Why the G20 must put children at the heart of development

By Patricia Martin and Lene Øverland (Breadline Africa); Tatiana Kazim (the Equality Collective); Wilmi Dippenaar (South African Parenting Programme Implementers Network); Rachel Rozentals (Families4Children); Monica Woodhouse (South African National Child Rights Coalition)

Africa’s demographic shift

Africa is on the cusp of a demographic transformation. By 2050, four in ten children will live on the continent, and by the end of the century, half the world’s children will call Africa home. This is not only a statistic but Africa’s greatest asset. Without timely investment in children’s development, their potential may become a liability.

G20 recognition without commitment

The G20 Summit Leaders’ Declaration recognises this link and, under South Africa’s leadership, the G20 engaged in formal dialogues on early child development. Nonetheless, the Declaration does not adequately prioritise children’s growth as a shared sustainable development priority. Nor does it commit to essential investment to advance human capital.

Children’s development and nurturing care should have been an apex priority, with measurable targets and strategic investment.

Nurturing care as a foundation for progress

Ensuring children’s development is central to advancing the 2025 G20 Summit priorities of solidarity, equality and sustainability. Children require nurturing care throughout their lives from their primary caregivers. It is estimated that in lower and middle-income countries, 75 per cent of children do not receive minimally adequate nurturing care. This presents a serious risk to sustainable development.

Development outcomes for Africa and South Africa’s children remain concerning. Deficits start early and accumulate, resulting in large-scale social and economic exclusion.

The cost of inaction

Two-thirds of children under five in sub-Saharan Africa are not developmentally on track. In South Africa, only 42 per cent of children in ECD programmes meet developmental milestones. Eighty-two per cent of unenrolled children are not on track, and nearly half of Grade 1 learners will drop out before matric.

By adulthood, South Africa loses more than 60 per cent of its human capital due to inadequate nurturing care. These losses fuel unemployment and inequality. Thirty-seven per cent of young people aged 15–24 are not in education, employment or training, and South Africa remains the world’s most unequal country.

Why governments are failing children

The core failure lies in governments not providing population-scale support across five essential domains: health, nutrition, responsive caregiving, early learning and child protection. Without these, parents cannot provide adequate nurturing care.

It is encouraging that South Africa’s G20 processes included early childhood development and adolescent well-being. Delegates from all G20 countries attended these events.

G20 commitments fall short

The final Declaration does not offer the leadership needed to increase investment in child development. Its focus remains on GDP growth through trade and industry. Human capital is sidelined, with only two paragraphs addressing children’s development in the declaration’s closing pages.

By contrast, minerals are prioritised with detailed commitments early in the document. The imbalance is stark.

The Declaration commits to reducing the NEET rate but sets no comparable shared goal for improving child development outcomes. Without measurable goals, progress cannot be tracked or ensured.

Narrow language limits investment

The commitment to early childhood care and education lacks concrete steps for resourcing and implementation. Its narrow framing limits investment to education rather than holistic nurturing care.

Similarly, commitments to adolescent well-being focus on universal health coverage but ignore essential factors such as education and safety.

South Africa’s leadership role

South Africa must lead a comprehensive programme of action for child development. This should include:

• Support for parents
• Strengthened ECD programmes
• Infrastructure for early childhood care and education
• Accessible subsidies
• Improved school infrastructure and quality of teaching
• Social security to eliminate child poverty

South Africa should champion this programme globally and regionally. Only then can Africa harness its demographic dividend.

Human capital as the true measure of progress

GDP growth without human capital is a hollow victory. If the G20 seeks people-centred development, it must start with children. Without them, there is no future to sustain.

A call to action

We call on governments, donors and civil society to unite behind this agenda, scale essential services, and hold leaders accountable for measurable progress. The future of Africa’s children depends on actions taken now.