Basic Education hosts 2026 Basic Education Sector Lekgotla, 20 to 22 Jan

The Department of Basic Education (DBE), led by Minister Siviwe Gwarube and Deputy Minister Dr Reginah Mhaule will from 20 to 22 January 2026 host the 2026 Basic Education Sector Lekgotla at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Benoni, Gauteng. His excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa, will deliver a keynote address on day two of the Lekgotla on Wednesday, 21 January 2026, underscoring government’s continued prioritisation of education as a central pillar of national development.

The 2026 Lekgotla will be held under the theme “Strengthening Foundations for a Resilient and Future-Ready Education System.” The sector Lekgotla serves as an annual strategic platform for reflection, dialogue and forward planning bringing together senior education officials, policymakers, provincial education departments, development partners and sector experts to review progress, interrogate system- wide challenges, and collectively shape priorities aimed at improving learner outcomes across the education value chain.

Building on policy momentum from previous makgotla, including the 2025 Basic Education Sector Lekgotla, the 2026 Lekgotla will continue to advance sector priorities focused on:

1. Improving access to and quality of Early Childhood Development (ECD);
2. Strengthening literacy and numeracy across all schooling phases, with particular emphasis on the Foundation Phase (Grades R–3);
3. Improving access to and quality of inclusive education.
4. Enhancing training and professional development opportunities for educators and School Management Teams; and
5. Improving the safety, functionality and quality of schooling environments.

This continuity reflects the Department’s deliberate effort to ensure that Lekgotla outcomes translate into sustained system reform, policy coherence and measurable improvements in learning and teaching.

Particular emphasis remains on teacher development, pedagogical support, and the Care and Support for Teaching and Learning (CSTL) Programme, which positions schools as inclusive centres of learning, care and support, especially for vulnerable learners.

Members of the media are invited to attend the lekgotla and will be afforded interviews as follows

Date:,Tuesday 20 – Thursday 22 January 2026
Time: 08h00 (daily with Livestreaming on YouTube)
Venue: Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre, Benoni, Gauteng

Media enquiries:

Acting Director – Communication and Research: Terence Khala 
Cell: 081 758 1546

Media Liaison Officer: Lukhanyo Vangqa
Cell: 066 302 1533

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