DGMT

DGMT DGMT is a public innovator committed to developing South Africa’s potential through strategic investment. That is why the core of our work is human development.

[WEBINAR]: In the build-up to the 2026 Local Government Elections, let's talk about what it means to build child-friendl...
17/06/2026

[WEBINAR]: In the build-up to the 2026 Local Government Elections, let's talk about what it means to build child-friendly communities.

Municipalities play an important role in shaping the environments where young children grow, learn and thrive. This webinar explores how local government can support early learning for children aged 3–5 years by making it easier for early learning programmes to register and operate.

When registration processes are more accessible and administrative barriers are reduced, more programmes can become compliant, access state subsidies and provide quality early learning opportunities for young children.

We ask: What can municipalities do to support early learning? What stands in the way of programme registration and compliance? And how can local government help create communities that better support children's development?

For this Perspectives Series session, Kwanda Ndoda (Project Director, DGMT) is joined by Eddie Andrews (Deputy Mayor, City of Cape Town), Theodora Lutuli (Owner and Principal, Khanyisa Nursery and Inkwenkwezi Educare) and Janeli Kotze (Director: Early Childhood Development, Department of Basic Education) to explore the role municipalities can play in building children's brain power.

📅 Date: 24 June 2026�
🕛 Time: 12:00 – 13:30�
📍 LIVE on LinkedIn��

Set your reminder and join the discussion here: https://loom.ly/1sMqRCQ

This is just the beginning. In the months ahead, we'll continue the conversation through a series of Metro Lives, a series of dialogues exploring what it takes to build child-friendly communities. Keep an eye out for details!

16/06/2026

This Youth Day, we recognise the millions of young people working to build better futures for themselves and their communities.

When the latest phase of the Basic Education Employment Initiative, one of South Africa's largest youth employment programmes, opened applications, 1.9 million young people applied for just over 200 000 opportunities.

The message is clear: young people are looking for work. The challenge is that there are not enough opportunities.

Creating more opportunities for young people means taking practical steps that open real pathways into work — from entry-level jobs and skills linked to real demand, to supporting entrepreneurship, growing sectors that can absorb more young people, and protecting public employment programmes.

The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention has shown that progress is possible. But reducing youth unemployment will require action from government, business, civil society and communities alike.

This Youth Month, let's move beyond asking what young people must do, and ask what all of us can do to ensure that every young person has a fair chance to participate in the economy and build a productive life.

We can start with joining Youth Capital in the call to fund and scale youth employment programmes: https://loom.ly/S10YB5E

When we think about local government, we often think about roads, electricity, refuse removal and water.But municipaliti...
15/06/2026

When we think about local government, we often think about roads, electricity, refuse removal and water.

But municipalities shape much more than infrastructure.

They influence whether children can play safely in their neighbourhoods. Whether there are parks, libraries and community facilities nearby. Whether young people have access to opportunities. Whether the neighbourhood has more liquor stores than parks.

We don’t give children a vote, yet local government decisions shape their lives every day.

In the months to come, we’ll continue this conversation through a series of Metro Lives exploring what it takes to build child-friendly communities, kicking off in Cape Town on 21 July 2026. Keep an eye out for more details!

11/06/2026

Stunting rates in South Africa have barely shifted in decades despite programmes, policies and social grants already in place. So why is progress still so difficult?

A special issue of Development Southern Africa brings together research to take a closer look at that question and what it will take to finally make progress. What it shows is that stunting is not just about food or one programme here and there. It is a product of structural inequality and it requires a coordinated, multi-sectoral response that begins before a child is born.

The research also highlights some of the cracks in the picture: we are not always measuring stunting consistently, the most vulnerable children are not always being reached, and some policies already in place are not being fully carried out. At the same time, it points to what does make a difference, from better nutrition support for mothers and babies in the first 1 000 days to stronger links between health services, social protection and early growth monitoring.

South Africa is working towards ending stunting by 2030, and this kind of shared evidence and learning can help strengthen how we respond to the challenge.

Read the full special issue: https://loom.ly/17ebj7Q

South Africa is working to end child stunting by 2030, and municipalities have an important role to play in making this ...
11/06/2026

South Africa is working to end child stunting by 2030, and municipalities have an important role to play in making this possible.

Stunting is driven by chronic malnutrition and repeated infections linked to poor living conditions. It is most damaging in the first 1 000 days of life, when a child’s growth and brain development are most rapid.

There are several practical ways municipalities can help reduce stunting using the tools they already have:

1. Reducing preventable illness through everyday services such as clean water and waste removal — because when water is unsafe and sanitation and waste systems fail, children get sick more often, and repeated illness prevents their bodies from properly absorbing the nutrients they need.

2. Improving access to nutritious food by making unused municipal land available for community gardens and urban food production, helping families and early learning centres access healthier diets.

3. Reducing alcohol-related harm by managing the density and trading hours of alcohol outlets, helping to support healthier pregnancies and safer communities.

4. Strengthening support for mothers and babies by partnering with community organisations and improving local services, to ensure better nutrition, care and early support during the critical first 1 000 days.

Read more in our media statement: https://loom.ly/UYybZUM

05/06/2026

Tired of jargon and work-speak?

We asked our colleagues to explain what they do as if they were talking to a 5-year-old. From helping young people find opportunities to supporting schools, families and communities, every role plays a part in making a difference in children's lives.

Here's what they came up with! ✨

04/06/2026

When we talk about stunting, we often focus on food. But stunting is about more than nutrition alone.

Children need nutritious food to grow and thrive, but they also need environments that support healthy development. Access to clean water, sanitation and waste removal, as well as healthier neighbourhoods and support for mothers during pregnancy, all play an important role in a child's growth, particularly during the first 1 000 days of life.

The quality and availability of these services vary widely across communities. Poverty and inequality mean that some children face far greater risks to their health and development from the very beginning.

If South Africa is to end stunting by 2030, we need to think not only about nutrition, but also about the broader social, environmental and economic conditions that shape children's growth and development.

Learn more about how service delivery influences child health and development: https://loom.ly/UYybZUM

03/06/2026

Potholes, water outages and uncollected waste. These are some of the issues that come to people's minds when they think about local government's role in functioning communities, towns and cities. But these services do more than keep municipalities running — they also shape the conditions in which children grow up.

Knowing this, what if we measured the success of our municipalities by how well children are able to grow, learn and thrive?

From water, sanitation and waste removal, to neighbourhood safety, nutrition, public spaces and support for families, many of the conditions that influence child health and development are shaped in the neighbourhoods in which they grow up.

Through decisions about basic service delivery, maternal and child health, alcohol regulation and local food production, municipalities help shape healthier environments for children and families.

What would you like to see your municipality do for children and families?

Read more in our media statement: https://loom.ly/UYybZUM

📢 Job Opportunity: The Zero Dropout Campaign is looking for a Communications Support Officer to join its team and suppor...
28/05/2026

📢 Job Opportunity: The Zero Dropout Campaign is looking for a Communications Support Officer to join its team and support day-to-day communications, community engagement, and public-facing coordination.

📝 Type: Contract – 1 Year
📍 Location: Claremont, Cape Town (Hybrid)
📅 Apply by: 19 June 2026

The Zero Dropout Campaign works to prevent school dropout in South Africa by mobilising government, civil society, communities, and families to take collective responsibility for keeping learners in school. Through research, advocacy, and community engagement, the campaign raises awareness of the systemic drivers of dropout and promotes practical solutions.

As the campaign grows its public visibility and engagement, they are looking for a Communications Support Officer who will act as the first line of engagement with the public, manage communication channels, and support broader communications and media coordination.

The role includes managing social media engagement, responding to public queries, supporting media coordination, maintaining safeguarding and consent documentation, and assisting with campaign communications and dissemination.

They’re looking for a communications professional with 1 – 2 years’ experience in community management or public engagement, strong writing skills, excellent organisational ability, and the ability to engage professionally across multiple platforms.

📌 Apply now by submitting your CV and cover letter.
👉 Click here to learn more about this role and to apply: https://loom.ly/8dlhG-o

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