Author: info

Auburn University visit to CAPSI

Written by info on April 23, 2022. Posted in News.

On the 8^th of April, CAPSI hosted 14 students and 2 faculty members from Auburn University on a visit to our facilities at Wits Business School in Johannesburg.

Students from Auburn University’s Public Policy and Public Administration unit are required to complete an international site visit for a period of 2 weeks as part of their studies to see non-profits in action. This year, they visited Johannesburg. In previous years they have visited Ghana and Liberia, each of these conducted to expose students to non-profits and public policy in action in Africa.

CAPSI has been engaging with the University for other projects thus they seized the opportunity to facilitate a visit for their students to visit the Centre and gain a deeper understanding of our research, academic offerings and special project offerings.

The winner of the Aspire Higher Project; Imbokodo Launchpad

Written by info on April 23, 2022. Posted in News.

Following two years of implementing solutions, the winner of the Aspire Higher Project was announced at a final judging event hosted on 19^thof April. Imbokodo Launchpad was awarded £80 000 (approximately R1 500 000), which will go towards scaling the implementation of the project to provide education on sexual and reproductive wellness to young girls in Tsakane township in Johannesburg, South Africa.

What started as a co-created idea, has become an example of how partnerships with a purpose can provide a gateway to shift the trajectory of a community’s future. The Aspire Higher Project aims to fulfil a vision of girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa having access to engaging sexual health education through innovation and ideation that delivers a combination of HIV prevention, and sexual and reproductive health services.

Hosted in a hybrid format by Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI), Gilead Sciences, Reckitt, UNAids, Durex and Wits Business School, the final judging event provided the four finalist teams – Aganang Skills Academy, the Gratitude Project, Imbokodo Launchpad and GirlLead SA – with the platform to share the successes and lessons that they gained during the challenging period of implementing their ideas. In opening the session, Bhekinkosi Moyo from CAPSI commended the finalists on their resilience to continue with their projects by pivoting to the changing times and making use of the resources available to them.

Imbokodo Launchpad hosting an activation event

GirlLead SA hosting an educational class

In his presentation, Dr Moyo provided the background of the Aspire Higher Project, which was conceptualised in 2019 as a platform to tackle issues experienced by the spread of HIV/AIDS, with women and young girls being the most vulnerable. “The commitment that we made was to leverage our partnership in order to enable greater access to health and economic empowerment education for young women and girls, that is both engaging and respective of their cultural and religious contexts while challenging the risks that they face as a result of the spread HIV/AIDS.”

Peter Edwards of Reckitt acknowledged the efforts of the finalists who he believed fully embodied the vision of the Aspire Higher Project. With regards to the funding of the finalist’s projects, Peter said, “Reckitt is proud to have provided the first phase of social impact investment towards Aspire Higher. We are delighted that Gilead Sciences has come on board to provide the second phase of funding, which will support the winning idea and ensure its expansion.”

Dr Michael Reid of Gilead Sciences noted that this initiative in collaboration with the WITS Business School and other partners, is particularly important to Gilead. “Not only does it address sexual health education among young girls, a particularly vulnerable group, but also enables social and economic empowerment through entrepreneurship,” he said. As the chair of the judging panel, Dr Reid outlined the 3-point framework used by the judging panel to ascertain the final winner: creativity and innovation, plans for scale and sustainability, and finally the impact of their project outcomes in their selected communities.

Representatives from each of the teams presented their journey outcomes to all in attendance, profiling how they tactically implemented activities and managed their projects with the support provided to them by sponsors. Each of the teams also showed how they were able to leverage on innovative problem solving which enhanced the experience of their identified communities. In his keynote address, entrepreneur and author, DJ Sbu, celebrated the work of each of the teams and encouraged them to use the wins and losses of their experiences to build what will benefit the masses by tacking the social ills that the spread of HIV/AIDS presents. He remarked, “By giving back to communities in the way that they have through this project, each of the finalists have built an ecosystem that makes a bright future possible for thousands of young girls across South African township communities.”

In his first address as the winner of the Aspire Higher Project, Jazzman Simelane from Imbokodo Launchpad, extended a hand of strategic partnership which he expressed as being one of the key success factors of the last two years. He said, “With social development, there is no competition as we are on the same team. Our model shows that we believe in partnerships as what our sponsors have shown us.” Jazzman continued, “With this funding, we want to take Imbokodo Launchpad into other townships in South Africa and across Africa. Together we can win the war against HIV/AIDS and other social ills that affect our communities.”

Looking ahead, Dr Moyo confirmed that the Aspire Higher Project will use the lessons gained during this pilot iteration to extend the project into other African countries. He said, “As partners of this project, we will convene to map a way forward for Aspire Higher. With the support of partners such as DJ Sbu and WITS Business School’s Head of School Prof Maurice Radebe amongst others, we will continue to support each of the finalists on issues such as governance, sustainability, and visibility of the projects.”

The Aspire Higher Project is a collaborative initiative which promises to grow through its body of knowledge, research, education, and social investment across Africa.

Highlights on Publications

Written by info on December 16, 2021. Posted in Newsletter Dec 2021, Newsletter Highlights.

By Xolani Dlamini (Digital Publisher)

As we reflect on the year 2021, indeed, there have been many great challenges but equally, we have had some opportunities and monumental breakthroughs, particularly in science. This is reflected in many of our initiatives and research works that we embarked on as CAPSI. In line with the Centre’s mandate, a number of research studies were commissioned by the Centre across the African continent focusing on various research themes These studies have produced a number of research outputs in various publication formats.

We would also like to acknowledge and express our gratitude to all our Research Associates who have actively carried forward the Centre’s mission to bridge the gap in the study, research and practice of philanthropy and social investment in Africa. As part of several studies commissioned by the Centre, we started a section called the Research Article Series which includes articles published independently by CAPSI as part of the efforts to increase our scholarly research outputs. One of the recently published articles was written by our Associate Researcher Dr Asabea Shirley Ahwireng-Obeng and Wits Business School’s Professor Emeritus- Frederick Ahwireng-Obeng. This paper examines the simultaneous impact of private philanthropic cross-border funding from international foundations on the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development in Africa.

The inaugural issue of the International Review of Philanthropy and Social Investment journal received positive feedback from scholars and practitioners in the field. To deepen the learning from the articles in the journal, we hosted a series of webinars where authors delved deeper into their findings and recommendations. The journal is working on two special issues exploring High Net-Worth Individuals and Philanthropic foundations. These will be published in the first quarter of 2022. It is important to note that we have adopted a continuous publishing model – this means that as soon as an article is prepared it is released online, creating a rapid flow of topical, quality articles.

In response to perceived challenges faced by researchers looking to publish their research in academic journals, we started an initiative to assist and facilitate young researchers through a developmental approach to understand various requirements for academic publication. We hosted the first virtual workshop in June 2021 that was well received by our international community. In 2022, we will host three workshops giving expert advice on a broad range of publishing topics.

We would like to extend an invitation to all players in the sector to join us in partnership in the pursuit of our mission to bridge the gap in the study, research and practice of philanthropy and social investment in Africa.

Looking ahead…

Looking back and forward as a member of the international editorial board and reviewer during the Journal’s first year, is both challenging and encouraging. Challenges have been putting together the systems needed to ensure professional standards are the norm as well as respecting authors’ expectations of timely and fair treatment. Encouraging is progress in establishing the Journal as a resource to advance philanthropy and social investment which emanates from a less than usual home for academic publications in this field. Also encouraging is the way in which the Journal is positively interfacing with the research and teaching programmes of the Centre for African Philanthropy and Social Investment, particularly for the new generation of scholars as well as practitioners. For the latter, Field Notes are an opportunity to share experiences, which add practical knowledge to the more empirical academic work. While we can say ‘so far so good’, there is a long road ahead to become the Journal of choice for those dedicated to philanthropy and social investment anywhere in the world.
Professor Alan Fowler

We would like to express our appreciation to our funders, researchers, reviewers and last but not least our audience and partners for their continued support.

Kisima African Giving Platform and strategic thrusts for 2022

Written by info on December 15, 2021. Posted in Newsletter Dec 2021, Newsletter Highlights.

By Mapaseka Mokwele (Kisima Media Consultant)

The Kisima African Giving Platform was launched on the 29^th of September 2021 as the platform to showcase African Philanthropy, to promote good giving stories from across Africa. The platform seeks to demonstrate that Africans in their different ways always give towards their community for public good. The COVID-19 pandemic rendered many jobless and even more without a source of income. In most communities, those who were seen to be in need were taken in by other community members and assisted. This is not by community members who are necessarily well-off but rather community members that saw and responded to a need.

The Kisima platform is only in its third month, yet we have already been exposed to a few countries that have seen community philanthropy growth. As the COVID pandemic continues to ravage the continent and the world, the growth and development of philanthropy in Africa is rising too. It has always been there, but now we see it even better. As our Patron, Graça Machel so aptly put it, if every African could give $1, Africa would be able to take care of her own. This is the premise on which Kisima is based. Showcasing those who do help and fundraising for those in need.

The Kisima site is live and showcasing stories from different parts of Africa such as Nigeria, Malawi, South Africa and Uganda. The aim for the next year is to add at least 15 more countries to our site while we fundraise for those initiatives in need.

Learn more about Kisima Giving by visiting https://www.kisimagiving.org/

Landing page of the Kisima African Giving Platform

Academic Highlights and strategic thrusts for 2022

Written by info on December 15, 2021. Posted in Newsletter Dec 2021, Newsletter Highlights.

By Keratiloe Mogotsi (Lecturer in African Philanthropy)

With seven masterclasses, three certificate programmes, a postgraduate diploma already underway and a Masters in Management programme on the horizon, African philanthropy has taken the centre stage as a fully-fledged academic offering at Wits Business School, targeting philanthropy practitioners and interested parties far and wide. The postgraduate diploma in management, specializing in the field of philanthropy and resource mobilization, was our new offering in 2021, in partnership with Inyathelo. The Postgraduate Diploma in Management is designed for students who are seeking specialization in fundraising, advancement and partnership building. This qualification aims at improving the skills of professionals and also sharpening the analytical and critical thinking skills of those whose career trajectory is towards academia and research.

We have also offered custom programmes tailor-made to suit our clients’ needs, such as civil society organisations in Southern Africa through the Southern Africa Trust and female artists in Southern Africa through the Women in Music Business (WOMB). We continue to enter into such bespoke programmes to ensure our clients address specific internal needs in the field of philanthropy and social investment.

To support the academic learning objective, we hosted information sessions that provided prospective students with the information they needed in order to select their programme of choice and successfully register for these. The following are links to the full information:

Look out for the new short courses, the Postgraduate Diploma and the Masters programme, all happening in 2022.

Applications for the Master of Management in African Philanthropy open on 1 January 2022.

Applications for the Postgraduate Diploma in the field of Philanthropy and Resour Mobilisation open on 1 January 2022.

Operations and Strategy Highlights

Written by info on December 15, 2021. Posted in Newsletter Dec 2021, Newsletter Highlights.

By Thandi Makhubele (Acting Programmes Manager)

The year 2021, like the previous one, was challenging for everyone. CAPSI was not spared but we continued to carry out activities as they were outlined in the Centre’s Business Plan and Operations Plan. As with most donor-funded entities, both the business plan and operations plan are broken down into various donor proposals, research projects and academic programmes, among others. Most of these were executed successfully this year. However, navigating a pandemic over the last two years has not been easy.

For the first time, the Centre developed a three-year strategy that will guide everyone involved efficiently and in an effective manner, with a better understanding of where the Centre is headed in the coming years. The strategy’s strength is that it was developed by CAPSI team members and partners. This has been translated into an operations plan.

The operations pillar of the strategy is also based on the Centre’s desire to expand. We are increasing resources, upskilling, and consistently aligning staff competencies with the needs of the Centre and global trends.

For the next three years, CAPSI will focus on the following two strategy pillars:

The first is the operations pillar, which is essential for running the Centre more efficiently, effectively, and creatively. The operations pillar makes use of a variety of technological tools, that include a knowledge hub and a smartboard. Both platforms are critical for the Centre’s tracking of execution of its activities and data storage.
The second pillar is programmes. This pillar focuses on a variety of areas such as academic courses, research, training, outreach and publications. CAPSI is approaching its fifth year in operation – we have thus collaborated with CLEAR to assess our impact so far and put in place a monitoring and measurement tool to assist us in remaining relevant, credible, and up to date.

Events hosted in 2021

As the world changes, so have people’s habits. Planning and executing events in the ‘new normal’ world order has proven to be extremely difficult, putting our patience and resilience to the test with each event. Nonetheless, CAPSI was able to host a number of successful in-person, virtual, and hybrid events in 2021.

Event	Period	Type
International Review of Philanthropy and Social Investment Journal webinar series	February	Virtual
Kisima webinars and Portal launch	April – September	Virtual
Fundraising workshop	April	Virtual
Academic Publishing workshop	July	Virtual
2nd African Philanthropy Conference	August	Virtual
Women and Philanthropy virtual lunch	August	Virtual
MasterCard meeting and workshop	September	Virtual
Philanthropy Index workshop	September	Virtual
WBS/CAPSI PhD seminar	October	Hybrid
Community Philanthropy research workshop	October	Virtual

From the executive: Peter Bezuidenhoudt

Written by info on December 15, 2021. Posted in Newsletter Dec 2021, Newsletter Reflections.

The Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment is an incredible resource for Wits Business School, the broader Wits community and our society at large. The Wits Development and Fundraising Office has been very fortunate to be able to work closely with CAPSI since the Centre’s inception. Of late CAPSI has provided invaluable advice and assistance as Wits escalates the rollout of our ambitious Wits Centenary Campaign plans and interactions with a wide range of potential donors and sponsors. Underpinning these activities is the recognition that our Centenary is a unique opportunity for our global alumni community to celebrate, and reflect on, the impact that Wits has had on their lives.

Dr Bhekinkosi Moyo is an inspiration to all. It is through Maurice and Bheki’s initiatives and drive that the Business School has been able to launch their own fundraising campaign in parallel to the University’s overall Centenary campaign. This is the first time that the Business School has embarked on such an ambitious, and critically important, venture.

Looking into the future, I look forward to continuing work with Bheki and his team as we all endeavour to grow external investment and support for the critical work Wits does to develop the future generations of leaders that make such a significant impact in our country and continent.

Peter Bezuidenhoudt is the Director for Development and Fundraising at Wits University.

From the executive: Prof Maurice Radebe

Written by info on December 15, 2021. Posted in Newsletter Reflections.

I am extremely proud of CAPSI and the work they do, which is very much in line with the Wits Business School mission – to be a force for positive change on our continent. I have enjoyed participating in their international conferences and other projects, and it has been wonderful to witness the sheer length and breadth of the CAPSI footprint in terms of research, associations and partnerships in Africa and the rest of the world.

The concept of philanthropy in Africa goes far, far beyond the traditional concept of foreign aid in times of disaster. CAPSI is drawing attention to the incredible work done by communities ‘on the ground’, borne out of the concept of Ubuntu and in the spirit of giving, the African way. They are ensuring that our amazing African stories are being told, while also highlighting the important role of Africa-based High Net Worth Individuals in transforming our continent.

I appreciate CAPSI’s high energy, passion and culture of excellence. The team shows incredible creativity and innovation, and the leadership talent is unparalleled! I am always energised after engaging with CAPSI.

I wish Prof Bheki Moyo and his team well over the festive season. Congratulations on a full and impactful year, and may you all return refreshed and ready to take on the challenges of 2022.

Prof Maurice Radebe is the Head of School of Wits Business School.

CAPSI Newsletter

Written by info on December 15, 2021. Posted in Newsletters.

As Africa and the world prepare for the holiday season, we at CAPSI would like to convey our gratitude to each member of our community for your continuous support of our work. We have prepared this newsletter as a reflection of the year that was and an insight into the year that is coming. Please enjoy and share this edition within your network.

Our Director, Bhekinkosi Moyo, has recorded a short video message which we invite you to watch with us.

The mental wellness of our team members matters to us. In an effort to support this, our offices have closed for the year and will reopen on Monday, 10 January 2022.

Seasons greetings from CAPSI Communications

Reflections from our Community

Our community comprises of a number of people who bring their unique voices to the song of our organisation. As we prepare to wrap up the year, we invited members of our community to share their reflections on the year that was.

Highlights from 2021

Even amidst the dynamic events of this year, CAPSI has been able to record a number of notable wins and lessons which were gained. Click on the relevant title to read brief reports from our team.

Case Studies in African Philanthropy and Social Investment

Case Studies offer a fabulous two-fold benefit. They are highly effective teaching tools, enabling students to put themselves in the shoes of a real person in a real organisation and think about how to address real-world challenges. In so doing, the students learn more than just the theoretical concepts themselves, but also how to think about, critique and apply them. In addition, they provide a way to document the activities and harness the knowledge of organisations in an accessible way, so that we can all learn from their experiences and celebrate their achievements.

The nine cases that the WBS case centre has written with CAPSI over the past two years, have achieved just that and it has been such a pleasure to be part of this project. I am sure that CAPSI will see the benefits of these cases in the quality of the teaching and learning experience that they enable, as well as in the quality of the graduates it produces.

Click here to access our case Studies

claire beswick

Looking ahead to 2022

In preparing to welcome students to our short courses and academic programmes, we are excited to profile 3 of the lecturers who students can look forward to learning from.

Christine Guchu

Christine Guchu

With 30 years experience in development programme management and civil society consulting across the continent, Christine Guchu will be lecturing on our masterclass series.

She is a visionary and result-driven senior professional with extensive experience in supporting implementation, organisational development, coaching, and programme management.

Sibongile (Bongi) Mkhabela

Sibongile Mkhabela

Bringing her extensive experience in community and institution building, fundraising and developmental grant-making, Sibongile Mkhabela will be lecturing on our masterclass series.

She championed, alongside Mr Mandela and Mrs Graca Machel, the establishment of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, the 5^th Children Hospital of its kind in the continent.

Gerry Salole

Gerry Salole

Gerry Salole is an Independent Consultant who brings his vast experience in international development, programme strategy, and trend to our masterclass series.

He is the former Chief Executive of the European Foundation Centre who has worked Ford Foundation, Bernard van Leer Foundation, and various organisations in the USA, Zimbabwe, and Ethiopia.

We will continue to seek ways to interact with members of the community. Look out for further details of the below activities which will be hosted either as virtual or hybrid events.

Academic Activities

Start of Academic programmes

Applications for the Postgraduate Diploma and Masters programmes open on 1 January. We will be hosting information sessions for both programmes where we will unpack what you can expect and benefit from both programmes. Dates will be communicated once confirmed.

Partner Workshops

GIZ Workshop

We are entering into an agreement to offer customised masterclasses for GIZ sponsored delegates in Quarter 1 of 2022. As part of this agreement we will convene a workshop with GIZ early in January 2022 to equip students with the tools needed to make the most of the masterclasses.

Centre Activities

We look forward to hosting the following interventions

2^ndAfrican Index workshop (January 2022)
Third Covid-19 hybrid webinar (February 2022)
Community Philanthropy hybrid convening (March 2022)

newsletter footer