Latest news with #socialinvestment
Zawya
03-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
South Africa: Monitoring and learning for impact, Vodacom calls for bold shift in CSI
As South Africa grapples with record unemployment, deepening inequality and a critical skills shortage, Vodacom is challenging the private sector to rethink its approach to social investment – by embedding monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) in core business functions, not just in social investment. Speaking at the 2025 Trialogue Business in Society Conference, Vodacom SA director of external affairs Takalani Netshitenzhe said impact was central to overcoming inequality. 'Only impact measurement can assist us to make sure we deal with inequality in our country,' said Netshitenzhe. The conference was held on 13 and 14 May at The Galleria in Sandton, Johannesburg under the theme 'Driving impact, inspiring change'. The Vodacom Foundation was one of six corporate sponsors who partnered with Trialogue to discuss pressing matters impacting the corporate social investment and development in South Africa. The foundation and Trialogue presented a panel discussion entitled 'Embedding a culture of monitoring, evaluation and learning to scale impact'. During the discussion, Netshitenzhe was critical of the traditional approach to corporate social investment, which entails 'paying lip service, writing a cheque, and walking away'. 'That's not partnership – it's outsourcing responsibility,' she stressed. She admitted that Vodacom itself was previously more focused on outputs – such as how many schools it had connected to the internet – rather than outcomes. As a result, its good intentions often went awry. 'When we donated routers and SIMS to schools and walked away, those routers often ended up in cupboards, or simply disappeared,' she said. 'If we're serious about addressing inequality and building a sustainable society, MEL must be embedded from the outset – not retrofitted once programmes are running.' The Vodacom SA executive was joined on the panel by Gcobani Zonke, the deputy president of nonprofit organisation (NPO) Ubuntu Pathways, and Dr Karen Kotschy, a research associate and freelance MEL consultant. Today, the telecommunications corporation places unemployed graduates from the Vodacom Youth Academy in some of the schools and NPOs it works with. Placing information technology technicians within schools has translated into a higher and more effective usage of the technological devices it places in the schools. Additionally, the company no longer counts how many social workers it deploys to schools, but how the psychosocial support impacts the well-being of children, teachers, parents and the broader community. To support this shift, Vodacom has established a dedicated MEL department – an unusual move in the corporate sector. 'Our MEL journey is still evolving, but we're gaining the trust of our partners and stakeholders. We're seeing the power of MEL to shape stronger, more accountable programmes,' Netshitenzhe said. Learning – a critical feature of MEL Dr Kotschy called for MEL practitioners to be positioned at the heart of strategic business and programme decision-making. 'MEL teams need to se themselves as more than just technical people doing their thing on the side – they must adopt an advocacy role,' she asserted. 'Relational and transformational skills are needed for this new approach to M&E.' She acknowledged that smaller NPOs may lack resources but urged them to start with simple reflection practices and build from there, adding: 'they should focus on the learning part of MEL first'. Zonke, who is based in Gqeberha, explained that communities were an integral part of their monitoring and learning practices. 'We build our indicators alongside the community, based on what teachers, nurses, and caregivers tell us really matters. We make sure voice of community is heard – we conduct caregiver satisfaction surveys and then integrate that data into our programmes.' He said the early childhood development teachers Ubuntu worked with didn't 'just collect developmental data – they co-design social and emotional indicators to assess the safety, attachment and wellbeing of the children'. Ubuntu's cradle-to-career model for vulnerable youth uses MEL not only for donor accountability but to adapt programmes in real time. 'We move and then we stop and evaluate. That way, you can see where you may have gone wrong. However, that's not failure – it's simply how we learn,' he pointed out. Netshitenzhe agreed that 'MEL allows us to accept that things don't always go according to plan', but any weaknesses provide an opportunity to 'do the right thing'. From data collection to strategic learning Netshitenzhe warned against last-minute data collation for ESG reports. 'When you rush to compile stats and nobody checks the numbers, you lose credibility. We've learned the hard way – you can't sign off what you can't verify,' she said. 'Now, we hold every unit accountable for the data they provide, and our auditors validate it before publication.' As South Africa moves toward large-scale social investments, such as the R100bn transformation fund, Vodacom argues that MEL needs to be embedded in such investments to ensure accountability. 'You can't wait for programmes to launch and then ask what the impact is,' said Netshitenzhe. 'You start with the problem, define the outcomes, and build MEL into the DNA of delivery.'
Zawya
24-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Making a lasting impact: How data and corporate commitment can reshape ECDs in South Africa?
With nearly one million South African children still excluded from the early childhood development (ECD) ecosystem, urgent collaboration is needed to meet the country's 2030 early learning targets. An educator teaches young children as part of an early learning programme. Speaking at the 2025 Trialogue Business in Society Conference, FirstRand Group head of social investing, Kone Gugushe emphasised the pivotal role corporates can play in transforming early learning outcomes – calling for long-term, data-driven investment to help bridge the gap. The conference was held at The Galleria in Sandton, Johannesburg under the theme 'Driving impact, Inspiring change'. Strengthening ECD for lasting impact: a panel discussion at the Trialogue Business in Society Conference The FirstRand Foundation was one of six corporate sponsors who partnered with Trialogue to discuss pressing matters impacting the corporate social investment and development in South Africa. The Foundation and Trialogue presented a panel discussion entitled 'Strengthening early childhood development for lasting impact'. Kone Gugushe, head of social investing at FirstRand Group Gugushe was joined on the panel by Kulula Manona (head of the Chief Directorate on early childhood development in the Department of Basic Education [DBE]); Sonja Giese (executive director of DataDrive 2030); and Sizwe Nxasana (former FirstRand CEO and founder of Sifiso Learning Group). Prior to the panel discussion, Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, highlighted the need for sector collaboration to improve ECD outcomes in the country. FirstRand's two decades of impact in ECD FirstRand is a leader in the ECD space. It has supported more than 4,000 ECD centres over the past 20 years, affecting the lives of around 200,000 children. It has also trained more than 17,000 teachers. This long-term commitment has allowed it to tackle some of the more stubborn problems in the sector that shorter funding cycles tend to bypass. In the last four years, FirstRand has invested over R100m in initiatives such as: - ECD practitioner capacity building - Digital literacy training for teachers and learners - Development of learner resources - Support for learners with disabilities FirstRand is data-led, and this is one of the game-changers ECD needs, said Manona. She highlighted the Thrive By Five Index, a nationally represented dataset, which has helped the sector to understand the bigger picture. Importantly, using data to shift practices produces results in a relatively short space of time, according to Giese. This has the potential to dramatically shift outcomes for young children in years to come. 'There are very few things you can fix in four years, but four years can change the entire life of a four-year-old,' Giese pointed out. She challenged funders to adopt a 'growth mindset', however, and not use data simply to assess competency or compliance. 'We don't want to use data to tell our story – we want to use it to change our story,' she explained, adding that curiosity and a continuous learning mindset can make a big difference. Data shouldn't be collected solely for academic or donor reporting – rather, it should be democratised and used as a tool for creative-problem solving, said Giese. Funders and boards should be open to course-correction based on new evidence. She noted the value of learning from positive deviance, where some low-income ECD programmes outperform their well-off peers, offering insights for broader replication. 'A data-smart ECD ecosystem needs a clear mandate, tools that can be embedded in the data value chain, and data literacy so we can use data to shift behaviour and become thought leaders in the education space,' she asserted. She also urged corporates to deploy multi-year budgets, flexible funding, and non-financial assets to support ECD throughout the full learning cycle. The challenge of professionalising ECD While the panellists agreed on the need to professionalise ECD, Nxasana warned of the dangers of doing so without care. 'It is vital that the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), which is responsible for accreditation, works closely with the DBE, nonprofits and other stakeholders to ensure we don't collapse what is working, and fix what isn't currently working,' he said. ECD practitioners shouldn't be expected to professionalise in the manner of school teachers, especially as there are crucial factors to be taken into account in a child's first 1,000 days, including cognitive development and social welfare. 'ECD is not about imposing formal teacher models. It's about holistic development – cognitive, emotional, and physical,' he pointed out. At the same time, we need to be realistic about the tools and platforms ECD practitioners use. For example, WhatsApp has proved adequate for 'gogos' and young women running their ECD businesses from back rooms or garages in townships or rural villages, said Nxasana. He highlighted the need to build accessible, community-rooted training institutions, especially as there are no dedicated ECD colleges in the country. Each panellist asserted that the success of ECD systems hinges on well-supported practitioners. Professionalising the sector must go hand-in-hand with improved working conditions, secure and dignified wages, and ongoing mentorship and coaching. Gugushe said ECD practitioners also need access to resources, networks and ongoing support to strengthen their capabilities. As Manona noted, quality teaching is one of the five key pillars in the DBE's strategy for early learning – a strategy that must include scalable, affordable, and flexible pathways for ECD success.
Zawya
18-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
South Africa: Leanne Emery-Hunter named Tshikululu Social Investments CEO
Leanne Emery-Hunter will serve as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Tshikululu Social Investments from Tuesday, 17 June 2025. Emery-Hunter has a strong record of leading innovative, high-impact organisations, having most recently been the chief commercial officer of the Youth Employment Service (Yes), a private sector-led programme focused on addressing youth unemployment. Further underscoring her credentials, Emery-Hunter holds an MBA with distinction from the Gordon Institute of Business Science (Gibs) and was a finalist in the 2022 TransUnion Rising Star Awards (public and private). 'I am honoured to join Tshikululu, an organisation with a proud legacy of driving meaningful change through strategic social investment. As we look to the future, I'm excited to build on this foundation and explore bold, innovative ways to deepen our impact and help shape a more inclusive, resilient South Africa,' says Emery-Hunter. Tshikululu works with social investors and partners to design and implement high-impact social investment strategies, social development programmes and environment, social and governance (ESG) solutions to address poverty, inequality and unemployment in South Africa. Since 1998, Tshikululu has facilitated millions in funding toward sustainable, measurable development outcomes. Over the past year, Tshikululu has managed social investments that directly benefit 180 social partners on behalf of their clients countrywide. All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
RNZ News
15-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Big changes possible for social service funding
Social Investment Agency chief executive Andrew Coster. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone In light of a damning report into contracting processes by Oranga Tamariki , the head of the Social Investment Agency says it's looking to allow for a more streamlined approach for organisations to access funding, "freeing up" resource for more delivery. Andrew Coster told RNZ the Social Investment Agency could allow for a separation of Oranga Tamariki's responsibilities when it came to providing preventative services as opposed to its statutory role for the care of children. On Thursday, the Office of the Auditor General criticised Oranga Tamariki for the way it abruptly axed contracts last year for social services helping vulnerable children and their families. The report was released the same day Finance Minister Nicola Willis unveiled a new $190 million Social Investment Fund designed to transform the way the social services are delivered to vulnerable New Zealanders. The fund would be governed by the new Social Investment Agency and was expected to invest in at least 20 initiatives in its first year. The first three initiatives to receive support from the fund were an Autism NZ early intervention scheme, an Emerge Aotearoa youth offending programme, and a Te Tihi o Ruahine programme supporting families in need. Willis said the fund would scale up over time, taking over contracts currently secured by government agencies. The government currently spends about $7b a year on social services from non-government agencies. Speaking to RNZ's Nine to Noon , Coster said this would take time to scale up, but the intention is have a conversation with organisations about "contract consolidation." "The opportunity here is for providers to engage with the Fund for a conversation about contract consolidation that if approved, [sic] in terms of ministers agreeing, that money can be moved into the fund will enable us to change their contractual arrangements." He said organisations working "holistically with families" at the moment often had many contract with many different agencies. "So they're sort of forced to respond to a very fragmented and siloed way of contracting with government to be able to support families, and many of those contracts are very prescriptive." In time he said, this would be an opportunity for some organisations to bring "many contract arrangements into a single outcomes based contract, which will be quite transformational in terms of their activity and/ or their ability to focus on the family." Coster said some providers report spending 20 or 30 percent of their effort on contract management and securing contracts. "So the business of reporting, which is very onerous at the moment - overly so - and the business of ensuring that they've got funding to continue their operations, is very consuming. "So that movement into a single arrangement will also represent a real freeing up of resource to do more delivery." He said the Auditor-General's report reflected a general lack of insight across social service commissioning "as to the actual outcomes that are coming from our work." He said government funding that could move toward the new Investment Fund would be money that's working with families early to prevent them coming into the care system in the first place. "The judgement will be what funding is tightly tied to Oranga Tamariki's daily activities, which might be providing care for a child who is unable to be in their home, versus the funding that is about achieving enduring results to support children to thrive, rather than being at risk of coming into the care system." When asked if there could be a separation of Oranga Tamariki's responsibilities for providing preventative services and its statutory role for the care of children, Coster said "that's right." "And you can apply that principle across other areas as well to understand what a sensible division might be between the fund and agency." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
15-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Big numbers for Budget 2025 - but will they be big enough?
Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Budget 2025 will deliver some big numbers, but closer examination suggests they might not be all they seem. Next Thursday (22 May) Nicola Willis will deliver her second annual Budget, setting out how and where money will be spent over the next financial year. There are some giant figures; $190 million for social investment, $100m for kids needing extra maths help and a whopping $12 billion over the next four years for defence. But according to Brian Roper, an associate professor in the political programme at Otago University, a key phrase to keep in mind when looking at these figures is "in relation to inflation". "You always have to take account of inflation, because that's really what the government is spending in real terms as opposed to nominal terms," he says. For example, you might have previously got by with $100 per week for groceries. But this year you find things are more expensive and you have to add $20 to your budget to keep buying the same list of items. That's an example of change in real spending. But let's say you only upped your budget by $10. While it's technically an increase it's not enough to cover the more expensive grocery bill so it's really a cut. That's a nominal spending change. Treasury has forecast 1.8 percent CPI inflation for this year and 2.1 percent inflation for 2026. Roper has crunched the numbers and says health needs an additional $588m and education needs an extra $435m, just to continue operating the way it is now. But he's not confident that's what this Budget will deliver. "Looking at the pre-Budget speeches of Nicola Willis and Christopher Luxon they are both crystal clear that they want to see a decline in government spending as a percentage of GDP," he says. Roper says that means we can expect nominal increases to social sector budgets that won't be enough to match the rate of inflation. Whether or not that's a good thing depends on which side of the political divide you're on. "If you're Business New Zealand, or Federated Farmers or one of New Zealand's business lobby groups, then really what you want to see this government doing is cutting taxes on the one side and cutting social spending on the other. Pretty much what this government has been doing," he says. But for low- to middle-income earners, or those who are reliant on public services such as health, housing, education and retirement income, Roper says this budget is unlikely to bring many benefits. The Detail also speaks to Luke Malpass, political editor for The Post and The Press, who says both sides of the political sector will try to swing the budget narrative in their favour in the lead up to Budget Day. That includes labelling them. "So for example the 2023 Budget ... the government said, 'this will be a bread-and-butter Budget'. "That was obviously when inflation was high, cost of living was very high on people's priority list and the idea of a bread-and-butter Budget is 'we're paring it back to basics'," he explains. Malpass says an example of where the opposition won control of the narrative was the 2008 "block of cheese Budget", a label coined by Labour after working out that John Key's tax cut package actually only gave the average wage earner an extra $16 per week, the equivalent to a block of cheese at the time. Malpass says this government is following a similar track to previous governments when it comes to what they deliver in each budget over their term. "When you first get into power you want to spend money on your priorities ... and the second budget is usually a response to basically to whatever the economic conditions of the day are. "It's worth noting that Grant Robertson, when he was still Finance Minister, had very much pointed out that this was what was coming down the line regardless of who won the 2023 election. So, politically the question is, how the government responds to that and how fair and reasonable New Zealanders think that response is." Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here . You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter .
