their lifelong development. ECD creates the intellectual, physical, and emotional foundation for all future investments in human capital. This foundation largely determines the effectiveness of later schooling, technical training, vocational education, and university studies.3 (See Figure 1)

Research by Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman shows that high-quality birth-to-five programmes for disadvantaged children can deliver a 13% per year return on investment.4 For every rand South Africa invests in quality early childhood development, the country will get at least R10 back.5

HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT PATHWAY

Figure 1: Human Capital Development Pathway

Source: Ilifa Labantwana and Kago Ya Bana. A plan to achieve universal coverage of Early Childhood Development Services by 2030

2 Unicef. Early Childhood Development. For Every Child, Moments Matter https://www.unicef.org/early-childhood-development

3 Ilifa Labantwana and Kago Ya Bana. 2018. A plan to achieve universal coverage of Early Childhood Development Services by 2030. p.1 https://tinyurl.com/ymzxs8z4

4 13% ROI Research Toolkit, in Heckman the economics of human potential. https://heckmanequation.org/

5 Ilifa Labantwana and Kago Ya Bana. 2018. Op.Cit. p.1.

THE ECD LANDSCAPE IN SOUTH AFRICA

In South Africa, the early learning landscape is fragmented and uneven. Early learning (before school) is primarily market-driven and dominated by private providers. These providers are mostly black women operating informally, running non-profit organisations (NPOs) and micro-social enterprises that serve poor communities with limited funds.6 The government's ECD subsidy has failed to ensure fair access for all children, and interventions by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are often uncoordinated and lack scale.7

Where early learning programmes do exist, quality varies significantly. Quality is crucial because research indicates that children generally only benefit from early learning programmes if a certain level of quality is maintained.8

In 2013/14, Ilifa Labantwana9 and other ECD stakeholders developed the Essential Package (EP)10 to accelerate the provision of quality ECD services. In line with the National Integrated ECD Policy, the EP views ECD services as a continuum of interventions, with the immediate family offering primary level care and support. The EP has five components considered essential for all children:

Nutritional support,

Primary level maternal and child health interventions,

Social services,

Support for primary caregivers, and

Stimulation for early learning.

The only component of the Essential Package where South Africa is performing well as a country is primary maternal and child health. Over 90% of women attend antenatal clinics, while infant and child death rates have more than halved with anti-retroviral treatment.11

South Africa is performing poorly in other areas: Just over a quarter (27%) of children under five are nutritionally stunted12 – wiping off at least 1% of GDP growth per year.13

As of April 2024, the value of the basic Child Support Grant is R530 per child per month14, well below the food poverty line of R663, which was adjusted for inflation in 2023 to R760.15

Only half of 3-4-year-olds participate in any early learning programme, and only half of these children attend programmes of sufficient quality.16

In 2021, 81% of Grade 4 learners did not meet the lowest international standard for being able to read for meaning in any language, up from 78% in 2016.17

Positive developments:

In April 2022, responsibility for early childhood development (ECD) services moved from the Department of Social Development to the Department of Basic Education (DBE). This change presents a unique chance to enhance the early learning landscape. Now, it's up to the DBE to ensure that all children can enjoy high-quality learning experiences before they start Grade R, which is the first year of formal schooling.18 The department's strategy highlights its commitment to improving these services and addressing the reasons why some children don't get the same head start.

FACTORS BEHIND THE UNEQUAL START

There are many inter-linked reasons why children in South Africa do not receive an equal start in life. Four of the leading ones are:

Lack of access to nutritious food, Poor early literacy and numeracy,

Lack of expenditure on early learning, nutrition and parenting support, and

A problem of leadership for implementation.

6 Ilifa Labantwana. 2020. The Plight of the ECD Workforce https://tinyurl.com/eyhja9we

7 SmartStart. 2020. Closing the gap in South Africa’s early learning provision: The case for a national delivery platform, p.2 https://tinyurl.com/2s472km9

8 Ibid.

9 Ilifa Labantwana is an NGO working to secure an equal start for all children living in South Africa, through universal access to quality ECD.

10 The Essential Package (EP) is South Africa’s adapted version of the globally recognised Nurturing Care Frame Work: https://nurturing-care.org

11 Ilifa Labantwana and Kago Ya Bana. 2018. Op.Cit. p.4

12 Stunting is a (largely preventable) condition where young children are excessively short for their age and do not reach their full growth potential due to chronic nutritional deprivation, repeated infections and poor psychosocial stimulation.

13 Ilifa Labantwana and Kago Ya Bana. 2018. Op Cit. p.4.

14 SASSA. 2024. SASSA Child Support Grant https://tinyurl.com/2vwr96ax

15 Statistics SA. 2023. National Poverty Lines. P0310.1 https://www.statssa.gov.za/ publications/P03101/P031012023.pdf

16 Ilifa Labantwana and Kago Ya Bana. 2018. Op Cit. p.4.

17 Department of Basic Education. 2023. PIRLS 2021: South African Main Report. p.31

18 Dawes, A. and Linda Biersteker, L. 2022. Improving the quality of teaching and learning in South African early learning programmes, at scale. DataDrive2030 Policy Brief. p.1 https://tinyurl.com/yckfkery

LACK OF ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS FOOD

The failure to provide nutritional support to young children carries significant costs. There is a crucial, time-sensitive period for their growth and development when nutritious food is essential. Without it, the consequences are severe – not only for the individual children but also for their communities and the nation. This is outlined in a report compiled by advocates for Real Reform For ECD,19 which emphasises the vital role of nutrition in early learning. Nutritious food is fundamental for both physical and cognitive development, particularly in the first 1 000 days of life, a time of rapid brain growth. Children deprived of essential nutrients often experience stunted growth – being too short for their age with potential long-term impacts on brain development. Such children are at higher risk of dropping out of school, facing employment challenges and living in poverty in adulthood.20

Rising food prices and inflation further challenge the ability of caregivers to provide nutritious meals. Notably, nearly one in five children in the Thrive by Five study displayed mild stunting symptoms. Although many of these children might physically catch up by ages four to five, the neurological effects of stunting can last much longer.21

CASE STUDY: ADDRESSING STUNTING IN PERU

In just eight years between 2008 and 2016, Peru cut its stunting rate from 28% to 13%.22 The government considered global evidence of stunting causes and sought out proven ways to reduce the rate of stunting. Its national nutrition strategy, CRECER (To Grow), helped to focus spending on the poorest communities to improve the health and nutrition of children in the first two years of life.

Cash incentives, through a Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme known as Juntos (Together), were a crucial part of the mix. Juntos, launched in 2005, provided cash to mothers while requiring them to take their young children regularly for health, growth monitoring and promotion check-ups and to ensure their older children attended school.

Peru made tackling chronic malnutrition everyone's business with national, regional and local governments, the private sector, NGOs, parents, prime ministers and presidents working together to provide children with a strong start in life.

Peru’s experience demonstrates that to effectively reduce stunting, it is critical to invest in nutrition in the first 1 000 days of a child's life.23

19 Müller, A., Ronaasen, J., and Besada, D. 2023 Adequate Nutrition: A Pillar Of Early Childhood Development. https://tinyurl.com/ycxkrafp

20 Grow Great. Let’s Close the Food Gap https://tinyurl.com/bdz3nywp

21 Henry, J. and Giese, S. Thrive by Five Index updated stunting rates. DataDrive 2030. https://tinyurl.com/utusvxvx

22

and

https://tinyurl.com/2ses8b9a 23 Ibid.

Kathuria, AK., Arur, A.

Kariko, E. Success stories with reducing stunting: Lessons for PNG. World Bank.

PERU

POOR EARLY LITERACY AND NUMERACY

The development of early literacy and numeracy skills is crucial as it correlates with higher achievement rates in school subjects like mathematics and science.24 However, too many children lack sufficient exposure to early literacy and numeracy, which are foundational for developing solid reading and maths skills.

Here are some statistics to illustrate the issue:

Only 35% of South Africans regularly read stories to their children before they can talk, and just 37% read to children before they learn to read themselves.25

According to the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), only a quarter of learners demonstrated readiness for numeracy and half for literacy upon entering Grade 1.26

Each year, approximately 300 000 learners drop out of school in South Africa.27

The rate of young South Africans not in education, employment or training (NEET) consistently remains above 30%, affecting more than 3 million young people.28

These statistics highlight significant challenges contributing to the cycle of inequality – where social and economic disadvantages are passed down from one generation to the next. Investing in the early development of children presents a critical opportunity to break this cycle of inequality.

2 3 4

LACK OF EXPENDITURE ON EARLY LEARNING, NUTRITION AND PARENTING SUPPORT

Approximately 5% of South Africa’s national budget (1.5% of GDP), or R75 billion, is allocated to the Essential Package for early childhood development (ECD).29 Most of this funding supports maternal and child healthcare provided in primary healthcare clinics. Over a quarter of the government's ECD budget is dedicated to childcare grants, which helps explain why these healthcare programmes often outperform other services in the ECD package. Only 6.5% of the budget is spent on early learning, nutrition support and parenting initiatives.30

24 Chang, I. 2023. Early numeracy and literacy skills and their influences on fourth-grade mathematics achievement: a moderated mediation model. Large-scale Assess Educ 11, 18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40536-023-00168-6

25 National Reading Barometer 2023. Special Issue Brief, Reading and Children. https://tinyurl.com/3nb7wtzn

26 Reddy, V., Winnaar, L., Harvey, J., Hannan, S., Isdale, K., Arends, F. & Juan, A. 2022. TIMSS 2019: Highlights of South African Grade 5 Results in Mathematics and Science https://hsrc.ac.za/uploads/pageContent/1044991/TIMSS%202019_Grade%205_ HSRC_FinalReport.pdf

27 Van der Berg S., Wills G., Selkirk R., Adams C., Van Wyk C. 2019. The cost of repetition in South Africa. Stellenbosch Working Paper Series No. WP13/2019. https://www.ekon.sun. ac.za/wpapers/2019/wp132019

28 Mudiriza, G. and De Lannoy, A. 2023. Profile of young NEETs aged 15-24 years in South Africa: an annual update https://tinyurl.com/4k2wht2m

29 Brooks, L., Mohamed, Z., Almeleh, C. and Maharaj, S. 2022. Accelerator 1. Towards universal access: A three-year acceleration plan for ECD funding in Early Childhood Development Accelerator Series p.5. https://tinyurl.com/pyabsh84

30 Ibid.

Despite President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighting ECD as a major priority in his State of the Nation Address,31 the 2024 National Budget did not increase funding to fully support every child's right to quality ECD services. According to Ilifa Labantwana, a key ECD organisation, the subsidy for ECD services has remained at R17 per child per day for six years, despite rising inflation. During this time, food prices have increased by approximately 39%. Ilifa’s chief economist, Laura Droomer, noted that in the 2024/25 financial year, it will be even more challenging for ECD programmes in disadvantaged communities to provide safe environments, nutritious food, decent working conditions and proper developmental stimulation for children.32

A PROBLEM OF LEADERSHIP FOR IMPLEMENTATION

One of the main hurdles is that South Africa's current system –where essential services for young children are divided among several departments, including Social Development, Health, Basic Education, and Home Affairs – isn't set up to effectively handle the interconnected services needed for significant improvement. These services include early language development, child nutrition and support for disabilities.

Kentse Radebe, Deputy CEO of DGMT, emphasises the importance of coordinated and collaborative efforts: "Food plays a crucial role in learning at early learning programmes (ELPs), so it's vital to have a programme specifically focused on this, managed jointly by the Department of Basic Education and the Department of Health. After all, children suffering from stunting are treated in our clinics and hospitals. In everyday life, there isn't a divide between these departments; they need to work in unison."

While the South African Integrated Programme of Action for ECD 2013–2018 marked the setup of a coordination mechanism for ECD as a high priority, much more is needed than just interdepartmental collaboration. What's essential is dedicated Presidential leadership for children's services, linked to mechanisms that can fast-track these initiatives. It's clear that without a national programme aimed specifically at enhancing children's lives, substantial improvements in nutrition, education and related social outcomes will remain out of reach.

31 President Cyril Ramaphosa. 2024 State of the Nation Address https://tinyurl. com/4w8t5fk3

32 Ilifa Labantwana. 2024. A setback for children: our 2024 National Budget statement.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM OTHER COUNTRIES?

Countries that have successfully improved programmes for children typically have a central coordinating agency. This agency oversees the major national programmes that span various government departments and social sectors, ensuring they work together effectively.33 Some countries opt for a nationally recognised programme managed by one government department to promote unity and direction. A well-organised framework is crucial for large-scale early childhood programmes that collaborate with partners in both the public and private sectors. Alternatively, some nations choose to consolidate specific early childhood activities, like education and childcare, under one ministry to streamline responsibilities and enhance efficiency.

CENTRAL LEAD AGENCY

PROSPERA, MEXICO

In Mexico, from 1997 to 2019 the Prospera (previously Oportunidades) Conditional Cash Transfer programme benefitted nearly 6 million families and has since been replicated in 52 countries.34 It was designed to address poverty by providing cash payments to mothers in exchange for regular school attendance, clinic visits and nutrition support. Consequently, school enrolment and nutrition rates in the country improved.35

It was centrally managed by Mexico’s Ministry of Social Development, relying on horizontal integration of other government services. Implementation was a crossdepartmental effort which included the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and the Mexican Institute of Social

33 Ilifa Labantwana and Kago Ya Bana. op.cit. p. 4.

34 World Bank. 2014. A Model from Mexico for the World https://tinyurl.com/2vjs8ame

35 Ibid.

Security. Awareness was key to the success of the programme, aimed at families who were eligible to receive cash transfers and the collection of data for monitoring and evaluation.36

Large-scale programmes can mobilise parents, as well as support early learning and language development, nutrition and children with disabilities.

NATIONALLY BRANDED PROGRAMME

SURE START, UK

Sure Start was introduced in 1998 as a national programme for children under the age of four. It was driven by local partnerships of voluntary groups, parents and local authorities in poorer communities.37 Apart from core areas including outreach services, play and healthcare, local programmes offered services based on locally-defined needs.38 The ultimate goal of Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs) was to enhance the life chances of young children growing up in disadvantaged neighbourhoods.39 Until 2006 funding was channelled directly to individual programmes which were independent of local government.40

Results showed that children growing up in SSLP areas experienced better physical health than children in areas where these programmes were not present. Mothers living in SSLP areas also reported providing a more cognitively stimulating home learning environment for their children.41

INTEGRATION UNDER A SINGLE MINISTRY

CHILE CRECE CONTIGO (CCC), CHILE

The Chilean government launched the CCC programme in 2007 to address high rates of poverty. The programme supports the development of children under the age of five, bringing together education, health, social and community services to support the needs of children and their families.42

36 Núñez, P. Prospera Cash Transfer Program: Mexico. Inequality Solutions https://tinyurl.com/ycuzzz2n

37 Bate, A. and Foster, D. 2017 Sure Start (England) Briefing Paper Number 7257. https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7257/CBP-7257.pdf

38 Ibid.

39 Albert, A. 2024 What is a Sure Start Children’s Centre?. https://www.daynurseries. co.uk/advice

40 Melhuish E., Belsky, J. and Barnes, J. 2018. Sure Start and its Evaluation in England. Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development https://tinyurl.com/2ftrvdwp

41 The National Evaluation of Sure Start (NESS) Team. 2010. The impact of Sure Start Local Programmes on five year olds and their families. Research Report DFE-RR067. Birkbeck University of London. https://tinyurl.com/4eurwy6c

42 Centre for Public Impact. 2016. Chile Crece Contigo (CCC): supporting early years development https://www.centreforpublicimpact.org/case-study/chile-crece-contigo

The Ministry of Social Development oversees coordination, in close partnership with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and municipalities across the country. The programme is fully funded by the government.43

Implementing a system that covers everyone within a short period involves intricate institutional, legal and financial arrangements. The CCC system was introduced gradually, focusing on groups of children starting from gestation and expanding as these groups aged. Consequently, the lifespan of the system's various components extended as the children benefiting from it grew older.44

A child’s entry point into the CCC programme begins when a pregnant woman attends their first pre-natal checkup. Data on pregnant women, infants and children are recorded on a data monitoring system that healthcare staff can access to follow up on specific cases and carry out risk assessments related to the development of each individual, according to age.45

The CCC programme represents an important shift towards a comprehensive, proactive and integrated multi-sectoral approach to family and child wellbeing.46 It’s had a significant impact on the health and welfare of low-income Chileans:

The poorest 60% of households have free access to nurseries and preschools, as do vulnerable families and those with special needs;

Families across Chile now have guaranteed access to antenatal care, professional care during birth, rounded care for children in hospitals, more children getting regular health checks and improved interventions for vulnerable children and those with special developmental needs.47

This programme has served as a blueprint for the design of similar initiatives in countries such as Colombia, Peru and Uruguay.48

CRIANÇA FELIZ, BRAZIL

For decades, Brazil has struggled with structural inequality and poverty, with high levels of hunger and deprivation.49 In 2016 it launched Criança Feliz Programme (CFP) meaning ‘Happy Child’. It’s one of the largest home visiting programmes in the world and aims to reach vulnerable pregnant women and young children across Brazil. CFP builds on Brazil’s Primeira Infância Melhor Programme (PIM) meaning ‘Better Infancy’; its two pillars are (i) home visits to strengthen families and (ii) inter-sectoral coordination to strengthen local, state and national services.50

While coordinated by the National Secretariat for the Promotion of Human Development within the Ministry of Social Development (MDS), the implementation of Criança Feliz is developed by states and municipalities.51 At each of the three levels of government – federal, state and municipal –the programme has an inter-sectoral steering committee and a technical group that function alongside a coordinating body.

Given the need to overcome inequalities in Brazil, the Ministry of Social Development (MDS) chose to prioritise the most vulnerable families: those served by the conditional cash transfer programme ‘Bolsa Família’.52 In order to withdraw their monthly cash transfers, beneficiaries must demonstrate that they (and their family members) have met the programme’s health and education conditions.53

Bolsa Família has had a positive effect on the health and education of Brazil’s poorest children, according to an evaluation by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).54 Among girls, the programme significantly increased school participation (by 8 percentage points) and grade progression (by 10 percentage points), with large, significant effects across both younger and older girls in rural areas.55

43 Bernard van Leer Foundation. Chile Crece Contigo (ChCC). https://tinyurl.com/ pk7d4d4s

44 World Bank. 10 Years of Chile Grows with you. P.46. https://tinyurl.com/52azpzev

45 Bernard van Leer Foundation. Chile Crece Contigo (ChCC). https://tinyurl.com/ pk7d4d4s

46 Loewenson, R. and Masotya, M. 2019. Chile case study: Building collective and institutional support for child wellbeing through Chile Crece Contigo, Universidad de Chile. https://tinyurl.com/2vr4mpc6

47 Centre for Public Impact. 2016. Chile Crece Contigo (CCC): supporting early years development https://www.centreforpublicimpact.org/case-study/chile-crece-contigo

48 World Bank. Op. Cit.

49 Centre for Public Impact. 2019. Bolsa Família in Brazil https://nurturing-care.org/ crianca-feliz-happy-child-programme/

50 Ibid.

51 Girade, H. Criança Feliz’: A programme to break the cycle of poverty and reduce the inequality in Brazil https://tinyurl.com/4tw45ryk

52 Ibid.

53 Reaching the hard to reach: A case study of Brazil’s Bolsa Família Program. https://reachalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/BolsaFamilia-CaseStudyFINAL-pages.pdf

54 International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Study Finds Bolsa Família Children Healthier, Doing Better in School https://www.ifpri.org/news-release/study-findsbolsa-familia-children-healthier-doing-better-school

55 Alan De Brauw, A. Gilligan, D., Hoddinott, J., Roy, S. The Impact of Bolsa Família on Schooling https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2015.02.001

CFP improved children’s and caregivers’ communication skills, intensified family bonds and increased awareness of the importance of early childhood development. Mothers, fathers and other categories of caregivers emphasised the programme’s contributions to children’s development, including better motor coordination.56

In 2019, the programme was awarded the WISE award, recognising its efforts for being the largest and fastest growing home visiting programme of its kind in the world.57

Government departments have clear, specific roles in areas like child health, education and development. Starting by ensuring these departments fully deliver on their responsibilities is necessary, but it’s not enough to fully unlock a child's potential because:

Important elements of child development, like nutrition, require cross-cutting synergy across various departments and sectors (including government, business, civil society and trade unions).

WHAT IS FEASIBLE IN SOUTH AFRICA?

One of the key reasons we struggle to achieve our goals for improving child outcomes is the lack of coordination among different government departments and state agencies that provide services to children and families. In South Africa, this effort cannot be undertaken by government or civil society alone.

56 Van Leer Foundation. Happy Child Programme is well perceived in Brazil, despite COVID-19 pandemic https://tinyurl.com/ye25fjdx

57 Nurturing Care for Early Childhood Development. Criança Feliz (Happy Child) Programme https://nurturing-care.org/crianca-feliz-happy-child-programme/

Some areas, such as early language development, fall through the cracks because no single department has clear responsibility – this an issue, for instance, between the Department of Basic Education and the Department of Sports, Arts & Culture.

Certain vital human qualities must be fostered outside of government purview, as they develop in homes and communities. These include personal identity, creative problem-solving, empathy, trauma mitigation, avoiding risky behaviours, sexual and reproductive health and seeking opportunities.

Although government is open to exploring new strategies to combat poverty and enhance services for children, it is often civil society, through public-private partnerships, that leads the way in innovation.

GROW GREAT

Grow Great, a project funded by DGMT, seeks to mobilise South Africa towards a national commitment to zero-stunting by 2030. It partners with multiple stakeholders, including government departments, civil society and parents, to deliver a package of social and behaviour change interventions aimed at improving maternal and child health, nutrition and early childhood development practices in the first 1 000 days of life. The CoCare Maternal Support Study (2020/21) conducted by Grow Great, Embrace58 and partners in the Western Cape during the Covid-19 pandemic found that vulnerable pregnant women who received digital food vouchers reported improvements in maternal hunger, mental health and dietary diversity between baseline and end-line results.

58 Embrace is a social movement that values and celebrates motherhood and mothers, and the critical role they have to play socially, economically and politically in South Africa.

SMARTSTART

SmartStart aims to close the early learning provisioning gap in two ways: by integrating every stage of the service delivery continuum, and by providing the architecture and systems for establishing and managing programmes at scale. SmartStart reaches over 75 000 children a year, and its reach continues to expand.59

SmartStart currently has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Basic Education which includes the exploration of new models of public-private partnership to close the early learning access gap. This would mean new contracting arrangements between government and delivery systems like SmartStart, which can help to meet clear targets relating to access and quality in under-served areas.

SmartStart is also, together with its partner franchisors, engaging various provincial DBEs to discuss the overarching registration of the SmartStart programme. This, coupled with the district engagements to support registration of individual SmartStarter programmes, is essential to support registration for home and community-based programmes.

ILIFA LABANTWANA

Ilifa Labantwana is designing the DBE’s ECD Management Information System (MIS). This will improve government’s ability to monitor the extent to which South Africa is closing the early learning access gap and budgeting for increased resources.

WHAT NEXT?

Childhood development occurs in various places such as homes, communities, and health and educational facilities. Ensuring effective development in these areas requires the active involvement of all sectors of society. While the government must lead and take responsibility for realising children's rights, it must also partner with other sectors to ensure children reach their full potential.

The critical role of child development for the nation's future, and its multi-sectoral nature, suggests that the governance of children's rights should be centralised in the Presidency. The leadership for this must be directly accountable to the President and include top experts from both government and non-governmental sectors.

International examples indicate that national programmes under a strong, recognisable brand foster public awareness and enhance synergy across different departments and sectors.

To propel a National Programme of Action for Children forward, a new accelerator mechanism is essential. It must combine speed and credibility, and be able to act swiftly and effectively, while being formally endorsed by the leadership within the Presidency. A practical approach would involve a public-private partnership, where the accelerator is developed within a reputable non-governmental organisation in close cooperation with the government. DGMT intends to incubate such an accelerator until its long-term institutional arrangements become clearer.

59 SmartStart provides a unique national delivery platform that seeks to address the lack of affordable, quality early learning programmes, and the need for trained and licensed practitioners, while creating new employment opportunities. It does so through a social franchise model.

This brief was written by Daniella Horwitz and edited by Rahima Essop. It was made possible thanks to contributions from Ilifa Labantwana, SmartStart and Grow Great.

This is the learning experience of:

HANDS-ON Experience

PRODUCTIVE COMMUNITIES

DGMT’s investment in agroecology seeks to respond to malnutrition, youth unemployment and food insecurity at household level in a given community. We are interested in learning from civil society organisations (CSOs) focused on building sustainable local value chains and food systems, while enabling the transfer of skills and knowledge about agroecological farming practices and entrepreneurship.

This brief explores how the Southern Africa Food Lab (SAFL), Siyavuna, the Seriti Institute, Thanda and Khulisa Social Solutions have done this for the benefit of the communities they work with.

THE GLOBAL CONTEXT

OF FOOD INSECURITY

Since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, global food supply has been disrupted, as Ukraine is (or used to be) a major exporter of cereal grains and sunflower oil. The war has increased hunger risks for one-fifth of the global population — around 1.7 billion people — due to rising food prices, climbing energy prices and growing financial constraints.1 Even before the war, food systems were repeatedly destabilised by shocks, such as the 2007–2008 commodity price spikes, the SARS and Ebola outbreaks, and the Covid-19 pandemic.2

Concerning food insecurity statistics include:

Globally, 2.3 billion people are moderately or severely food insecure, and malnutrition is the biggest risk factor for disease, with 20% of deaths related to poor diet,

sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rate of food insecurity, with 63.2% of the population affected and 32.3% of children under the age of five suffering from stunting,3

this leads to an average loss of 11% of Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) per year.4

1 Omer, S. 2023. Global hunger: 7 facts you need to know, From the Field (World Vision) 28 August 2023. https://www.worldvision.org/hunger-news-stories/ world-hunger-facts

2 IPES-Food. 2020. COVID-19 and the crisis in food systems: Symptoms, causes, and potential solutions. https://www.ipes-food.org/_img/upload/files/COVID-19_ CommuniqueEN%283%29.pdf

3 Stunting is a (largely preventable) condition where young children are short for their age and do not reach their full growth potential due to chronic nutritional deprivation, repeated infections and poor psychosocial stimulation.

4 Cramer, C. 2023. Disconnect between agriculture and nutrition in Focus. Southern Africa Food Lab https://www.southernafricafoodlab.org/disconnect-betweenagriculture-and-nutrition-in-focus/

THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONTEXT

The interconnection of environmental degradation, food insecurity, and malnutrition is escalating into a significant crisis in South Africa. Climate change exacerbates food insecurity, leading to widespread malnutrition, particularly affecting children — around 27% of children under five suffer from stunted growth due to chronic malnutrition.5

South Africa is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases in Africa, primarily due to its reliance on coal-powered electricity, which significantly contributes to carbon dioxide emissions.6 Large-scale commercial agriculture adds to the problem through the use of fossil fuel-based fertilisers and chemical pesticides to enhance productivity and control pests. The problem is that these things affect soil quality and harm natural ecosystems, leaving many communities with land that is not viable for small-scale commercial farming or subsistence farming. These activities are major drivers of climate change, which in turn severely impacts our weather patterns.

About 20% of South African households are involved in agriculture, with 65% of these relying on subsistence farming.7 These rural farmers are especially vulnerable to adverse environmental conditions such as climate variability and irregular rainfall. Unlike commercial farmers, they often lack the financial resources needed to adapt to these changes.8 Despite its vital role, the agricultural sector's growth and market share remain small.

Most communities, however, do not produce their own food and depend on various retail outlets – including supermarkets, butchers, informal shops, street vendors, and bulk retailers –for their groceries and produce.

At various governmental levels, institutions attempt to support emerging farmers but often fail to distribute resources fairly or provide adequate support for young people entering agriculture. These inefficiencies, stemming from limited resources and poor coordination, not only threaten food security but also hinder the economic advancement of young South Africans, perpetuating cycles of economic exclusion.

5 Ntuli, M. Childhood stunting and malnutrition are critical health challenges for SA. Daily Maverick, 26 July 2023. https://tinyurl.com/2p88a6u7

6 International Monetary Fund. African Dept. 2023. South Africa Carbon Pricing And Climate Mitigation Policy https://tinyurl.com/38xwwwx6

7 Platt, J. The Link Between Subsistence Farming and Sustainability in South Africa, Subsistence Farming, 27 September 2019. https://tinyurl.com/yhkhd94a

8 Bohle, H. G., Downing, T. E., & Watts, M. J. 1994. Climate change and social vulnerability: toward a sociology and geography of food insecurity. Global Environmental Change, 4(1), pp.37-48

“Although agriculture is essential for South Africa’s future, poor farming practices have undesirable impacts on the well-being of people and nature. Therefore, empowering farmers with the necessary skills to contribute towards an environmentally sustainable future is vital to addressing the interlinked challenges of food security and climate change.”

SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN SOUTH AFRICA FACE

SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES

Smallholder farming refers to small-scale agricultural operations that grow some food for local markets but may also produce food to feed their families.

LIMITED ACCESS TO LAND AND RESOURCES:

Smallholder farmers often struggle to secure sufficient land for farming due to urbanisation, competing land-use demands, and land tenure issues.10 Access to water resources can also be a constraining factor.

DIFFICULT MARKET ACCESS:

The lack of efficient transportation and storage infrastructure, as well as unequal access to market information and low bargaining power can limit smallholder farmers’ ability to sell their goods at fair prices. This can also lead to significant post-harvest losses. Market dominance by large formal retail companies also limits small producer access.

LIMITED GOVERNMENT SUPPORT AND POLICY FRAMEWORKS:

The absence of implementation frameworks for agriculture development policies and inadequate government support tailored to the needs of smallholder farmers hinder their development. Insufficient access to credit, technical assistance, and poorly delivered extension services restricts their ability to adopt appropriate farming techniques and technologies.11

Word Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)9

POORLY MANAGED SUPPLY CHAINS:

Organisations in the supply chain often suffer from inefficiencies, lack of transparency, and corruption, which can hinder the farmers’ ability to receive fair prices for their produce. Inadequate management and oversight in the supply chains can lead to delays, post-harvest losses, and lower incomes for smallholder farmers.12

UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF AGROECOLOGY

As food prices soar, making household food security more tenuous, we need a basket of complementary solutions to ensure families have access to nutritious food. On the retail side, we need to make nutritious food more affordable by slashing the prices of protein-rich staple pantry items. On the production side, we need sustainable farming practices that empower smallholder farmers to participate in local food supply chains. One of the tried and tested ways to do this is through agroecology.

Agroecology is not just about changing the way we farm, it's also about how farming affects people and the environment. Agroecology is about finding ways to farm that are good for local markets, communities and nature. It’s about wisely using resources, like water and soil, and trying to make sure we can keep farming sustainably even as the climate changes.

“The smallholder sector is a key point of entry to bring about more sustainable food systems in South Africa,” says Professor Scott Drimie, Director of the Southern Africa Food Lab (SAFL). “These farmers support the most vulnerable populations through informal markets, and they employ operations most suitable for the development of sustainable, agroecological, and local food systems," says Drimie.

"Agroecology is an approach to food production that uses the application of ecological principles and processes in agricultural production. It uses natural materials and methods to grow, protect and harvest crops."

Onesisa Mtwa, DGMT innovation director

People and organisations using these ideas aim to create farms and communities that work well together and help each other out. These civil society organisations (CSOs) are finding ways to build “productive communities” through agroecology principles and projects that facilitate knowledge sharing among individuals in a given community.

WOZA NAMI (KZN) – AGROECOLOGY AND LOCAL FOOD SUPPLY CHAINS

KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change, alternately hit by drought or submerged by flooding. As part of its resilience strategy, the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality established seven agroecology hubs. Many small-scale farmers, backyard gardeners and farming cooperatives grow crops around these hubs.

In 2020, the Southern Africa Food Lab (SAFL) partnered with the eThekwini municipality to launch Woza Nami (“Come With Me”) at the Inchanga hub, which is situated in a large peri-urban settlement between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. Woza Nami aims to tackle food insecurity by developing closer ties with the local community, improving agroecological farming knowledge, developing nutrition awareness and increasing the availability of affordable, nutritionally dense food.

Woza Nami has created a flagship demonstration site at Inchanga and the hub serves as a working farm with crop planting, soil rehabilitation programmes, poultry, an organic seedling nursery tunnel and different types of composting methods. Farmers from surrounding areas are trained here in agroecological methods, and municipal agricultural extension officers travel to local farms to provide support. The hub is close to a clinic, which is important as the project is jointly about healthy food production and nutrition.

The project supports a range of farmers, predominantly women. Woza Nami currently works with 10 co-operatives (approximately 110 individuals), with between five and 10 farmers intensively farming vegetables on almost a hectare of land. Various types of vegetables are grown, including wild crops such as amadumbe and bambara groundnuts (part of traditional diets in KwaZulu-Natal), as well as maize, carrots, spinach, onions, pumpkins, green peppers and lettuce.

Woza Nami also works with 25 “One Home One Garden” farmers, who grow backyard vegetable gardens that supplement household diets with vegetables, especially leafy greens. The hub hosts market days for its farmers, but also hopes to partner with ECD centres, so that they can become nutrition hubs. 12 Ibid.

As part of the Social Employment Fund (SEF), which aims to give unemployed youth basic training and skills in various opportunities while paying them a small stipend for a short term, 100 community members from the area were trained by Woza Nami between 2022 and 2024.

SIYAVUNA (KZN) – TRAINING YOUNG AGRI-ENTREPRENEURS

Siyavuna Abalimi Development Centre is a non-profit organisation based in Margate, KwaZulu-Natal, which assists rural farmers through skills and enterprise development, advocating farming methods that are resilient to climate change.

In 2022, Siyavuna partnered with the SEF to enrol around 1 200 local youth in its agricultural training program. The training covered how to start an agroecological food garden from scratch and included theory on composting, raised beds, inter-cropping, seed saving, seedling growing, production maintenance, chemical-free agricultural inputs, and pest control. After completing the three-day program, participants were able to start their own gardens and be assessed on their production skills. The training was accredited by the Agricultural Sector Education Training Authority (AgriSETA).

Each young person was paired with an older farmer who provided mentorship and support. Both were paid a stipend. Currently, through funding from DGMT, Siyavuna is working to transform this initial investment into a long-term opportunity for at least 500 young people from the same cohort who demonstrate commitment and an aptitude for farming. They will continue to be trained in agriculture, but also offered training in additional skills such as business entrepreneurship, bookkeeping, financial management and digital platforms. Another cohort was trained in 2023 and Siyavuna hopes to obtain funding from the SEF for 2024.

Siyavuna has a variety of 22 crops that grow at scale, including carrots, potatoes, onions, peppers, turnips and cucumbers. Siyavuna is hoping to introduce cooking classes so the community can learn how to cook vegetables that are unfamiliar to them.

SERITI INSTITUTE (KZN, NORTH WEST, LIMPOPO, MPUMALANGA) –INTRODUCING MULTI-FUNCTIONAL AGRI-NODES

The Seriti Institute aims to support and develop small-scale food producers that express an interest in agroecology, giving preference to women and youth. Its “Work. Learn. Grow.” (WLG) programme supports agroecology nodes as part of an integrated long-term plan to inculcate agroecological practice and transform food systems.

In 2023, Seriti set up four flagship multi-functional agri-nodes (MFANs) across different provinces: Limpopo (Bela-Bela), Mpumalanga (Standerton), North West (Deelpan), and KwaZulu-Natal (Inchanga). These nodes are chosen based on factors like accessibility, market reach, support for agri-businesses, visibility, training opportunities, education, skills development and security. They are strategically placed near main roads to be easily accessible and serve as prominent hubs for production, the sale of produce and the provision of training.

These in-community nodes offer resources and training, and also help small-scale producers/farmers sell their produce and products. Farmers learn techniques to improve soil health, reduce dependence on external inputs, and diversify income streams through enterprise development. These nodes not only teach farmers but also encourage them to take care of their environment. Members of the community who show an affinity for, or interest in, farming, but do not have access to sufficient land, are able to grow crops at the node.

The MFANs are starting to produce vegetable seedlings of various cultivars that the community wishes to grow and offer them at subsidised prices. The objective is to create a sustainable ecosystem of production, with more small-scale farmers planting, selling and becoming part of the value chain.

They have been focusing on cash crops that take up to three months to grow, including spinach, cabbages, carrots, onions, peppers, beetroot and tomatoes. They aim to also introduce poultry farming. “We would love to have the chickens in order to produce eggs and make compost from the manure,” says Alwyn Esterhuizen, Seriti’s technical programme manager. “In future, Seriti would also like to introduce nutrition hubs at the nodes with a parent and child play centre and a library.”

MULTI-FUNCTIONAL AGRI-NODE

THANDA (KZN) – CHANGING MINDSETS

Food insecurity in Mtwalume, in rural KwaZulu-Natal, is a big problem because of widespread poverty and resource constraints. Thanda, a community-based organisation (CBO), provides a holistic response to the critical needs of children through quality early learning, parenting, and social-emotional learning programmes, as well as organic farming interventions to enable food security within households.

The first farming intervention, Nisela has been in place since 2015, when a group of struggling local farmers asked Thanda for assistance. Thanda now provides training, mentoring and infrastructure support to 375 organic farmers working on 31 farms of varying size, with between two and 50 farmers per farm. The farmers share resources such as irrigation and fencing. Plot size usually measures 12m by 12m, but more experienced farmers grow crops on larger plots. The farmers decide what to plant, when to sow or reap and whom to sell to. Thanda buys seedlings in bulk, selling them to the farmers to enable planting on a bi-weekly basis.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Thanda introduced a new organic farming initiative called Household Gardens to support families with children in their education programmes. This initiative helps participants turn their backyards into crop-yielding micro-farms, enhancing their food security. Each participant is assigned a dedicated mentor to guide them in organic farming. The Household Gardens programme is expanding and currently involves 552 households. Unlike the Nisela programme, participants in the Household Gardens initiative do not pay for their seedlings and do not receive additional infrastructure support. The size of the gardens is also limited.

Typical crops include onions, peppers, cabbages and spinach. Community members have the option to sell surplus vegetables to Thanda, which are then used to support the organisation’s feeding programme. Alternatively, vegetables are sold to other rural communities that do not have access to fresh produce or are sold to greengrocers or retailers.

“We come from a community where there aren’t many opportunities. People would rather leave the rural area and go to cities (like Durban) where they might find a way to earn a living. Thanda’s Organic Farming Initiative has removed the stigma that farming is for ‘rural old people’ within the community. This initiative has catered for young people looking for employment opportunities too. Many of our youth have matriculated but have no jobs. Usually, idle hands cause more harm than good, but in our community, the young ones are now preoccupied with opportunities to work and develop their skills through the organic farming initiative.”

Bongumusa Xaba, mentor to 60 gardeners in the Nisela programme.

KHULISA STREETSCAPES PROGRAMME

(WESTERN CAPE) – TRAINING HOMELESS PEOPLE TO RUN CITY GARDENS

There are three market gardens successfully run by unhoused (or homeless) people in the city of Cape Town. Agriculture may not seem the most obvious path to address the needs of unhoused people, but when Streetscapes asked them what they wanted, their most pressing need was the opportunity to earn an income. So, Streetscapes teamed up with the City of Cape Town and the Central City Improvement District to form a network of support so that 100 people could work in community gardens in Roeland Street, Vredehoek and at Trafalgar High School, growing organic fruit and vegetables. “It was purely by chance; we didn’t have any agriculture knowledge. We wanted to give people in the programme a means to earn an income so we could tackle the issue of homelessness and get them off the streets,” says Andrew Tulloch, Khulisa operations manager.

The gardens became a safe and tranquil space, where unhoused people could earn a stipend while learning new skills. This approach allows social workers and the psychosocial team to engage with them and begin rehabilitative work more easily. Participants spend up to two years on the project before exiting the programme to seek employment with Khulisa’s assistance.

After the gardens project was initiated, city officials offered Khulisa the use of a derelict farm in Kuils River. In 2023, the NPO brought in a farm manager and set about transforming the farm into a successful enterprise. They started to sell produce at farmers markets. They also began networking with local restaurants and looked for other markets to tap into.

In addition to fruit and vegetables, the farm has expanded into producing free-range eggs and honey, thanks to the addition of 150 chickens and 13 bee hives. The farm also grows its own seedlings, selling punnets at farmers’ markets, and produces its own compost thanks to chicken manure.

Organic waste donated from local retailer, Food Lovers Market, is used in composting and supplements the chicken feed to keep the hens strictly free range. This allows the farm to act as a kind of agri-node, producing seedlings and compost used by other gardens. The recycling of waste means that the farms and gardens form part of the circular economy.13 Khulisa is now in the process of applying for organic licensing and accreditation through the Participatory Guarantee Scheme (PGS).14

13 The circular economy is a model of both production and consumption that extends the life cycle of products as long as possible, through refurbishment, re-appropriation, repair and recycling.

14 A network of organic farmers that subscribe to a certain code of ethics in terms of growing things organically. Certain requirements have to be fulfilled (soil testing, water testing, ensuring all products used are organically certified, including compost). Farm inspections are done through collaboration.

TOP LESSONS SHARED BY THE AGROECOLOGICAL HUBS

PARTNER UP

Partnering with other civil society organisations, private entities and/or government can ensure that organisations are able to better leverage and manage resources. The seven agriculture hubs in eThekwini were originally established by the municipality, but it had neither the resources nor the infrastructure to fully realise its resilience plan. By partnering with the Southern Africa Food Lab, it was able to establish Woza Nami as a flagship demonstration site, bringing in water, skills training and infrastructure. Thanks to the Social Employment Fund partnership, a 30-metre organic tunnel with a seedling nursery went up in record time to grow hydroponic herbs for market, opening another income stream. Similarly, the City of Cape Town partnered with Khulisa to employ unhoused people to work in community gardens. These public-private partnerships are a way of removing resource and capacity constraints.

"The SEF programme has been a great enabler and source of human capital that facilitates skills transfer in communities, while also supporting CSOs with stipends for trainee farmers," says Onesisa Mtwa, DGMT Innovation Director.

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"These stipends help reduce vulnerability in the short-term, while they receive training and agroecological skills that give emerging farmers a springboard to ensure their livelihoods are sustainable in the long-term," says Mtwa.

AGRICULTURE IS A VIABLE CAREER PATH

“Your typical small-scale producer is an older person, but since our involvement with SEF we have been engaging with youth all the time and more than 60% of the participants are young people. Now, youth are interested in agriculture and see it as a way to start a small business. They can produce not only for themselves but also for the market. When we go to the site, the crops they produce are amazing. Yes, we provide training and input, but the everyday work is coming from them.”

Alwyn Esterhuizen, Seriti technical programme manager

Predominantly through the SEF, these projects are demonstrating that agriculture is a viable career path for the younger generation. At the end of the SEF funding cycle, Siyavuna intends lobbying local school nutrition schemes to continue sourcing their produce from young gardeners. “This is how we build social economic stability in our communities,” explains Oxolo Mofokeng, Siyavuna’s executive director.

AGROECOLOGY BUILDS RESILIENCE

Sustainable farming promotes community resilience through improved food and nutrition security and fosters self-reliance. The Woza Nami project shows that families surrounding the hub have access to, and are eating, more nutritionally dense food than before. Environmental resilience is also improving. When severe flooding hit KZN in 2023, those farmers who had converted to agroecological beds suffered less flood damage due to inter-cropping and plants growing at angles on a slope. Tatjana von Bormann, a founding member of the SAFL and current chair of the SAFL Advisory Board, suggests that improving resilience requires a holistic and people-centred approach.

In the pursuit of sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the modernisation of agriculture, South Africa faces significant challenges in promoting the adoption of digital technologies among small-scale farmers. High data costs, lack of Wi-Fi and tech savviness are all barriers. Some projects are trying to address this.

For example, Woza Nami is developing digital farm reporting tools in the form of two simple Google Forms which allow for the recording of (i) farmer harvesting records, including the quantities of the different crops harvested by the farmers and (ii) farmer sales records, including the quantities of the different crops sold at the Inchanga markets. Data can be captured from a smartphone, tablet or laptop. These tools are yet to be put to the test.

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You really have to walk the journey with people, and mentors have helped. Over time people stop seeing themselves as victims of the situation and the weather; they see themselves as agents of change in their own lives and in their communities.”

Angela Larkan, Thanda CEO

A once-off training session is unlikely to be successful because farming is a long-term process, with many bumps in the road. Mentors embedded in local communities are in it for the long run; they are aware of everyday challenges and their encouragement supports struggling farmers.

Thanda’s mentors are all young people. They are not experts in farming; they are hired based on their personality, openness to learn and ability to work with people. “I think there is a lot of pride that comes with farming now, which didn’t exist before. Farming was looked down upon. Now you are providing nutrition for your community … I think mentoring is a huge part of that process,” says Angela Larkan, Thanda CEO.

Oxolo Mofokeng, Siyavuna executive director, agrees that the relationship with the mentor is what keeps new farmers on track. “For the first time, many young people have someone who believes in them. When the mentor visits, they must have completed several tasks. Then, they will earn the stipend and be given more tasks. This ongoing support is an opportunity for intergenerational engagement and skills transfer. This element of the project builds social capital and strengthens the community fabric.”

A DATABASE IS INVALUABLE

A database can show which parts of a project are working and which parts need more attention. For example, at Thanda, everything planted gets monitored and recorded in a database (whether it is reaped, lost, sold or given away). Thanda classifies farmers based on their livelihoods, specifically the value derived from their agricultural activities. They track each farmer's status and their goals. The NPO tailors support to meet these individual goals; for example, a farmer aiming to become an entrepreneurial farmer receives different training and mentorship compared to a grandmother who is content with subsistence farming. This targeted approach, supported by a comprehensive database, has enabled Thanda to facilitate some farmers' transition from subsistence to more profitable farming practices.

Streetscapes’ agricultural enterprise has gone from a turnover of R1 000 a month, when they were selling produce on an ad hoc basis to people visiting the city gardens, to R30 000 a month, close to a quarter of a million rand turnover per year. This is crucial because as a result, Streetscapes has become less dependent on external funding, and it puts unhoused people on a path to become confident, self-sufficient entrepreneurs; they are able to grow organic produce, run market stalls, handle cash sales and interact with customers. MENTORSHIP IS

FARMING SUPPORTS THE LOCAL ECONOMY

In 2015, Nisela produced R26 000 worth of vegetables. In 2023, Nisela and Household Gardens produced R6.6 million worth (with the bulk coming from Nisela). Larkan says: “In general, farming has caught on like wildfire, compared to when we started. Now you have R6.6 million of the local economy that didn’t exist before. Really nobody was farming. Now everyone wants to farm. If you beg your neighbour for food, they wonder why you are not farming.”

MULTIPLE NETWORKS OF SUPPORT IMPROVE OUTCOMES

In 2024, Thanda piloted a neighbourhood component of Household Gardens, working with household gardeners in a group capacity. And Thanda quickly discovered that people work well together at a neighbourhood level.

“Rather than Thanda being the driver, group work showed that ‘Mr X’ is fantastic at growing cabbages and getting rid of cutworm while ‘Mr Y’ is excellent at fencing. People will start knowing who to go to for help and start offering to help each other,” Larkan explains. “We really believe you need both. Just the group work or just the individual work is not effective. You need to be working at multiple levels for it to be most effective.”

MENTAL

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HEALTH IS A PRIORITY

Siyavuna’s Mofokeng says that there is a dire need for mental health support in rural communities. “You would be surprised by how many of them come forward to say ‘I need support to do this and I am struggling with that’,” she explains.

Mofokeng says that linking young people with platforms of support helps them to move forward. “We are assisting them to be food secure, but there are other elements that we need to look into and make available to them when required.”

GRADUALLY INTRODUCE NEW PRACTICES

Each agri-node or hub will have a different climate, soil, pests and varied socio-economic challenges. That is why a flexible approach to introducing new agroecological practices is likely to be more effective. Some farmers may feel that a particular approach is not suitable for their area. Siphesihle Qange, Seriti programme manager, says: “We must start bit by bit in terms of adopting new practices. We do not have full control of the environment. You just need to gradually practice activities, until you get to a point where the community can see that it is working, and they adopt these activities.”

WHAT NEXT?

These initiatives show that agroecological hubs are helping to improve food security in communities and build resilience to climate change among small-scale farmers. Projects such as the Social Employment Fund have positioned farming as a sustainable career path for young people; however, there is still much that can be done by government and civil society to build more sustainable food systems.

This brief was written by Daniella Horwitz, edited by Rahima Essop and made possible with contributions from Onesisa Mtwa at DGMT, Southern Africa Food Lab (SAFL), Siyavuna, the Seriti Institute, Thanda and Khulisa Social Solutions.

This is the learning experience of:

WRAPAROUND SUPPORT

FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

South Africa’s youth bulge is significant and in an election year, we are reminded that young people have the power to shape South Africa’s future. Yet a third of young people are not in education, employment or training (NEET)1 due to the multiple and complex barriers that young people face in accessing and seizing opportunities. Effective support requires a coordinated response from local service providers who share an understanding of the realities of young people and a commitment to supporting their development. Wraparound support places young people at the centre and is intended to respond to individuals with a range of needs in a specific community. By design, this type, and level, of support is different to one-dimensional interventions. So, what does the design look like and how can it be replicated?

This learning brief looks at the pioneering work conducted by Bumb’INGOMSO (BI) and its partners delivering multi-faceted HIV-prevention and youth development initiatives in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) in the Eastern Cape.

1 Mudiriza, G. and De Lannoy, A. 2023. Profile of young NEETs aged 15-24 years in South Africa: an annual update. Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU). https://tinyurl.com/545ds5f3

Young people in South Africa make up a significant portion of the population, with a diverse range of talents, skills, and aspirations.2 Yet the most recent labour survey statistics released in February 2024 show youth unemployment, excluding those who have given up looking for work, at 44.3% and the percentage of young people (15-24) categorised as ‘NEET’ at 33%.3

A multi-disciplinary body of evidence tells us that when young people are NEET and remain in that position for a long time, they are more likely to experience poor physical and mental health, substance abuse, social exclusion, and increased risky behaviour.4 From a fiscal perspective, countries with a large proportion of young people that are NEET have less state revenue through tax collection but need to spend a considerable amount on public health, social welfare and even the criminal justice system.5

Let us look at what Bumb’INGOMSO (BI), Basic Package of Support (BPS), #Keready and JobStarter have done to respond to young people’s needs in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) — an area with a population of nearly one million people. In this area, the unemployment rate is 30.7%.6

BUMB’INGOMSO (BI)

Since 2016, Bumb’INGOMSO, meaning ‘mould the future’ in isiXhosa, has aimed to reduce the vulnerability of girls and young women in the BCMM by addressing individual, interpersonal, and structural challenges. This comprehensive HIV-prevention project in East London also now includes young men aged 15-29. It integrates behavioural, biomedical, social, and economic strategies to encourage these individuals to avoid high-risk behaviours and make healthier life choices. Its approach is based on international evidence showing that robust, multi-faceted prevention efforts can significantly lower HIV rates if maintained broadly and intensively.7

The initiative is propelled by a core team alongside four implementing partners: Small Projects Foundation (SPF), Masimanyane Women’s Rights International, Masibumbane Development Organisation (MDO), and Beyond Zero.

A key component of this initiative is a youth centre in Mdantsane, which provides a range of services including HIV counselling and testing, screenings for tuberculosis and sexually transmitted infections, and psychosocial support. This centre also houses the BI economic hub, which offers assistance to unemployed youth in the area.

BUILDING POSSIBILITY

Through the following programmes, BI and partners aim to build self-efficacy and a sense of imminent possibility that shifts the social and structural dynamics shaping young women’s lives.

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CREATE A POSITIVE CHANGE IN RISKY BEHAVIOUR

For behaviour change to happen, BI believes that young people must be able to understand themselves and have a sense of community, connectedness and the ability to make informed choices in their lives. The SPF is at the centre of the intervention, responsible for encouraging and facilitating behaviour change.

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PROMOTE ACCESSIBLE HEALTH SERVICES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND HIGH-RISK GROUPS

Effective health services enable young people to make informed choices about their bodies and sexual health. BI aims to increase access to youth-friendly care at public health facilities in Buffalo City and the Amathole District Municipality (ADM)8 to strengthen youth-friendly services. Beyond Zero implements the health intervention.

2 Dhliwayo, R. 2023. Harnessing the employability of South Africa’s youth. UNDP South Africa. https://www.undp.org/south-africa/blog/harnessing-employabilitysouth-africas-youth

3 Statistics South Africa. 2024. Quarterly Labour Force Survey, Q4 2023. Pretoria: Statistics South Africa.

4 Franzen, E.M. & Kassman, A. 2005. Longer-term labour market consequences of economic inactivity during young adulthood: a Swedish national cohort study. Journal of Youth Studies, 8(4), 403–424.

5 De Lannoy, A., Basic Package of Support research consortium. 201) Towards a Basic Package of Support for Young People who are not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) in South Africa. Project summary report. Cape Town: Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town. https://tinyurl.com/3cvjaynx

6 Stats SA. 2023. Quarterly Labour Force Survey Quarter 2: 2023 https://www.statssa. gov.za/publications/P0211/P02112ndQuarter2023.pdf

7 Bekker LG, Beyrer C, Quinn TC. Behavioural and biomedical combination strategies for HIV prevention. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2012 Aug 1;2(8):a007435. doi: 10.1101/ cshperspect.a007435.

8 This programme started in BCMM in 2017 and expanded to parts of ADM closer to BCMM in 2020. In ADM, additional programmes offered include health, behaviour change and communication, and IKHWELOLethu.

RESPOND EFFECTIVELY TO GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE (GBV)

Given young women’s greater physical and social vulnerability to infection with HIV, BI seeks to mobilise and engage communities to be actively involved in the prevention of GBV. Masimanyane Women’s Rights International is the implementing partner addressing violence against women.

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ENABLING ACCESS TO ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUNG WOMEN

In the Eastern Cape, information and mobility barriers significantly limit the life choices of young people. BI empowers them by enhancing access to skills training and information about available opportunities through its economic opportunities and work readiness intervention. BI youth coaches provide career coaching, while the Masimumbane Development Organisation (MDO) offers psychosocial support for first-year students at Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges. This support aims to prevent dropouts and provides work-integrated learning opportunities, helping TVET students complete their portfolios and graduate from their programmes.

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SHAPING EQUAL GENDER NORMS AMONG ADOLESCENTS AGED 10-14

Early adolescence (10–14 years) is an especially crucial phase in which young people undergo physical, emotional, social and cognitive changes, including socialisation into prevailing gender norms. The IKHWELOLethu intervention is a BI programme aimed at a younger cohort that focuses on shaping equal gender norms during early adolescence for boys and girls.

YOUNG PEOPLE MAKE THEIR OWN NETWORKS

In addition to these interventions, BI also encourages young women to take control of their lives through interaction with their peers, enabling them to create their own networks of support. The Bumb’INGOMSO Leadership Network (BLN) brings together young women in different communities as a means of growing their social capital. Through the network, young women are able to help each other unlock their potential and make informed choices.

Bumb’INGOMSO clubs also bring together groups of young women in different communities. Each club has a maximum of 12 members who meet regularly to engage in discussions led by a trained facilitator/mentor. These clubs are facilitated by young women from the same communities who are trained and supported by the BI team. All BI partners recruit young people into the leadership network and clubs.

Leadership initiative: Young people reached

A total of 4 885 adolescent girls and young women were recruited by the end of 2023 to join the BLN. To date, 56 435 young women have been recruited into the network.

BI currently has 421 active clubs, with an average of 10 members per club, and a total of 6 071 young women participating in club activities. Of this number, 284 are in-school clubs, whilst 127 are out-of-school clubs, and 10 are in the two TVET colleges supported by BI.

“I use sport to gather young people and engage with them on the variety of issues they face.”

Ayabonga Jezile (24) BLN member, soccer player and HIV educator

FOCUS ON ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

BI has spent years reaching thousands of young women, building a sense of self and agency among them. How can this continue amid the high levels of poverty and unemployment in South Africa?

Bridget Hannah, DGMT Innovation Director, says that since the Covid-19 pandemic it has become increasingly urgent to focus on economic opportunities, skills development and employment so that young people can make positive decisions about their own lives.

This is why BI partnered with the Basic Package of Support, a unique response to youth unemployment that offers targeted, individual and ongoing support to young people who are NEET, while simultaneously supporting service providers to improve their interventions.

THE BASIC PACKAGE OF SUPPORT (BPS)

“Often young people fall through the cracks because they are not able to access what is available to them in their communities, either because they simply don’t know about it or they are not referred to the relevant services by those who should be providing support.”

Simone Peinke, BPS project lead

The Basic Package of Support provides holistic support to young people to improve their life chances. It acknowledges that young people face multiple barriers to accessing opportunities, so once-off or one-dimensional interventions are not enough to help them access and stay connected to opportunities. The approach is based on decades worth of national and international research about the type of interventions that are most effective at improving employment outcomes for young people. Its design has been refined in consultation with local civil society groups and government stakeholders.

BPS began its pilot in 2022; it was concluded at the end of 2023 when the project achieved proof of concept and entered an expanded phase of implementation. There are currently four sites: Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality in the Eastern Cape, Orange Farm in Gauteng, Cato Manor in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal and Atlantis in the Western Cape.

Through the BPS, young people receive support from youth coaches to help them better understand their strengths and interests as they transition into the workforce. This includes practical support like CV building and guidance on accessing the job market both online and offline. Individual and group sessions connect youth with organisations that can identify and nurture their talents.

Building relationships with community service providers is essential. The BPS team maps out existing services for young people within a given community and visits the various service providers, ensuring they know what is provided for and what they can connect with.

BPS project lead Simone Peinke says that through the partnership with BI, a number of young people have been connected to earning and learning opportunities. BPS works with the economic opportunity lead within BI to strengthen how young people are connected to service providers and to improve referral networks. She adds: “The BPS coaches have been able to refer young people to social workers based at the site, as well as family planning experts and nurses.”

In the economic/work opportunity context, JobStarter, a techbased initiative that supports young people to get ready for the world of work, is often referenced by BPS.

JOBSTARTER

“We use digital technology as a bridge that takes young people from a point of feeling stuck to a point where they are economically active.”

Nomfundo Calana, JobStarter project lead

JobStarter is an online work-readiness platform, not an app, that acts as a virtual career coach. JobStarter does not connect youth with potential employers. Rather it gives young people the tools to be fully prepared and ready to take advantage of work opportunities when they arrive.

Nomfundo Calana, JobStarter project lead, explains: “It helps a young person understand who they are, what interests they have, what skills they have, and how they can use those skills to build a CV that could land them a work opportunity.”

Other components of JobStarter include various study modules dealing with topics such as how to prepare for a job interview, financial literacy, communication in the workplace, and what it would mean to become an entrepreneur. About 98% of users access the platform via their mobile phones.

JobStarter’s strategy is based on partnerships. The online platform partners with youth development organisations that use the digital platform to complement their existing programmes. For example, BI uses JobStarter as its main workreadiness and CV builder tool, coaching participants to get ready for the world of work.

Calana notes: “What’s nice about this is that they are able to track what young people are doing.”

In 2023, JobStarter began training Keready mobilisers and communicators in the Western Cape and Gauteng, equipping them to be information ambassadors for the platform. In early 2024, this initiative was extended to the Eastern Cape.

Keready offers a range of health services to young people through 46 mobile health units, each equipped with free Wi-Fi. Calana explains: “When people arrive at mobile clinics, Keready mobilisers may discover that one of their top concerns is joblessness; they are able to help by showing them how to use the JobStarter platform.”

KEREADY

Keready launched in February 2022 with the objective of encouraging youth participation in the rollout of Covid-19 vaccinations. Keready was branded as an initiative for young people, by young people, and not as a government project. No jargon and no judgement – this is the ethos. The initiative’s frank, unfiltered approach to providing health information from young doctors bolstered its credibility; within the first two months of the campaign, an additional quarter of a million young people, above the trend-line expected, came forward to be vaccinated.9

Keready has since evolved into a movement that seeks to enhance healthcare-seeking behaviour among young people. The 46 mobile health clinics are located across KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape, offering services such as health screenings and tests, family planning, immunisations and treatment. It also has a WhatsApp line – “Ask a Doctor” – which young people can message any time of the day with health questions.

Mobile clinics enhance access to healthcare services for young people. Before these clinics arrive, Keready teams identify gathering spots for young people and send mobilisers to inform the community about the upcoming services. Communicators and nurses also participate in community radio programmes to discuss health topics and promote the available services. The goal of these mobile clinics is not only to provide essential health services but also to ensure a positive experience for young visitors. This encourages them to return or seek further assistance through other community support services if needed.

HEALTH AND EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP IN THE EASTERN CAPE

In partnership with the Small Projects Foundation (a BI implementer) and the departments of education and health, the Keready mobile teams also work with school health programmes. In the Eastern Cape, Keready has eight mobile clinics that visit schools to conduct mass health and eye screenings, including vaccinations. This collaboration ensures that learners in rural areas, who can struggle to access healthcare services, are seen by young doctors and other healthcare practitioners and receive the necessary treatment and/or eyeglasses.

BI was also one of Keready’s original partners in the vaccination campaign; one of the mobile clinics is based in Mdantsane and Keready appears frequently in the BI magazine, YAKHA.

Through BI we can see the importance and impact of intersectoral partnerships working to achieve the desired impact. However, coordination is not without its challenges.

TOP LESSONS SHARED BY PROJECT IMPLEMENTERS

YOUNG PEOPLE MUST BE FRONT AND CENTRE

“It starts with the person delivering the services being aware of their connection to the network,” explains Peinke, BPS project lead. Youth coaches are a crucial part of the support ecosystem. They are trained as child healthcare or social workers, with a significant focus on community services and how to access them. Although a person might be referred for testing, they might not follow through without guidance and encouragement from a coach.

Similarly, the young people in BI’s leadership network and clubs identify challenges in their communities, develop a plan to address them and are then supported by BI. This creates a sense of ownership and enables young people to become self-sufficient.

9 G:ENESIS KeReadysa: Evaluation of the COVID-19 Youth Vaccination Programme, April 2022.

Part of the success of Keready is that it puts young people in charge. Dr Phumelela Sambumbu, a Keready doctor, says: “They have access to a health professional whenever they want. If they can’t reach us physically, they can use the WhatsApp line. And the answers come directly from us. That would not have been available to them previously.”

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“Buffalo City is a very hard space. There is a lot of hostility and hardship, alcohol and despair and difficulty getting young people motivated.”

Nokuthula Futwa, Bumb’INGOMSO project director

Availability doesn’t guarantee that young people will use services or seize opportunities. BI has observed that extended periods of unemployment can lead to disillusionment among youth, diminishing their confidence to engage with opportunities when they arise. Futwa says: “We need to work with the young person where they are at. Learn how they are feeling and what struggles they are facing. BPS does work on that, but at a very individual level. The challenge is that kind of work is needed at a much bigger scale.” With an increase in mental health issues among young people, it's crucial that youth coaches connect them with support services and counselling.

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Each of the partners working with BI has a strong brand identity. But this can sometimes mean that young people are not aware of the other programmes on offer in this stable of interventions. For example, a young unemployed person may be involved in one of the GBV interventions, but not aware of the support they could get from the economic hub. Because the organisations tend to work in silos, they don’t always share information.

Peinke notes that to address the multiple needs of young people, service providers must be intentional about connecting them to a broader spectrum of services, and not just the one particular service they provide.

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TRUST TAKES TIME AND BUILDS OPPORTUNITY

BI’s place-based intervention has been operating in Buffalo City since 2016. Over the years trust has been built with the community, and thus BI is able to amplify its impact and convene a range of partners. Futwa says: “One of the things we have realised is that as BI, we have become the glue. We are trusted by young people; we are trusted by parents.” In the Eastern Cape, BI serves as a robust central support for various organisations, creating an ideal environment for partnerships. For instance, BI leveraged Keready’s national health campaign, while the Small Projects Foundation, with its strong connections to schools, helped integrate Keready into that existing network.

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INTEROPERABILITY OF SYSTEMS IS A CHALLENGE

Each service provider typically has its own case management system for tracking and managing beneficiaries. For instance, BPS uses a system to track which services young people are referred to, but this information is not shared with other organisations like DSD. As Peinke explains, “That [information] isn’t then shot across to DSD, for example, to say this young person has just been referred, they will be coming through the door.” BI is currently in the process of installing a customer relationship management (CRM) system, which is not yet operational. Once up and running, BI will be able to track the young people entering its programmes, monitor their progress, and provide prompts when needed.

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PRESCRIPTIVE PROGRAMMES DON’T WORK

Young people who are unemployed and living in poverty frequently face one crisis after another, requiring immediate responses that can't be delayed until later stages of a programme. Since starting its pilot in 2020, BPS has restructured its programme to better address the immediate needs of young people and their communities. "If you don't address the issues that people come in with, there's a real risk of pushing them away," explains Peinke from BPS.

WHAT’S NEXT?

The social and economic challenges that South Africa faces mean that no single intervention can be entirely effective on its own. A series of interconnected interventions that provide holistic and comprehensive support are more likely to be successful. Importantly, young people have the ability to change their own futures if they are equipped with the right tools and a supportive network.

This is the learning experience of:

This brief was written by Daniella Horwitz, edited by Rahima Essop, with contributions from Bumb’INGOMSO, Basic Package of Support (BPS), JobStarter and #Keready.

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THE LEGACY OF DOUGLAS AND ELEANOR MURRAY

DGMT is a South African foundation built on endowments from Douglas and Eleanor Murray to promote charitable, educational, philanthropic and artistic purposes within South Africa. Douglas Murray was the son of, and successor to, John Murray, the founder of the Cape-based construction company, Murray and Stewart, which was established in 1902. This company merged in 1967 with Roberts Construction to become Murray & Roberts, with the parent Trusts as the main shareholders. In 1979, the Trusts combined to form the DG Murray Trust as the main shareholder before the company was publicly listed. Subsequently, the Trust relinquished its ownership to a major finance house. Eleanor Murray remained actively engaged in the work of the Trust until her death in 1993.

The Foundation is now the holder of a portfolio of widely diversified assets, which reduces the risks in funding the achievement of its strategic objectives. DGMT currently distributes about R200 million per year and leverages and manages a similar amount of funding through joint ventures with other investors. DGMT’s ultimate goal is to create an ethical and enabling environment where human needs and aspirations are met; where every person is given the opportunity to fulfil their potential, for both personal benefit and for that of the wider community.

By investing in South Africa’s potential we aim to:

› Create opportunity for personal growth and development that will encourage people to achieve their potential.

› Help reduce the gradients that people face in trying to seize those opportunities.

› Affirm the value and dignity of those who feel most marginalised and devalued by society.

The DGMT Board

TRUSTEES Mvuyo Tom (Chairperson) - John Volmink - Ameen Amod - Shirley Mabusela Murphy Morobe - Hugo Nelson - Maria Mabetoa - Diane Radley CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER David Harrison