Skip to main content

Author: info

The Contributions of the Non-Profit Sector to African Economies with a Specific Focus on the Creation of Dignified and Fulfilling Work for Young People in Mozambique

Written by info on . Posted in Research Reports.

This literature review examines the role of the non-profit sector in promoting dignified and fulfilling work for young people in Mozambique. Despite sustained economic growth, Mozambique continues to experience high levels of youth unemployment, underemployment, and informality, with over 95% of the labor force in the informal sector. The review highlights the structural challenges facing Mozambican youth, including limited access to quality education, skills mismatch, gender disparities, and restricted economic opportunities—especially for women and rural populations. It traces the evolution of the non-profit sector from colonial and post-socialist roots to its current configuration dominated by religious associations and advocacy groups. The paper also explores the phenomenon of “waithood,” a prolonged period of social and economic suspension experienced by many young people. It emphasizes the indirect and direct contributions of NPOs to youth employment, particularly through skills development, vocational training, internships, and job placements. The review concludes by identifying key knowledge gaps, notably the limited focus on NPOs’ economic contributions, and recommends further field research and strategic policy support to strengthen the sector’s role in addressing youth employment challenges.

Contributions of the Non-profit Sector to the Creation of Dignified and Fulfilling Work for Young People in Ghana

Written by info on . Posted in Research Reports.

Non-profit organisations (NPOs) have become essential change agents in a world where youth unemployment is on the rise and meaningful and sustainable employment is desperately needed, particularly in Ghana, where youth unemployment remains one of the highest in Africa. As a result, the purpose of this literature review is to provide insights into the role of NPOs in creating dignified and fulfilling jobs for the youth in Ghana. To achieve this, a thorough analysis of the literature was conducted to identify the contributions of the non-profit sector in creating jobs for the youth. The search period spans from 1992 to 2023. Additionally, content analysis of international organisations, NPOs, and government reports were examined to provide further insight into the role of NPOs in job creation for the youth. In so doing, the review identifies the gaps in existing literature, which provides a basis for future research. The literature suggests that NPOs have played a major role in empowering youth in Ghana through entrepreneurial, vocational, educational, agricultural and skill-development initiatives. These programmes provide job opportunities for the youth and also give them the skills and information needed to acquire dignified and fulfilling jobs. In addition, NPOs in Ghana collaborate with international development partners, local philanthropies, and government agencies to secure funding and support to implement youth-focused employment programmes. Despite these efforts, the review of existing literature shows that the impact of NPOs in creating dignified jobs for the youth has yet to be substantially recognised. This literature review provides insights into pockets of opportunities for the non-profit sector to create dignified and fulfilling jobs for the youth in Ghana. Also, it identifies emerging knowledge gaps in the literature that should be the focus of future research.

Exploring the Contribution of Non-profits in Promoting Youth Employment and Livelihoods in Zimbabwe

Written by info on . Posted in Research Reports.

Conducted under the Mastercard Foundation–CAPSI partnership, the study investigates the extent to which non-profits contribute to the creation of dignified and fulfilling jobs for youth, especially those at the margins. Using a conceptual framework that defines the nonprofit sector and “dignified and fulfilling work,” the review draws from published and grey literature, with a focus on NGOs as a subset of CSOs. It finds that while the sector employs a small percentage of the labor force (around 1.2%), it significantly impacts youth livelihoods through both direct employment and indirect contributions such as skills development, training, and advocacy. Despite limitations such as project-based sustainability and insufficient economic data, the sector plays a crucial role in addressing structural inequalities and providing alternatives where state support is lacking. The report concludes that NGOs in Zimbabwe are essential actors in the youth employment ecosystem, offering both economic opportunities and a voice in policy processes, though more systematic impact measurement is needed.

Exploring the Contributions of theNon-profit Sector to Youth Employment in Zambia: A Literature Review

Written by info on . Posted in Research Reports.

This literature review examines the role of the non-profit sector in promoting youth employment and facilitating dignified and fulfilling work in Zambia. Against the backdrop of high youth unemployment, limited educational opportunities, and the dominance of informal labor, the study explores how civil society organizations—including NGOs, CBOs, and INGOs—contribute to economic inclusion. Drawing on academic literature, grey sources, and national statistics, the review investigates the sector’s impact through initiatives in education, skills development, entrepreneurship, and policy advocacy. It highlights gaps in empirical data on the economic contributions of non-profits, especially regarding their employment outcomes for marginalized youth. The study adopts the International Classification of Non-profit Organizations (ICNPO) to categorize sub-sectoral activity and underscores the need for more inclusive research, cohesive policy frameworks, and targeted interventions. The findings emphasize the potential of non-profits as strategic partners in addressing youth unemployment and fostering sustainable livelihoods in Zambia.

Download Article

Cite this Article:

Contributions of the Non-profit Sector to the Creation of Dignified and Fulfilling Work for Young People in Africa – A Synthesis Literature Review Report

Written by info on . Posted in Research Reports.

This landmark report consolidates findings from literature reviews conducted across all 17 participating countries. It identifies key trends, persistent barriers and policy opportunities — and amplifies the voices of young people in shaping their own economic futures. This is the first study of its kind to examine this theme comprehensively across the African continent.

Continue reading

2nd African Philanthropy Conference: Fusing the philanthropic and COVID-19 contexts 

Written by info on . Posted in Conference Reports.

Emerging themes from the 2nd African philanthropy conference

Conference proceedings report

The beginning of March 2020 saw the dawn of the COVID19 pandemic which hit the shores of most countries worldwide bringing with it unprecedented changes to life as we know it. Philanthropy, in all its various forms, engaged stakeholders from the private, public, non-profit, and religious sectors. It nimbly cut across geographies, social classes, and demographic groups in a way that governments and businesses often could not to help manage the impact of the pandemic. Traditionally, the impetus for giving is clear: donors identify rampant need in their communities and, for various religious, social, moral, and cultural reasons, choose to give freely of their resources. But what was the impact of their giving? What was the role of African philanthropy in responding to the pandemic? What are the positive lessons from philanthropy in the post recovery period? What are some notable achievements from philanthropy’s contribution to responding to COVID19? What is philanthropy’s role in supporting research and development in Africa? Finally, what are the strategies that need to be crafted to realise the One Africa vision through philanthropy?

Download Programme

Literature Review Related to Philanthropy in Six African Countries: Algeria, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia

Written by info on . Posted in Research Reports.

African populations have a rich culture in gifting, sharing, and mutual support (sharing and gifting goods, work, and money). This literature review aims to present the African philanthropic landscape. This review of the literature related to philanthropy in the six countries: Algeria, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia, explicitly articulates how and why High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs), for example, use their resources to achieve the country’s mission and vision. The methodology used for this study is qualitative and quantitative with a mix of primary and secondary data. Indeed, the data were obtained on one hand through interviews conducted with philanthropic organisations, and on the other hand using documents and databases available on the internet. The study also focuses on the case of Cameroon, in analyzing the efficiency of individual giving and orphan foundations (orphanages) on economic development. This study used an econometric method (Data Envelopment Analysis, (DEA)) to obtain robust results with recommendations. Orphan foundations, private foundations, official development aid organisations, and philanthropic organisations in general are committed to improving the living conditions of populations in difficulty. However, very few authors have focused on philanthropy related on these issues. One of the main results of this study is to contribute to filling this gap in the literature. More specifically, it can be recommended to all individuals, and public or private organisations of good will to increase support of orphan foundations thus enabling them to take in more vulnerable children.

Understanding the Operations of Philanthropic Organizations in Africa: Case of Three Selected Countries (South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia)

Written by info on . Posted in Research Reports.

Philanthropy is the act of giving performed by human beings for human welfare purposes. Despite having the same goal orientation, various approaches and definition has been used in different countries in the bit to provide philanthropic efforts. This research seeks to explore the various forms of philanthropic work in selected Southern African states. The research dwelt on the operations of all philanthropic organisations and philanthropic giving with a view to highlight their scope of operations, decision making criterion, budget sizes, registration and regulations, and their spending and donor trends among other variables of interest. In addition, the research characterized the philanthropy and charity landscape of Southern Africa, including the region’s history of charitable giving, the nature of modern charitable institutions, and key sources of funding for charitable activities. Primary data for the research was collected using questionnaires from identified and targeted local philanthropic organizations in the selected countries. The findings indicated that in all the countries under study foundations are only allowed to operate after full registration in the country of operation. The majority of foundations in these countries are still very small and generate small revenues. The study contributed to understanding of the philanthropic work in the different countries researched, the legal framework in these countries and how philanthropy is regularised and classified.

High-Net-Worth Individuals in Six Selected African Countries (Liberia, Sierra Leone, Lesotho, Eswatini, Malawi and Namibia)

Written by info on . Posted in Research Reports.

The scope and depth of current knowledge about philanthropy in Africa generally and high net-worth individuals (HNWIs) particularly, falls far short of the rapid increases in the density and expansion of HNWIs on the continent. Yet, rich insight about the phenomenon facilitates utilization of the resources they generate for human and economic advancement. This exploratory study of Liberia, Sierra Leone, Lesotho, Eswatini, Malawi and Namibia generates a contemporary data-base by employing a combination of internet-sourced secondary data, questionnaires and telephonic interviews and finds most HNWIs to be former leading politicians rather than professional business people.

Mapping African Philanthropic Landscape: A Review of HNWI (High Net Worth Individuals) Intervention in Three French-Speaking Countries: Mali, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire

Written by info on . Posted in Research Reports.

Philanthropy has played an important role not only in alleviating human suffering but also in socio-economic development, in the evolution of science, in the development of culture and the arts, and so on. If the practice of philanthropy is generalised, its expressions, however, vary considerably and its forms can differ from one society to another. As a phenomenon of society, the modes of expression and organisation of philanthropy are profoundly marked by the cultures of the societies in which they unfold. This research report focuses on philanthropy by high net worth individuals (HNWIs). As an attempt of the institutionalisation of philanthropic activities, HNWIs’ interventions and foundations’ work constitute one of the best entry points for the explanation of the dynamics of philanthropy in French-speaking countries, namely Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, and Mali. The lack of institutionalization and the cult of secrecy are among the main features of philanthropy by HNWIs in French-speaking countries. This report assesses the HNWIs’ sources of income, their giving strategies, as well as the sectors targeted by their philanthropic actions.

Noxolo Hlongwane

Written by info on . Posted in Advisory Board.

Noxolo is the Head of the Philanthropy Office at Nedbank Private Wealth, where she is responsible for developing the philanthropy offering and strategy. The philanthropy office provides a range of specialist advice and services to individuals, families, private and corporate foundations, as well as non-profit organisations. Noxolo is passionate about sustainable economic and social development, and the strategic role that private philanthropy can play. She has over a decade of experience in the financial services sector, and is an MBA graduate from Henley Business School. She also holds a post-graduate degree in Economic Policy and Development.