BUDGETING FOR BRAINS: STRENGTHENING SOUTH AFRICA’S INVESTMENT IN THE FIRST 1,000 DAYS

Jenny Martin

South Africa has made a clear and encouraging commitment to its youngest citizens. In his recent address, President Cyril Ramaphosa reaffirmed government’s intention to end child stunting by 2030, stating during the State of the Nation Address:

“More than a quarter of South African children under the age of five are stunted… In 2026, the state will embark on a mission to end child stunting by 2030 and tackle malnutrition among young children.”

This commitment, aligned with the National Strategy to Accelerate Action for Children, represents a pivotal moment. It signals recognition at the highest level that nutrition in early life is not only a social priority, but a national development imperative.

The question now is not whether we invest in children. We are.

The question is how we optimise that investment for maximum long-term return.

The First 1,000 Days: Where Economic Potential Is Formed

Much of the current public conversation rightly focuses on Early Childhood Development (ECD). The 2026 National Budget’s allocation to expand ECD access reflects a strong commitment to school readiness and foundational learning.

Yet stunting does not begin in a classroom.

It begins during pregnancy and in the first two years of life, the first 1,000 days, when brain architecture, immune systems and physical growth are developing at extraordinary speed. If nutrition is inadequate during this window, the effects on cognitive development and lifetime productivity are profound and often irreversible.

By the time a child enters an ECD centre, much of the neurological foundation has already been laid.

This is why the President’s emphasis on early nutrition is so important. It recognises that ECD expansion and stunting reduction efforts are complementary, but not identical. Access to early learning must be matched by physiological readiness to learn.

From Social Priority to Economic Strategy

For National Treasury and corporate South Africa, the first 1,000 days represent one of the highest-return investment opportunities available.

Preventing stunting is associated with:

Improved educational outcomes.
Higher lifetime earnings.
Reduced healthcare costs.
Greater workforce productivity.
A stronger future tax base.

In economic terms, early nutrition is human capital formation at its most foundational level.

When viewed through this lens, funding for early-life nutrition is not merely social expenditure. It is long-term economic infrastructure.

Aligning Public and Private Capital

Government has articulated a clear national objective. The opportunity now is alignment.

Corporate social investment in South Africa exceeds R13 billion annually, with a significant proportion directed towards education and community development. By strategically aligning a portion of this capital with the national anti-stunting mission, the private sector can amplify impact while supporting a defined government priority.

This is not about creating parallel systems or critiquing existing allocations. It is about reinforcing them.

Programmes that expand ECD access, such as the Bana Pele ECD Registration Drive, play a critical role in bringing children into structured early learning environments.

Strengthening nutrition in the first 1,000 days ensures that those children are cognitively and physically prepared to benefit fully from that access.

The two investments are mutually reinforcing.

A Targeted Contribution: Specialised Nutrition in the First 1,000 Days

Compact Food Solutions SA operates within this specific window.

We are not ECD providers. We do not manage centres or curricula. Our expertise lies in the development and manufacture of specialised nutritional products, including Lipid Based Nutrient Supplements (LNS), designed to prevent and treat malnutrition during the earliest and most vulnerable stages of life.

Our contribution is technical and focused:

Supporting nutritional interventions for pregnant women and young children.
Providing evidence-based solutions that align with national stunting reduction objectives.
Leveraging local manufacturing capacity to ensure scalable, cost-effective delivery.

Through a collaborative framework — Raise a Life. Raise a Nation. — we believe the private sector, government departments including the Department of Social Development, and specialised nutrition partners can work in concert to accelerate progress towards the 2030 target.

Strengthening What Already Exists

South Africa has taken an important step by placing child stunting firmly on the national agenda. The strategic pivot now required is not a change in direction, but an intensification of focus.

If we treat the first 1,000 days as a central pillar of economic policy — alongside education reform, industrial growth and fiscal consolidation — we can unlock compounding returns that last decades.

For Treasury, this means safeguarding the productivity of future generations.

For corporates, it means aligning investment with measurable, nation-building outcomes.
For communities, it means children who are able not only to attend school, but to thrive there.

Ending child stunting by 2030 is an ambitious goal. Achieving it will require sustained partnership, disciplined resource allocation and targeted technical expertise.

The foundations of a stronger South Africa are already being laid. By working together to strengthen investment in the first 1,000 days, we can ensure those foundations are built to last.

Jenny Martin, Managing Director, Compact Food Solutions SA. She writes in her personal capacity.

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