eNCA Interview: Calls for adequate funding to assist early development

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2026 State of the Nation Address included a commitment to end stunting by 2030 — a significant step in tackling one of South Africa’s most persistent early childhood challenges. Nearly one in four children under five are stunted, reflecting chronic undernutrition in the earliest years of life.

In this interview, Tsepho Mantje from The Equality Collective and a member of the Maternal Support Grant (MSG) Coalition unpacks what this commitment means in practice, and why stronger support for pregnant women and young children is critical to breaking the cycle of inequality.