About Bana Pele
This is the foundation of the exponential mindset: a fundamental shift from cultivating isolated excellence to building an interconnected ecosystem where everyone’s efforts multiply each other’s impact. Rather than asking “How can I solve this alone?”, we must ask: “If I cannot solve this challenge for everyone by myself, how can I create the conditions for many to solve together?
This Shared Blueprint sets out to answer a single question: How can we build a sustainable early learning ecosystem that reaches every child, especially those historically excluded, with affordable, quality early learning programmes by 2030?
Real collaboration may mean sharing information institutions once held closely, aligning resources behind priorities larger than any one organisation and listening to practitioners and communities early enough for their experience to shape solutions. Sometimes it will mean giving up control, visibility or familiar ways of working.
The Bana Pele Shared Blueprint was developed collaboratively across government, civil society and the private sector. It gives practical expression to putting children first by asking what needs to change, who needs to act and how the considerable expertise already present across the country can be brought together around one purpose.
Behind the Blueprint
The people.
The Secretariat and the action leads and teams driving the Blueprint forward.
Secretariat
Kulula ManonaChief Director: Foundations for Learning, DBE (Action 1 Lead)
Janeli KotzeDirector: ECD, DBE
Siven MaslamoneyExecutive Lead: ECD, Yellowwoods
Roshene SinghBana Pele Secretariat
Senzo HlopeIlifa Labantwana Co-CEO
Jesal Kika-MistryBana Pele Secretariat (Action 8 Lead)
Grace MatlhapeSmartStart CEO
Pholisiwe MbonaBana Pele Secretariat (Project Manager)
Action leads / teams
Action 1 – Ecosystem Orchestration
- Kulula ManonaBana Pele Secretariat
Action 2 – Policy for Inclusion
Wiedaad SlemmingChildren’s Institute, UCT- Janeli KotzeSecretariat
Action 3 – Provincial & Local Government Collaboration
Tebogo ChakeBana Pele PMU
Zanele MochechelaDBE- Roshene SinghBana Pele Secretariat
Action 4 – Open Standards for Interoperability
Yatin NanaIlifa Labantwana
Palesa NkabaneDBE- Janeli KotzeSecretariat
Action 5 – ECD Subsidy Innovations
Grace LeachNational Treasury
Zaheera MohammedCo-CEO Ilifa Labantwana- Janeli KotzeSecretariat
Action 6 – Bana Pele Accelerator Fund
Julia de BruynFormer Treasury
Nomsa MuthaphuliOppenheimer Memorial Trust- Roshene SinghSecretariat
Action 7 – Livelihoods Funding
Lerato ShaiHarambee- Janeli KotzeSecretariat
- Roshene SinghSecretariat
Action 8 – Funding Orchestration
- Jesal Kika-MistryBana Pele Secretariat
Action 9 – Co-create a Shared Narrative
Uvania NaidooDBE- Siven MaslamoneySecretariat
Boniswa SidwabaCulture, Digital and Brand Transformation Strategist
Action 13 – Digital Backbone for ELPs
Lazola MakhupulaSmartStart
Vijay PuttarajuTibil
Action 14 – Engagement Platform
Tammy ChettyBana Pele PMU
Action 15 – Community Hubs
Dr Monica StachCotlands
Rev Jaques PretoriusABESA
Rev Jan PretoriusSACOFF
Lungiswa GwaaiLEAP & Rotary
Action 16 – National Data Observatory
Sonja GieseDataDrive2030
Colin AlmeleheCares
Provincial ECD Directors
Mercia FaniNorthern Cape
Susan TshikotshiLimpopo
Oupa MekgweNorth West
Ruth LeukesWestern Cape
Nozipho MkhizeKwaZulu-Natal
Phumelele TloubatlaGauteng
A.N. MofokengFree State
Nozipho N. ChilizaEastern Cape
N.V KhozaMpumalanga
Our Partners
Different strengths. Shared direction.
Our partners ensure a shared commitment to putting children first.
