The training of teachers in South Africa is fragmented and unstable with little systemic response from the government in the early years. This amplifies the need for initial professional qualifications to provide adequate opportunities to "transform" teachers' thinking and action to meet contextual demands. The aim is to unpack the concept "transformation" by making sense of the learnings from lecturers' perspectives to inform initial professional qualifications. The paper provides conceptual insight using Mezirow's phases of meaning for transformative learning with a particular emphasis on habits of mind and Ellerman's theory of autonomy. Using the conceptual hooks from theoretical underpinnings of Mezirow's habits of mind and Ellerman's autonomy allowed a philosophical stance in the analysis and interpretation of the literature and data. Site visits and observations at Early Childhood Care and Education centres across three South African provinces and several organised reflections from three lecturers (academic lecturers), informed this qualitative case study. The implications from the findings highlight areas for transformation in initial professional qualifications, at: (1) systemic level, intentional and active stakeholder engagement to ensure quality initial professional qualifications; (2) institutional level, capacity building and professionalisation; (3) classroom level, learning and teaching support material that is contextually responsive; and (4) individual level, access and opportunity for continuous professional development for all teachers.