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Listicle: Facts about Early Childhood Development in South Africa

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Early Childhood Development (ECD) is a comprehensive approach to programmes and policies for children from birth to nine years of age with the active participation of their parents and caregivers.

The purpose of ECD  is to protect the rights of children to develop their full cognitive, emotional, social and physical potential. The Department of Basic Education is responsible for children in grades 1 to 3 as part of compulsory schooling.

Below facts on ECD were compiled in 2017 by Knowledge Information and Data Solutions (KiDS)

Population: 2017 data

  • Number of children under 6 years-old in SA – 6 978 000
  • Households with children under 6 years- old in SA – 4 667 000
  • Children under 6 years- old in urban areas – 3 974 000
  • Children under 6 years-old living in rural areas (former Homelands) – 2 726 000
  • Children under 6 years-old living on farms – 278 000

 

Access to services and poverty levels: 2017 data

  • Children under 6 years-old with no access to piped water – 2 045 000
  • Children under 6 years-old with no access to a toilet on site – 1 557 000
  • Children under 6 years-old in poor households (less than R1138 pm income) – 4 528 000
  • Children under 6 years –old in food poor households (less than R531 pm) – 2521 000
  • Children under 6 years –old living in households with no employed adult – 2 036 000

Maternal and child health:

  • 2017 data shows children under a year, infant population 1 118 000
  • In 2016, 96% of all childbirths took place in health facilities
  • In 2015, HIV prevalence in pregnant women stood at 31%
  • In 2015, 0.9 % of infants tested positive at 10 weeks whose mothers’ were HIV positive
  • 2017/2018 data shows 71% of mothers return to health facilities after 6 days of giving birth for check-ups
  • 2017/2018 data shows 77% of children under a year complete their immunization course
  • 2017 data shows 12 in every 1000 infants pass away within 7 days of being born
  • 2017 data shows 23 in every 1000 children pass away before their first birthdays

 

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