Author: info

Society Talks is a public dialogue hosted by the Southern Africa Trust, Mandela Institute for Development Studies, GraçaMachel Trust and CAPSI to bring together stakeholders within the development and business community, civil society and the public to inform, engage and share experiences with the broader society.  The collaborative series unpacks Food Security issues affecting marginalised communities from a policy perspective.

One ofthe most recentdiscussions centred onthe field of philanthropy as an enabler in tackling food security in Africa, as well as understanding the recommended key policy interventions required for SADC to address the imminent changes.The panellists for this dialogue were EvansOkinyi of the East Africa Philanthropy Network (EAPN), Mosun Layode of African Philanthropy Forum (APF), Caesar Ngule of Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF), Gima H. Forje of the TY Danjuma Foundation, with the discussion moderated by DrBhekinknosi Moyo.

In his opening remarks, Evans spoke of the work of EAPN and how the organisation is focussed on the development and management of knowledge, building alliances as well as the enabling environment for successful philanthropy in East Africa. They are committed to providing a platform where members and the philanthropy sector can meet, share, plan, and network – something that proved very useful during the COVID-19 pandemic. Working closely with the members, EAPN has been trying to convert those conversations into meaningful partnerships, connecting government with philanthropists to address issues of food security. Also looking at alternative ways of financing the gaps that exist in food security, blending finance from the private sector with that of government and philanthropy.

Mosun began by recapping the previous ten months, specifically how the African continent has not experienced the drastic health impact from the pandemic, as predicted by the rest of the world. Unfortunately, the economic repercussions have exposed the fragility of the health and social safety systems. Still relying heavily on imports to supply staples like rice, Africa is unlikely to be able to feed more than 25% of its population by 2025. One of the key points that came out of APF’s recent conference, is that in absolute terms, food production has increased, but the impact is not really felt across the continent. Looking at the impact of climate change on food security, Mosun spoke of a need to get relevant institutions involved, bringing philanthropy in as well. Creating awareness on these issues is a way that philanthropists could make a difference, particularly garnering support for the smallholder farmers. 

Another interesting outtake from the conference was the need to promote agricultural practices in Africa, beyond food production – looking at technology, tools, and training to harness the arable land and produce enough food to feed the world, giving African an economic advantage. Attracting young, unemployed people to opportunities in agriculture is a necessary action, aiding the issues of unemployment.Looking at food security as it pertains to malnutrition, Mosun highlighted the need to focus on children, getting them the support they need for the first 1000 days of life. She also emphasised how important it is to prepare for the next global epidemic or eventuality, so as not to be caught off guard again. 

In his remarks, Caesar reflected on the immediate response to food security in Kenya during the pandemic involved the handout of food parcels and if these were sustainable solutions.The KCDF responded to immediate needs by investing its efforts into supporting of smallholder and subsistence farmers, as well as addressing policy bottlenecks, such as land rights. Similarly in his opening remarks, Gima outlined the TY Danjuma Foundation’s initial response to the pandemic, which echoed Caesar’s – handing out of food parcels, while the longer-term view was supplying them with the tools and knowledge to become sustainable themselves. He also raised the organisations concern on the waste of food during the lockdown which was a result of the restrictions in movement – food that could have fed many people. He spoke of the many ways to support the smallholder farmers, as well as the school feeding programme.

Mosun spoke of infrastructure, and how the relationship between governments and philanthropy varies from country to country. For philanthropy to work in Africa, organisations, governments, and initiatives must work together to get a result. Using an example within APF, she spoke of how they showcased various organisations in Africa working within the field of food security, at their conference. They shortlisted them, voted and came up with one organisation, FarmGro Africa (from Kenya), who now is the beneficiary of all of APF’s registration fees. An unexpected outcome has been continued calls and interests from big corporations and organisations wanting to get involved in Food Security; to be connected to organisations through a trusted middleman, like APF. 

Evans listed three critical points to converting philanthropic donations into long term strategies:

• More support is needed for small scale food producers, in these areas: famine, food, knowledge and financial services – connecting these with the market so as to take advantage of opportunities arising from the value chain.
• Working more holistically, no longer in silos.
• Improve collection, storage, analyses of quality and accessible agricultural data.

Moving from response to preparedness, there should be a focus on education and health. Philanthropists could help to digitise schools, improve infrastructure in healthcare, especially in attracting and keeping qualified people.

Key take aways from the discussion are:

• To get action on climate change in Africa, it has to be relevant, so bringing food security, a more immediate problem, to the fore and emphasising its relationship with climate change, is the way to connect it.
• The data collected during the pandemic, specifically of who received what, from where, is a trend that needs to be leveraged – more data on philanthropy is needed in Africa.
• There is a great opportunity in philanthropy for the development of technology, moving towards the goal of 60% of Africans being connected on a mobile network, by 2025.
• There is a lot of opportunity for food security outside of philanthropy – community support and grassroots mechanisms can be leveraged to lobby and manage agricultural programmes.

“Philanthropy is the glue that binds our societies together and it expresses itself in different forms.”

The Centre of African Philanthropy and Social Investment launched the International Review of Philanthropy and Social Investment Journal on the 1 September 2020. This is a first-of-its-kind publication which is aimed at academic and research communities, exploring the emergent and developing field of philanthropy and social investment in Africa and beyond. While the journal is based in Africa and written primarily by Africans, it offers a global remit responding to the growing demand for both academic and practice-related articles on the varieties and scales of philanthropy and social investment. The editorial team and advisory board of the journal consist of a world-class academics from institutions in Africa, Asia, Europe, Australasia and North America, who poured their decades of knowledge into pioneering this body of work.

To commemorate the launch, CAPSI hosted an engaging conversation with academics and practitioners in the field of philanthropy, including a keynote address by Tsitsi Masiyiwa and addresses by Imhotep Aladigede, Jacob Mati, Gill Bates and Masego Madzwamuse. Since the launch, we received numerous requests for discussions into the articles and field notes which allowed for deep-dive style discussions between authors and a wider audience.  Thus, the International Review of Philanthropy and Social Investment Journal Webinar Series came to life, facilitated with a registered audience while being streamed lived to our Facebook page. The webinar series launched on the 26 October 2020 and is set to continue into the new year.

Series editions

The first edition of the series hosted 3 of the journal authors with Carol Paton, discussing her field note titled “Corona, the butterfly that flapped its wings”, Wycliffe Ouma on unpacking the journal article titled “Corporate philanthropy and firm value in Africa” and Chengete Chakamera sharing his findings from his article “Analysis of corporate social responsibility of the African ‘internationalises’ versus non-African founded MNCs”.

Click the following link to watch the full session – https://youtu.be/fLeTSnDG70w

The second edition of the series took place on 9 November with an in-depth look at Jacob Mati’s article titled “Gifting and philanthropy environment in contemporary Kenya”. Also hosted on the edition was OSISA Executive Director Siphosami Malunga who discussed his field note titled “Defending open societies in the context of COVID-19”.

Click the following link to watch the full session – https://youtu.be/EKM79T5mGQQ

The final edition for 2020 took place on 23 November hosting two co-authored articles. Marlene Ogawa and Jamie Webb discussed their field note titled “Synergos: philanthropy’s bridging role in the Covid-19 pandemic in Africa“; while  Muazu Ibrahim unpacked the findings of his research article co-authored with Imphotep Alagidede, titled  “NGOs activities and local government spending in Upper West region of Ghana“.

Click the following link to watch the full session – https://youtu.be/RmJxzVDOCns

Reception

Since the launch of the journal, we have been overwhelmed by the positive responses received. To date, the journal has been viewed and downloaded over 3 500 times with both research articles and field notes being accessed since September. As the first publication with a niche global population demand, this is a very positive encouragement that shows that there can only be greater research and insights to come with the pursuit of future editions.

Click the following link to read all articles in the Journal – https://journals.co.za/content/journal/irpsi_v1_n1

Meet our new team members

The Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment thrives for excellence in all the content and publications we produce; the Centre has the support of various members to assist in doing so seamlessly. CAPSI is delighted to welcome the following new individuals to our team.

Roland Mwesigwa Banya – Associate Researcher

Roland M. Banya is a Development Finance specialist with 10 years’ experience on the African continent. After obtaining his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Cape Town, an MSc Degree in International Finance and Economic Development from the University of Kent, he has since obtained many more qualifications. Roland has strong skills in research and analysis. He has immense experience in the financial and investment sector.

Melody Mandevere – Associate Researcher

Melody is a passionate researcher whose interests are about the African continent, specifically where to look within Africa to solve African problems –   Africans using their resources for their betterment as well as those around them. Amongst her various accolades, she currently holds a Master of Commerce in Strategic Management and Corporate Governance, a Bachelors Degree in Business Management and many more.

Dabesaki Mac-Ikemenjima – Associate Researcher

Dabesaki’s role is currently Programme Officer at the West Africa office of a global philanthropic foundation. He manages intersectional initiatives that cut across gender, generational analysis and disability, and includes themes such as natural resources management in the region. Prior to joining Ford, he worked as an international consultant on several other projects.

Xolani Dlamini – Digital Publisher

Xolani Dlamini is an experienced Digital Publisher, specializing in academic/scholarly publishing, particularly Open Access journals. He has been involved in managing and publishing various academic journals in different fields of study and has assisted with his impactful perspective on the “new normal” we have found ourselves in as a result of the pandemic.

Noxolo Kahlana – Associate Researcher

Currently the Executive Manager of CCBSA Mintirho Foundation, Noxolo’s journey began as the former founder and MD of Energy House ZA, a renewable energy projects development and investment company. She is also the founder of Phakama Sizwe, running healing conversations for the nation. Noxolo is very passionate about sustainable community development, youth development and inspiring young entrepreneurs.

Asabea Shirley Ahwireng-Obeng – Associate Researcher

Asabea is an academic and consultant with a keen research interest in capital markets, financial economics, institutions, investments as well as entrepreneurship and philanthropy in emerging economies, particularly Africa. She obtained a BA Degree in International Relations and Industrial Psychology from the University of Witwatersrand, amongst many others.

We look forward to seeing what our new members have in store for CAPSI. Click here to meet our full team.

Melody Mandevere is a PhD student with over 15 years of experience in administration and project management. She is also a researcher who is passionate about the continent where we look within Africa to solve African problems.

Q: Your field of study and what inspired you to take this path 

A: I am currently studying Corporate Social Responsibility in the mining sector.  I believe that Southern Africa has vast mineral resources and despite this, the mining communities seem not to benefit much from it. They are wallowing in poverty, yet they have minerals all around them, which is disappointing and shows a clear error in the system.  As Africans, we need to understand what we can do to benefit from our natural resources so that we can break the poverty cycle through receiving and utilising the minerals, as well as educating ourselves on the matter. 

Q: What have you learnt or seen that have been vital for your career or that has stood out most for you? 

A: Throughout my studies, I have grown to understand how CSR is viewed by different stakeholders. The corporates have their own understanding which is not entirely in line with the communities’ expectations. This is how the disconnect is created and why the poverty cycle continues – what affects the communities even more is the lack of or inadequate regulations, which have not made things any easier.  Even though large amounts are reported to be channelled to CSR, there is little to show for it on the ground and this is unfortunate.  Minerals are finite – there will come a time where mineral mining will be history, but the communities won’t have anything to show for it. Minerals being mined now should benefit this generation and something should be invested for the next generations. The time to act is now.

Q: How do you think your research will make an impact in the social investment space?
A: My research is a comparative study between Zimbabwe and South Africa. By comparing the two countries, it will help them as well as other African countries to learn from each other’s experiences. It also brings out the importance of formulating CSR policies that will have a positive impact on sustainability in the mining communities. This research will help corporates understand the expectations of the CSR beneficiaries. 

From the desk of the Director – December 2020

As we end what proved to be a year filled with much uncertainty, not all is doom and gloom. There are rays of hope in the medical field. Verified news reports confirm that there are more than 100 vaccine candidates that are currently undergoing development for COVID 19 across the world, twelve of which are at the large scale phase 111 clinical trials to assess their efficacy and safety. Furthermore, three of these developed by BioNtech/Pfizer, Moderna and Oxford university have been reported to be highly effective. Help is on the way.

What we know however is that a ‘new normal’ has been developed and new ways of living our lives have taken root. Certainly going forward, we have no choice but to build hybrids between the old and the new. This is certainly how we see things and the future at CAPSI. While we have learnt that the new tools of work create new levels of efficiency, we have seen that these don’t necessarily legitimize the outcomes. With this as a lesson learnt, we will strive to blend new tools around our research, academic and outreach programmes but still strive to enable the human touch on issues that require validation, inclusion and participation.

As the year ends, we feel propelled to do more in 2021. But to prepare for this, we need to ask ourselves a few critical questions. What have we achieved this year? What challenges did we face? How did we manage them?

Academic matters

After 3 years of hard work by our staff and partners, I’m excited to share that our Masters in African Philanthropy Degree is now an accredited programme by the Council on Higher Education!  We will spend the coming year developing the systems and logistics required to ensure that the programme delivers on its commitments and provides students with a one-of-a-kind experience. Additionally, we will dedicate time and resources towards popularizing the Degree as well as also on student recruitment for 2022 academic year. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who was involved from the beginning to the end. We look forward to welcoming some of you in 2022 as you journey towards a new world in philanthropy and social investment.

Staying with academic matters, CAPSI and Wits Business School will be offering a Postgraduate Diploma in Philanthropy and Resource Mobilization in July 2021. This will pave the way for vertical articulation into the Masters programme in 2022 and beyond. We rolled out the first six masterclasses this year and we are excited that the interest was high and that we attracted students from across Africa. For the coming year, you can look forward to a further revised offering that is based on the reflections and experiences of the first cohort of students. This will ensure that the 2021 cohort of masterclass and academic programme students can look forward to an even better experience.

We are excited about the growth potential of our student intake, especially into our doctoral programme. As we end the year, we had fourteen doctoral students and our first PhD graduate, Noathemba Memela, receiving her doctorate at a graduation ceremony held on the 14^th December.

We are also ending the year with a video that takes a retrospective look at what the Centre has been able to achieve since its inception. Establishing a Centre of this nature required several consultations, strategic insights, financial support, political support and social capital among others. It also required sequencing of interventions and frontloading some in order to build a footprint. From the video, it is clear that we prioritized systems and processes in the beginning so as to get the foundation right. Then, we developed programmes and frontloaded research and curriculum development and complimented these with dialogues and meetings. As a result, we now have an academic programme, a research programme and convenings as flagships of the Centre. And recently we added the Journal. Next, we will begin focusing on the fourth initiative around the measurement of philanthropy.

Partnerships

As the Centre continues to grow, there are demands and contextual shifts that have an impact on us and on our work. New skills sets are required especially in such areas as data mining, digital technologies, and knowledge management among others. The Centre has been proactive in responding to these requirements so as to remain relevant. One of our responses includes welcoming a Digital Publisher to our team, who is responsible for coordinating all our publications.

I want to thank our donors who include Carnegie Corporation of New York, Ford Foundation, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Reckitt Benckiser, Gilead and Wits University for putting their faith in a new initiative and with their support, we have been able to achieve our goals. Secondly, our strategic partners have weathered the pandemic storm with us. We held several events jointly with the African Union Development Agency-Nepad, Mandela Institute for Development Studies (MINDS), Southern Africa Trust, Graça Machel Trust, International Society for Third Sector Research (ISTR), Association for Research on Civil Society in Africa (AROCSA), Harvard Centre on African Studies, African Philanthropy Forum, African Philanthropy Network, East Africa Philanthropy Network and Higher Life Foundation, among others. I also want to extend our sincere gratitude to our advisory and editorial boards that have offered us valuable support as we navigated new terrains.

I wish to end the letter by wishing everyone a very safe festive season. The pandemic is still with us. Please exercise caution, adhere to WHO Guidelines. We are looking forward to reconnecting with you next year as we consolidate our work.

Festive season greetings

Bheki