Descriptions of NGOs
Visited As Part of NCCED's Study Tour to South Africa

Urban Sector Network

The Urban Sector Network is composed of seven non-profit organizations from urban areas across the country. The geographic distribution of the groups is as follows: 2 in the Western Cape, 1 in East London, 1 in Port Elizabeth, 1 in Durban, and 2 in Gauteng Province. They are the only urban focused network in the country and were formed as a result of a national housing conference.

The Network supports its affiliates through funding, information sharing, best practices, and advocacy work. It also operates its own loan program. The Network's affiliates build low-income housing, often with sweat equity. Sustainable jobs and microenterprise programs are also a focus of the local affiliates. They also work with local governments, which sometimes lack capacity. One effort involves using local unemployed people to do basic services such as refuse removal and road cleanup. These services are too expensive for local governments to hire permanent public employees for and by using local residents instead, the people are able to earn money and the city can afford the services.

Funds are received from international donors, such as USAID, the Mott Foundation, the European Union, and the Embassy of the Netherlands. The Urban Sector Network also has some government contracts.

For more information, contact: Susan Carey, National Programmes Co-ordinator, Urban Sector Network, 41 De Korte St. Braamfontein, Box 146 Wits, Johannesburg, 2050. Telephone 27-11-403-3752. Fax 27-11-403-0131. E-mail susan@usn.org.za. The web site for USN is: www.usn.org.za.

Sedibeng

Sedibeng's focus is on capacity building for non-profits throughout South Africa. They do training sessions on leadership and management issues. Training subjects include: Organisational Development and Strategic Planning Programme; the NGO Management Program (includes general management, financial sustainability, financial management, board development; project management; workplace relations); and the Leadership Development Programme.

Sedibeng has published an interesting report, Capacity Building for Poverty Eradication, which contains useful data on poverty in South Africa and a description of various government poverty reduction projects.

For more information, contact: Reuben Mogano, Executive Director, Sedibeng, 41 De Korte St., 6th floor, Box 32286, Braamfontein 2017, Johannesburg, South Africa. Telephone: 27-11-403-3010. Fax 27-11-403-1104. E-mail: sed2@iafrica.com.

Charities Aid Foundation

For more information, contact: Eugene Saldanha, Executive Director, Charities Aid Foundation South Africa, Box 31819, Braamfontein 2017, Johannesburg, South Africa. Telephone: 27-11-339-1136. Fax: 27-11-339-1153. E-mail: esaldanha@cafsouthernafrica.org. The website is www.cafsouthernafrica.org.

Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

One of several large American foundations with a grantmaking presence in South Africa, the Mott Foundation focuses its giving on strengthening civil society, with an emphasis on democracy and governance issues. The first grants in South Africa were awarded in 1988 and now Mott awards $5 million a year to a total of 90 organizations. They fund mostly national intermediary organizations.

The Mott Foundation has helped create local community foundations in various parts of South Africa.

For more information, contact: Christa Kuljian, Director, South Africa Office, 1st floor Braamfontein Centre, 23 Jorissen St., Box 32088, Braamfontein, 2017, South Africa. Telephone 11-404-6934. Fax: 11-403-7566. E-mail: ckuljian@mott.org.

Social Housing Foundation

A total of 40 non-profits in South Africa are involved in providing what is known as social housing to local residents. These 40 groups have collectively produced 30,000 units of rental housing. The average number of units that each group manages is in the 300-400 unit range. Social housing is a new idea and there isn't enough of a track record yet for banks to become very interested in working with them. There is some recent thought of offering tenants the choice of renting with an option to buy their unit, but this poses some management problems as the buildings are all multi-family and not stand alone homes.

USAID and the European Union both provide funding for social housing groups. In order to finance projects, a mixture of grants from foreign donors is combined with subsidies and loans from the South African government and deposits from the tenants. There have been problems obtaining bank capital, as many banks have red-lined certain neighborhoods, some of which have a past history of rent stoppages during past anti-apartheid times.

The Social Housing Foundation advocates for the needs of the social housing organizations. They also conduct orientation/training sessions for management, boards, and tenants of social housing projects. Formed in 1997, the Social Housing Foundation promotes social housing as an alternative to standard rental housing. It reports directly to the Minister of Housing of South Africa. A series of publications have been produced by the Social Housing Foundation, including: Toolkit for Social Housing Foundations, Guidelines for Social Housing Design; Guidelines for Making Social Housing Affordable; Guidelines for managing Refurbishing, Conversion and Upgrades; Guidelines for Developing Systems, Policies and Procedures for Housing Associations. A variety of training courses are also available, including courses on strategic planning, management, board governance, and the training of tenants and caretakers

For more information, contact: Brian Moholo, Managing Director, 32 Princess of Wales Terrance, Parktown, 2193, Suite 240, Private Bag X30500, Houghton, 2041. Telephone 27-11-274-6200. Fax 27-11-643-8428. E-mail: brianm@shf.org.za

Johannesburg Housing Company

Although we were not able to meet with anyone from this group, we did receive some general information about their efforts and drove by several of their projects in downtown Johannesburg. JHC focuses on rehabilitating existing housing stock and keeping it affordable for low and moderate-income people. One of the projects that we drove by was a former hotel that had been converted into an apartment building.

For more information, contact: Johannesburg Housing Company, 53 Main St., Marshalltown, Johannesburg, 2001, South Africa. Telephone: 27-11-241-6900. Fax: 27-11-836-6887. E-mail: info@jhc.co.za.

Eldorado Park Women's Forum

Located in what was once an area restricted to "colored" South Africans (people of mixed race), Eldorado Park Women's Forum operates several different programs for area residents. Programs include a day care center, a shelter for abused women, youth programs, and skills training.

The youth programs include sports teams (including a girls soccer team), life skills workshops, self-defense classes, drama, singing and dance groups, and an annual career guidance exhibition. Skills training includes, programs in baking, sewing/knitting, computer skills and crafts making. Included is a focus on alternate careers for women.

Eldorado's work with abused women includes counseling for the women, as well as counseling for the men they have been victimized by. They work in conjunction with other organizations that can provide assistance with substance abuse problems.

For more information, contact: Ruby Williamson, Eldorado Park Women's Forum, 7 Komsberg Ave. ext.4, box 1985, Eldorado Park, 1813, South Africa. Telephone: 27-11-945-6433. Fax: 27-11-945-4300.

Soweto Kliptown Youth (SKY)

SKY works in a very poor section of Soweto, known as Kliptown. This area has no electricity or indoor plumbing and a very high unemployment rate. SKY operates an after school program for area youth that provides them with academic assistance. They also have art and cultural programs and teach life skills. Training in computer skills and sports and recreation programs are also included in SKY's activities.

SKY operates a battery center, where they recharge batteries for a modest fee. Battery powered generators are peoples only means of generating electricity. SKY is also looking at tourism as a way to generate income for their programs. Kliptown was the site of the adoption of the Freedom Charter during the anti-apartheid struggle and consequently is of historical interest. Kliptown is also of interest to educators and social justice groups interested in life in poor areas of South Africa. SKY hopes to acquire a house to serve as a guesthouse, where visitors can learn how to cook local food, make traditional clothing and jewelry, learn native South African languages, and spend time with the youth and families of Kliptown. Currently area youth produce traditional crafts and sell them to visitors through a small store in SKY's office.

For more information, contact: Thandanani Majozi, Fundraising Coordinator, Soweto Kliptown Youth, 49 Station Rd., Box 8708, Kliptown, Soweto 1812, South Africa. Telephone: 27-11-945-4999. E-mail: thandananim@yahoo.com.

Capetown YMCA

Formed in 1865, this is the oldest YMCA in all of Africa, with an office building that was built in 1657. This was formerly the white YMCA for Cape Town, but now 70% of its clients are black. It is located in an area that is in between downtown Cape Town and the poorest settlements that lie in the flat, wind swept areas outside of town. Among the people served by the YMCA are many immigrants from other parts of southern Africa who have come to South Africa since 1994.

The YMCA has no external funders and in order to help generate their own income, they provide computer web design and have a recording studio that can be accessed for a fee.

In addition to the programs that are run by most YMCA's around the world, the Capetown YMCA works with local micro entrepreneurs, including women who produce crafts for sale in Capetown and NuNation, which provides income for low-income youth through car washes. The YMCA also offers a drop-in center for youth and include information on HIV/AIDS.

For more information, contact: Llowellyn Syce, CEO, Capetown YMCA, Burham Rd., Observatory 7925, South Africa. Telephone: 27-21-447-6217. Fax: 27-21-447-6275. E-mail: ymcact@worldonline.co.za

Western Cape Community Chest

The Community Chests in South Africa are equivalent to what we in the U.S. call United Ways. The Western Cape Community Chest funds 520 different organizations, with an emphasis on poverty alleviation, children, mental health, AIDS education and prevention and orphans.

In addition to making grants to non-profits in the Western Cape, the Community Chest has advocated for changes in the national tax laws to make it more appealing for individuals and corporations to make donations to non-profit organizations.

For more information, contact: Amelia Jones, CEO, Western Cape Community Chest, Borwick House, 82 Bree St., Cape Town 8001, South Africa. Telephone: 27-21-424-3344. Fax: 27-21-424-7387.

AIDS In South Africa

Among the many groups working to combat AIDS in South Africa are the following three organizations, who we met with during our study tour:

Treven Hendricks
National Director
YMCA South Africa
41Biccard St., Gala Bldg., 2nd floor
Box 31045
Braamfontein, 2017
Johannesburg
South Africa
Telephone: 27-11-339-1385
Fax: 27-11-339-7184
ncymca@global.co.za

Dorothy Nairne
Africare
Lumley House
Rosebank Office Park
177 Jan Smuts Ave.
Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196
South Africa
Telephone: 27-11-537-1713
Fax: 27-11-447-2939
E-mail: dorothyn@africaresa.co.za

Other Information

A comprehensive study of non-profit organizations in South Africa, The Size and Scope of the Non-Profit Sector in South Africa, gives an overview of the non-profit sector and some of its characteristics.

For more information, contact: Director, Graduate School of Public and Development Management, University of Witwatersrand, Box 601, Wits, 2050, Johannesburg, South Africa. Website: http://pdm.mgmt.wits.ac.za

Or

Director, The Centre for Civil Society, University of Natal, Memorial Tower Bldg., Room 182, Durban 4041, South Africa. E-mail: ccs@nu.ac.za