Loading...
A Design toolkit for safe and compliant early childhood development centres - A case study of Samora informal settlement in Philippi, Cape Town
Author(s)
Busuku, Bongolethu Sandile
Date Issued
2026
Type
master thesis
Publisher
Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Abstract
This research addresses the urgent challenge of unsafe and non-compliant Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres in South Africa’s informal settlements, with a focus on the Samora Machel informal settlement in Philippi, Cape Town. Many of these centres operate without registration, often in makeshift structures that lack adequate space, ventilation, and sanitation, posing serious risks to children’s development and educator wellbeing Despite national policies promoting quality ECD services, systemic barriers such as misinformation, disinformation, inaccessible regulations, limited funding, and infrastructural constraints persist To respond to this, the study employed a qualitative, practice-based methodology grounded in the Double Diamond design process. This iterative framework enabled me to explore, define, develop, and deliver a co-designed solution in collaboration with ECD practitioners. Data was collected through interviews, observations, and feedback from the stakeholders, ensuring that ECD practitioner voices shaped the outcome. Findings revealed that new and unregistered ECD practitioners face misinformation, spatial issues, and access to correct information barriers in achieving compliance. In response, the study developed a comprehensive design toolkit, “Isikhukhukazi”. That consolidates regulatory guidance, spatial layout templates, and visual aids into an accessible, modular resource. This toolkit empowers new and unregistered ECD practitioners to create safe and compliant regulation-aligned learning environments. The research contributes a scalable, context-sensitive design intervention that bridges policy and practice, offering a pathway toward dignified, child-centred ECD infrastructure in under-resourced communities.
Additional information
Thesis (MTech (Design))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2026
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
Loading...
Name
211020389_Busuku, Bongolethu.pdf
Size
13.16 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum
(MD5):a682418f5d7d46defc1e40475cd2cb81