Ilifa Labantwana is a South African NGO that is driving system change in early childhood development (ECD). It does this by strengthening and co-creating the institutions, strategies, and practices that the ECD ecosystem needs to thrive, and increasingly, by situating ECD as a multi-dimensional route to shifting South African inequality. This case study was undertaken to elevate Global South systems thinking, by reflecting on the tactical and theoretical approaches honed by Ilifa to unlock systems change in South Africa’s ECD ecosystem, and ultimately advance ECD as a critical human development lever.
The guiding question for this case study is whether and how Ilifahas succeeded in strengthening South Africa’s ECD ecosystem and its ability to deliver quality ECD services for all children. Its findings are informed by an archive of strategy documents and reports, regional and global systems change literature, and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders. Rather than covering Ilifa’s full body of work over the past 15 years, the case study reflects on two of Ilifa’s core system strategies – namely ‘unlocking public financing’ and ‘reframing ECD service provision’ – and explores inflection points, impacts, and lessons arising implementing these strategies over time.
Read the case study here.