Quality Early Childhood Development in South Africa:
Celebrating three decades of ECD in South Africa
30 September - 2 October 2025
The Conference
The Centre for Early Childhood Development (CECD) is proud to present its 17th national ECD conference, in partnership with the College of Cape Town (CCT), Crawford Campus. We invite you to join us in celebrating three decades of Early Childhood Development (ECD) in South Africa.
Limited to 200 delegates, this conference offers a unique opportunity for networking, learning, and growth.
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We invite ECD professionals, activists, academics, researchers, policymakers, donors and business to attend and contribute to the discussion.
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The conference will cover the following themes:
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Conference Details
Date: 30 September - 2 October 2025
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Venue: College of Cape Town, Crawford Campus
174 Kromboom Road,
Crawford, Cape Town
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Please click to see a map to the venue.
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Conference fees:
Early bird registration: R2,800 (deadline: 30 June 2025)
Full registration: R3,300 (deadline: 12 September 2025)
ECD centre practitioners: R2,300 (deadline: 12 September 2025)
Students: R2,300 (deadline: 12 September 2025)
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Conference fees payment:
Once you have submitted your registration form, you will be sent an invoice. Please do not deposit fees into the bank account without first completing a registration form and receiving an invoice.
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To register, please click on the button below:
Register
Effective ECD programmes:
Lessons from the past
Bridging the divide:
Policy, research and practice for quality ECD
ECD leadership and management:
Building capacity for the future
ECD causes and calls for action:
Shaping the future
College of Cape Town
Crawford Campus
174 Kromboom Road, Crawford, Cape Town
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Imtiaz Sooliman
Founder and Chairman of the Gift of the Givers Foundation
Dr Sooliman is one of the world’s most influential humanitarian leaders. His journey from private medical practice to the helm of Africa’s largest disaster response NGO shows what is possible when compassion meets action.
Under his leadership Gift of the Givers has:
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Delivered over R6 billion in aid across 47 countries.
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Pioneered medical innovations such as the world’s first containerised mobile hospital.
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Responded to global crises, including providing assistance to 210 hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Implemented 21 categories of humanitarian and development projects.
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Earned over 200 awards, including 10 honorary doctorates and national honours.
His work champions practical support, deep empathy, and unwavering commitment to human dignity, importantly including children, whose well-being forms part of his mission.
Meet some of our presenters
Wiedaad Slemming
Director of the Children’s Institute at the University of Cape Town
Linda Biersteker
ECD Specialist & Researcher
Mastoera Sadan
Chief Sector Expert: Social, in the National Planning Commission (NPC) Secretariat, DPME
Tatenda Mawoyo
Researcher at the Institute for Life Course Health Research at Stellenbosch University
Lori Lake
​Communications & Education Specialist at the Children’s Institute, University of Cape Town
Dr Xolisa Guzula
Senior Lecturer in Applied Language & Literacy Studies - UCT & Chair - Western Cape LITASA
Prof Carole Bloch
Extraordinary Professor in Language Education, UWC
Nonikiwe Mashologu
Author and co-founder of Bini Birdies
Dr Shelley O’Carroll
Early Literacy Specialist
Jessica Blom
Deputy Director of CECD
Giuliana Bland
Director of Jim Joel
Daniel Peter Al-Naddaf
Legal Researcher, Admitted Attorney at Equal Education Law Centre
Malusi Ntoyapi
Programmes & Innovation Manager of the HCI Foundation
Daniel McLaren
Public Finance Economist at Ilifa Labantwana
Yusrah Ehrenreich
Advocacy & Social Justice Manager
Abe Du Plessis
Senior Manager: Development Services - Saldanha Bay Municipality
Cllr Francine Higham
Mayoral Committee Member: Community Services and Health - City of Cape Town
Dr Ruben Richards
Deputy Mayor - Cederberg Municipality
Ntjantja Ned
Founder & CEO -
Masoleng Rising
Yusrah Ehrenreich
Advocacy & Social Justice Manager
Call for Presentations
The conference calls for presentations that align with the themes of effective ECD programmes - lessons from the past; bridging the divide - policy, research and practice for quality ECD; ECD leadership and management - building capacity for the future; and ECD causes and calls for action -shaping the future.
Instructions to those who wish to present at the conference:
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Individuals wishing to present at the conference can do so in three ways:
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You can submit an abstract to present during a breakaway session on one of the themes;
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Submit a synopsis to take part in our ‘Khawuleza’ event;
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You can submit for both!
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Our ‘Khawuleza’ event (meaning “Go quick!” in isiXhosa), taking place on day one of our conference includes ten presentations of six minutes each. This event is a good way to showcase the work you do and other initiatives, in a fun and lively manner.
ECD issues which could highlight the themes include the following examples:
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Advocacy and social justice
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Registration processes for ECD & partial care facilities
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ECD funding
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Best practices in ECD
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Monitoring and evaluation
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Curriculum
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Policy, legislation, research and practice
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Governance (for example the shift from Department of Social Development to Department of Basic Education)
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Leadership and management of ECD centre and organisations
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Fathers and family involvement
Presentation submission deadline: 27 June 2025
To submit your abstract or synopsis, please click on the button below:
Thank you to all those who have submitted abstracts for consideration.
Meet our Exhibitors
​We invite publishers and organisations to display their work in the main plenary hall for the duration of the 3 day conference. The cost for the exhibition space is R3,800 which includes tea/coffee, lunch, and access to the keynote address and plenary presentations. Terms and conditions apply. To read the terms and conditions, click on the submit button below.
If you are interested in taking up this opportunity please click here:
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Exhibitor deadline: 29 August 2025
The Organiser
The Centre for Early Childhood Development is a non-profit organisation committed to putting young children first by ensuring quality early childhood development for our country’s youngest citizens.
We provide training, resources and support in the field of early childhood development, enhancing individual and organisation capacity; we do advocacy and social justice work; we develop and disseminate resources; and we carry out research specifically related to the African context.
Our Partner
The College of Cape Town is the oldest Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College under the auspices of
the Department of Higher Education & Training – and is one of the largest in South Africa. The College of Cape Town provides a range of quality vocational education and training programmes, and works hard at creating an environment that is conducive to learning, offering facilities that are world class and easily accessible.
City of Cape Town's Executive Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis recorded a wonderful welcome speech for all delegates at our conference, "Quality Early Childhood Development in South Africa: A Call to Action". If you are interested in knowing how the mayor of Cape Town views ECD - this is definitely worth watching!
Contact Us
Get in touch with us to learn more about the conference and if you have any queries.
©2025