Africa鈥檚 social enterprises are emerging as one of the continent鈥檚 most powerful engines for inclusive growth, job creation and community development.

This is according to a landmark report released by the in partnership with the , the , , the and .

The report, , provides the most comprehensive mapping of the continent鈥檚 social enterprise landscape to date.

This article first appeared in .

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The aim is to bring a handpicked selection of purpose-driven social enterprises into the world鈥檚 largest procurement network, . By providing greater visibility of social enterprises, Procurement with Purpose encourages organisations to divert some of their spend toward social enterprises.

One such social enterprise is , a company that provides innovative solutions that enables anyone to grow their own food at home that was started by Claire Reid.

Reel Gardening provides patented seed tape that makes it easy for anyone to grow vegetables and herbs at home. Through its non-profit arm , the company further enables households to become responsible for their own food security by establishing local schools as community training and distribution nodes for the food they grow.

, Managing Director at 麻豆原创 Southern Africa, lauds the work of the social enterprises that form part of Procurement with Purpose, saying social impact requires more than just a clear sense of purpose. 鈥淚 have long held the belief that motivated, purpose-driven entrepreneurs can make a significant impact and drive change both in their work environment and the world at large. Thanks to the amazing work by Kaunain and Mathiba for bringing incredible social enterprises such as Reel Gardening into our Ariba procurement network, 麻豆原创 customers can now more easily purchase sustainable goods and services from social enterprises that are making a real, positive impact in the world.鈥�

鈥淲hen I was 16, I wanted to grow my own vegetables and sell them to my parents for extra pocket money,鈥� says Reid. 鈥淏ut keeping track of watering, fertiliser, how deep the seed is planted and make sure seeds are planted far enough apart turned out much harder than I thought. And even when seedlings did appear, I couldn鈥檛 tell which were weeds and which were potential food.鈥�

Reid wanted a simple way of giving seeds the optimal conditions for their early growth, and began to make seed strips with newspaper, encasing the seed in a paste made from flour and liquid fertiliser. The project was entered into an expo for young scientists, where it caught the eye of the then- Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry who noted the water-saving abilities of this new form of planting.

Following a series of tests at a local university, Reid discovered that Reel Gardening could save up to 80% of the water consumed during germination. Her patented technology won several awards, including the International Stockholm Junior Water Prize for South Africa and The United Nations Environmental SEED award.

鈥淲e have distributed around 50 million seed tapes to date, giving households an easy way to grow tomatoes, herbs, chillies, spinach and more,鈥� says Reid. 鈥淥ur Household Garden in a Box also gives households and communities the opportunity to grow fresh produce in whatever space is available, with less need for water, time or expertise. We believe this creates an opportunity to contribute to breaking the systemic cycle of food poverty and insecurity in our communities.鈥�

Through a mobile app, Reel Gardening provides advice on what to do in the garden. WhatsApp is also used to communicate with the 41 000 households that use Reel Gardening鈥檚 seed tape kits to plant in townships across South Africa.

鈥淲e want to create links between all of our gardens to enable the activation of a larger ecosystem,鈥� says Reid. 鈥淥ur ultimate goal is to aggregate surplus produce from thousands of households into our agri hubs for processing and sale into local and even international off-take agreements.鈥�

For more information about Reel Gardening, visit听

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The continent is at a pivotal moment in terms of economic growth. Boosting it will depend on whether the next generation is empowered to reach their full potential and equipped with the skills needed to succeed. Presently, 87% of African business leaders say they are concerned about the availability of key skills, emphasizing the importance of preparing African youth for the future of work.

Tackling this issue head-on is Goodwall, a social enterprise changing the game for African youth and leading them to a brighter future. The 鈥渁pp to level up in life鈥� helps young talent build skills and connect to learning and earning opportunities. With a gamified approach that resonates with Gen Z, Goodwall motivates youth to take their skills to the next level. Its platform currently supports more than 2 million young people, of whom 60% are female 鈥� especially relevant considering the high female unemployment rates across the continent (ILO).

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The aim is to bring a handpicked selection of purpose-driven social enterprises into the world’s largest procurement network, Ariba. By providing greater visibility of social enterprises, Procurement with Purpose encourages organisations to divert some of their spend toward social enterprises.

One such social enterprise is Collectively Conscious, a corporate conscious gifting business that was founded by Kath van den Berg and Kylie Chevallier out of a passion to help drive sustainability within society.

“We chose corporate gifting in line with the broader trend toward conscious gifting, which focuses on taking time to consider gifts for people instead of simply giving anything for the sake of it,” says Kath van den Berg. “It’s about acting consciously to provide an ethical, sustainable gift that is aligned with the values of our clients.”

After an extensive process of researching and networking with people in the field, van den Berg and business partner Chevallier saw an opportunity in conscious gifting, especially within a corporate environment where making a difference is a key differentiator.

“We consider products that are making a positive social or environmental impact,” explains van den Berg. “Products can be made with reclaimed or recycled materials, reused goods, or products that provide some form of social upliftment, empowerment or upskilling within communities. There are a lot of ways to make a positive impact.”

A stringent process is applied to potential new suppliers to better understand their business and the impact they make before Collectively Conscious adds them to their supplier list. “Each supplier must adhere to our values,” says van den Berg. “Luckily, there are so many local suppliers that make beautiful products while also creating positive impact.”

The products that van den Berg and Chevallier offer provide corporates with an opportunity to make a positive difference with every gift they give. 鈥淲e all need to start thinking and acting more sustainably for the benefit of the planet and future generations,鈥� says van den Berg. 鈥淏y offering a curated gifting solution that captures the sustainability values of corporates across the country, we can make a positive environmental and social impact with every gift.鈥�

Cathy Smith, Managing Director at 麻豆原创 Africa, lauds the work of the social enterprises that form part of Procurement with Purpose, saying social impact requires more than just a clear sense of purpose. “I have long held the belief that motivated, purpose-driven entrepreneurs can make a significant impact and drive change both in their work environment and the world at large. Thanks to the amazing work by Kaunain and Mathiba for bringing incredible social enterprises such as Collectively Conscious into our Ariba procurement network, 麻豆原创 customers can now more easily purchase sustainable goods and services from social enterprises that are making a real, positive impact in the world.”

For more information about Collectively Conscious, please visit

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But social impact requires more than just a clear sense of purpose. It requires concerted action to redirect resources and effort toward activities that hold the greatest potential for positive impact. When those actions are a central part of your day-to-day operations, the likelihood of sustained success is much greater.

An ongoing initiative by two enterprising South African 麻豆原创 employees continues to inspire me about the potential for purpose-driven employees to drive true change both in their immediate work environment and society at large.

Striking gold with local social enterprises

A few years ago, Kaunain Nurani and Mathiba Phokungoane realised they shared a common interest in making a positive social impact and started seeking ways in which to bring that purpose to life.

The two launched Procurement with Purpose, an initiative that seeks to make it easier for 麻豆原创 Africa and other organisations to purchase goods and services from social enterprises that look beyond pure profit and actively seek to address societal problems.

At its core, Procurement with Purpose brings a handpicked selection of qualifying social enterprises into the world’s largest procurement network, Ariba. It increases the visibility of the social enterprises and encourages organisations to divert some of their spend toward these social enterprises, for example for end-of-year gifts, or IT and HR services.

Not just any social enterprise can join: the initiative purposely seeks social enterprises that are aligned to our organisation鈥檚 guiding values. One social enterprise, for example, trains girls for a career in technology, which aligns to 麻豆原创’s focus on encouraging greater female participation in Africa’s digital economy.

The program has been a resounding success: all five social enterprises that currently form part of the Procurement with Purpose initiative have benefited from increased visibility and greater opportunity to supply goods and services to 麻豆原创 and other global organisations. The five-million-plus organisations that use Ariba for their procurement needs benefit from access to trusted social enterprises that can help them bring to life their own corporate impact initiatives. The intention now is to widen that base and continue to look at opportunities to find local social enterprises that can provide the daily services required to run the 麻豆原创 business. For example, all our coffee in our South African offices is now procured from 鈥淚 Love Coffee鈥� 鈥� a Cape Town based social enterprise that supports the deaf community.

This brings me to one of the biggest leadership lessons from the success of Procurement with Purpose: that motivated, purpose-driven employees can make a significant positive impact provided they work in an enabling environment, and that not every impactful initiative needs to be corporate-led.

Multiplier effect of social impact

Corporate social impact has been a growing concern for global businesses over the past decade. According to one report, the percentage of companies listed on the S&P 500 that published a corporate social responsibility report grew from only 20% in 2011 .

There’s good reason: are motivated to purchase from companies that are committed to making the world a better place, while 93% of employees believe .

In order to build a successful business that can grow its customer base and attract top talent, purpose needs to feature highly in the corporate agenda. In a Harvard Business Review study, 58% of organisations that have a clear and strong sense of purpose .

As the Procurement with Purpose initiative reveals, one of the most significant opportunities for organisations to enhance their social impact and drive true positive change is to augment their supply chains with social enterprises.

Social impact through smarter spending

In 2020, 麻豆原创 introduced the ‘5 & 5 by 25‘ concept, which formalised the company’s global commitment to direct 5% of its addressable spend to social enterprises and 5% to diverse businesses, with 2025 as the deadline.

This forms part of the company鈥檚 goal of being both an enabler 鈥� through providing the necessary technology infrastructure and strategic insight 鈥� of greater sustainability and social impact, as well as an exemplar in terms of the way 麻豆原创 itself conducts its work.

At its core is the understanding that, as a business that not only commands sizeable annual spend but also powers many of the systems that support and enable global commerce, we could make a lasting positive impact by simply changing a few of our own processes.

For example, the Ariba network is the largest procurement network in the world, facilitating $3.75-trillion in trade by 5.3 million organisations per year – more than double the commerce of Amazon, Alibaba and eBay combined.

By increasing access to and visibility of social enterprises on Ariba 鈥� as Procurement with Purpose has done 鈥� we can encourage organisations across the globe to direct some of their spend toward social enterprises to drive greater social impact.

Most importantly, when a business is clear on its purpose and consistent with how it lives up to that purpose, it empowers employees at all levels of the organisation to bring that purpose to life in their own way. And as Kaunain and Mathiba has proven, this holds immense benefits for employees, organisations, social enterprises and society at large.

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This is where working with social enterprises can be a game-changer.

The rising importance of social enterprises

Historically, social enterprises have existed in a limbo between for-profit and non-profit organizations. However, there is a growing awareness of the critical role that such organizations play in strengthening a country’s economic and social pillars. According to a recent Siemens report, social enterprises can play an important role in the African job market by creating up to one million new jobs by 2030. Many social enterprises appear, feel, and even operate like traditional businesses on the surface. However, upon closer inspection, one can see that these organizations are supported by a strong social mission, with income generation serving a secondary role. This is the magic that distinguishes social enterprises from traditional businesses.

听Procurement meets the social enterprise

Typically, the most obvious route for a company to engage a social enterprise is through its CSR channels. This is not, however, the sole option. Every day, businesses buy goods and services worth thousands of Rands from a network of vendors. Many of these vendors might be classified as social entrepreneurs. Consider a supplier that operates as a small business, generating revenue through the sale of office supplies and then reinvesting the profits in social projects such as free youth training sessions. This results in a win-win situation: the need for office supplies is met in the local market, while the profit generated by the SME benefits neighbouring communities.

One organisation operating with such a business model is Cape Town based I Love Coffee (ILC); ILC is a Level 1, 100% Black Owned social enterprise working to improve access to employment for Deaf youth. ILC was started in 2016 in response to the understanding that approximately 2 million South Africans are Deaf or hard of hearing, yet South African Sign Language is not recognised as an official language. Deaf learners have the potential and right to be educated equally, however between 70 鈥� 80% of Deaf adults will never find a job and are excluded from the economy.

To address this issue, ILC provides hospitality-specific training for deaf individuals with the goal of eventually training and employing more deaf people in in-house office caf茅 facilities. With less demand for office cafes听in the post-pandemic era, ILC has reinvented its business model to include elements such as a Deaf youth training centre and directly sales of听coffee beans.

麻豆原创 Africa is proud to have incorporated ILC into its internal supply chain by using ILC beans in all office coffee machines since December 2021. The concept of social enterprise underlies 麻豆原创鈥檚 very mission: to help the world run better and improve people鈥檚 lives.听This ambition is formalised in what in what is known as听, 麻豆原创鈥檚 public initiative to direct 5% of our addressable spend to social enterprises and 5% to diverse businesses by 2025.

Dream big, start small

By involving social enterprises, businesses have the potential to change the very foundation of society. However, organizations are frequently forced to navigate the complexities of a global procurement function, which may include limitations on the types of vendors that can be engaged as well as complex contracting requirements.

Obtaining data on current organizational spend and the existing vendor base is a good place to start. Following that, organizations can begin discussions to determine whether alternative suppliers who are also social enterprises can be added to the current network and/or whether existing suppliers can be encouraged to actively pursue social goals.

The importance of carefully considering the vendor network that surrounds an organization cannot be overstated. This is articulated in a poignant quote by Hilde Schwab, chair of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs, 鈥淪ocial entrepreneurs听combine the mission, dedication and compassion to serve the most vulnerable and marginalised populations of society with business principles and the best techniques from the private sector.鈥�

References

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The vast majority of population growth across the continent will be concentrated in urban areas. WEF data indicates that more than 80% of Africa’s population growth between now and 2030 will be in cities, with .

One matter of concern is that city expansion will take place in the backdrop of an escalating climate crisis. The UN has designated West Africa as a climate change hotspot, prompting public and private sector organisations to seek novel solutions to sustainably enable the rapid population growth.

However, the stress that will be placed on city infrastructure and resources such as water should not be underestimated.

Data suggests that , and time is quickly running out to enhance the sustainability and climate resilience of the continent’s cities.

The concept of a circular economy, where waste is eliminated and resources reused in an effort at restoring and regenerating nature, is gaining ground.

In a positive turn of events, several innovative circular economy initiatives are giving hope that the region is stepping on to a more sustainable path.

Ground-breaking efforts in Ghana

A recent project involving 麻豆原创, the World Economic Forum and the Global Plastic Action Partnership enabled greater visibility in the plastics supply chain by better tracking the work of more than 2000 waste pickers.

The project measures the quantities and types of plastic collected by waste pickers, analyses data, and then matches the collected waste to market-related prices in local and global value chains.

Sustainably-minded organisations can then opt to pay a premium for more socially-responsible plastics, while the waste pickers benefit from higher wages.

The project, led by Ghana’s Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology & Innovation (MESTI), brings Ghana closer to its ambitions of being a lighthouse for circular economy innovation in Africa. By using 麻豆原创’s Rural Sourcing Management solution, MESTI is able to scale the solution nationally once the current pilot project comes to a close.

To date, the project has secured the involvement of large consumer goods companies such as Coca-Cola.

In addition, Dow Chemicals West Africa, a subsidiary of Dow Inc, one of the largest chemical producers in the world, is using 麻豆原创 Rural Sourcing Manager to fast-track its shift to reusable or recyclable products.

Dow Chemicals West Africa sought a technology solution that could track plastic in the informal sector to improve plastics recycling and support the wellbeing of plastic collectors in Ghana’s informal sector.

The initial solution is being trialled in Western Ghana, with plans to scale nationally in time.

Social enterprise closes loop in plastics repurposing

In Accra, Ghana, the ASASE Foundation is empowering female entrepreneurs to play a key role in cashing in on the plastic waste of Accra and its environs for the benefit of their own communities through the foundation鈥檚 CASH IT! Social Enterprises.

Only 20% of household garbage waste is collected in Accra, and only 2% of the waste is recycled, resulting in 78% of garbage ending up on the streets. Due to heavy rainfall, the garbage drains into the oceans, washing up on the shores or being ingested by the animals in and around the city. Plastic bags and containers often clog gutters causing hazardous flooding, endangering people鈥檚 lives and causing an environmental issue.

The ASASE Foundation uses 麻豆原创鈥檚 Rural Sourcing Management solution to enable female entrepreneurs to build their own plastic recycling business and cash in on the value of the waste for a profit. The social enterprise model will help create jobs and keep most of the value generated by recycling plastic in the community.

The innovative model has garnered the attention of the UN Development Programme, who are sponsors of the initiative and supportive of its mission to increase plastic recycling and improving the lives of the plastic pickers.

Further circular economy initiatives using 麻豆原创 Rural Sourcing Management are being planned for Nigeria in 2022, and talks are underway with several large multinational organisations active in West Africa to fix the problem of plastic pollution and build a more sustainable society that can be a healthy home to our growing population.

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I am encouraged by the continent鈥檚 rich history of innovation and ingenuity. After all, Africa is the cradle of humankind, where stone tools were first invented (2.6 million years ago in modern Ethiopia), papyrus was invented by the Egyptians more than 5听000 years ago, and where the world鈥檚 first university 鈥� in 859 鈥� was created in Morocco.

Today, Africa is more prosperous than at any other time in history, with more children having access to education opportunities, fewer people living in extreme poverty, and most people living in democracies.

A shining example of the continent鈥檚 willingness to meet our shared challenges, which include greater employment opportunities, economic growth, education, and mitigating the impact of climate change, is Africa鈥檚 vibrant ecosystem of social enterprises that put people before profit and strive to solve the issues we collectively face.

As we mark the hosting of the 2021 Social Enterprise World Forum, which took place in late September, it is important that we note the role such enterprises play in Africa, and identify ways in which the public and private sector can support the growth of this critical sector.

Understanding the role of social enterprises

What constitutes a social enterprise? According to one South African study, a typical social enterprise is purpose-driven, is not reliant on grants and handouts, and has a particular identity that shies away from being bundled along with normal businesses, charities or NGOs.

At the previous Social Enterprise World Forum held in Ethiopia in 2019, public and private sector leaders from around the world recognised the important role social enterprises play in addressing socio-economic issues.

In Ethiopia alone, data suggests that half of the country’s estimated 55 000 social enterprises are led by people under the age of 35, and more than a quarter (28%) are women-led.

Youth unemployment in particular remains an issue in most African countries. With the world’s largest youth population – – ensuring gainful and sustainable work opportunities for youth remains a key priority for the continent.

Across sub-Saharan Africa, social enterprises are estimated to directly create between 28 and 41 million jobs. In fact, based on available data, .

Social enterprises can therefore play an important role in addressing youth unemployment. One report estimates that the 141 500 social enterprises in South Africa directly employ 590 000 people, a figure that is expected to grow to 666 000 direct jobs by 2030.

Considering the country鈥檚 urgent need for youth employment opportunities – the latest official data suggest 鈥� the impact that social enterprises could have on youth employment should not be underestimated.

Social enterprises inspire hope

Take the example of the Siyafunda Community Technology Centres. Siyafunda, an Africa Code Week (ACW) partner, is a social enterprise providing a network of community centres that extend access to computers, the Internet and digital technologies to local communities where such access may be lacking.

In addition to its work with Africa Code Week (ACW), Siyafunda provides accredited digital ICT courses and skills training, business and entrepreneurial skills development, adult literacy programs and e-learning facilities.

Vitally, Siyafunda enjoys the benefits of a robust ecosystem of partners, including local, provincial and national government, schools, universities, and private and social organisations.

With research indicating that , improving support for social enterprises could have far-reaching positive consequences for youth employment and skills development across the continent.

Support needed to ensure social enterprise success

As with any emerging small business or start-up, social enterprises face the daunting task of survivability, especially during the early stages of its growth. A study conducted in Mexico found that 83.5% of social enterprises in that country failed within three years. .

A World Bank report found that South Africa was the only country in sub-Saharan Africa that explicitly recognises social enterprises in policy, and recommended that it supports existing initiatives, programs and capacity building, including at universities and NGOs with a view to growing the social enterprise ecosystem and improving its chances of success.

Governments can certainly play a vital role in supporting social enterprises, but the private sector can make valuable contributions too. Private sector support 鈥� via investment, technology and skills transfer 鈥� could accelerate the impact social enterprises make.

This shouldn鈥檛 be a CSR project or peripheral activity: companies must link their support for social enterprises to their core business to ensure relevance and sustainable impact.

For example, larger enterprises could build this type of support into their supply chain processes by committing a percentage of their procurement spend to social enterprises. Leveraging the size and reach of the Ariba network 鈥� which supports more than double the commerce of Amazon, Alibaba and eBay combined 鈥� could give enterprises an accessible entry point to grow their businesses.

麻豆原创, for example, launched its 5x5x25 initiative, which commits 5% of our global procurement to social enterprises and 5% to diverse businesses by 2025. The initiative is designed to leverage corporate support from B2B procurement and technology to give social enterprises a boost and increase their impact.

Considering that (compared to only 27% of for-profit enterprises) and that 35% of social enterprises purposely support vulnerable population groups (compared to only 7% of for-profit enterprises) support for social enterprises can have far-reaching positive consequences for countries, communities and the continent.

Now is the time for private sector leaders to step up and play an active role in the success and growth of Africa鈥檚 social enterprise sector.

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According to the World Bank, global procurement spend in 2019 was at least USD 14 trillion. By directing even just a small fraction of this spend to certified social enterprises and diverse businesses, organizations have the power to tackle some of the world鈥檚 most pressing social and environmental problems.

Based on early pilots in select markets, 麻豆原创 estimates it could direct up to USD 60 million of its addressable global spend per year to social enterprises and diverse suppliers by 2025. Among DAX companies, this figure is estimated at approximately EUR 2.5 billion, and across U.S. Fortune 500 companies up to USD 25 billion.

麻豆原创 Executive Board member for Customer Success and recently appointed Global Buy Social Ambassador for Social Enterprise UK Adaire Fox-Martin announced the 5 & 5 by 鈥�25 initiative at 麻豆原创鈥檚 Procurement Reimagined event in Singapore.

鈥淓very company in every industry needs to procure,鈥� Fox-Martin said. 鈥淲e all need soap in our washrooms, landscaping for our offices, food and drink in our cafeterias, marketing services and office supplies. These and many more are all products and services provided by social enterprises and diverse businesses. This is money we are spending anyway. Why not spend it with suppliers who are delivering social impact as well?鈥�

Social enterprises are businesses culturally and operationally focused on changing the world. They are similar to other commercially viable businesses, but with three crucial differences: They are founded and governed on the basis of a clear social or environmental mission; they reinvest the majority of their profit back into this mission; and they are majority controlled solely in the interest of this mission. A diverse supplier is a business that is at least 51 percent owned and operated by an individual or group that is part of a traditionally underrepresented or underserved demographic; such as women-owned businesses, minority-owned businesses and indigenous-owned businesses, among others.

鈥淭ogether with our customers, partners,听diverse suppliers听and social enterprises, we have set out to expand social procurement where infrastructure exists and听intend to听establish the infrastructure and build capacity where it doesn鈥檛,鈥� Fox-Martin added. 鈥淲e invite our entire ecosystem to learn more and take part, join us in this initiative, and help build the pathways and the momentum to听realize听this听ambition听and听find听a better way to grow.鈥�

To learn more, read 鈥�Social Procurement: Finding a Better Way to Grow,鈥� by Fox-Martin.

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About 5 & 5 by听鈥�25

5 & 5 by 鈥�25 is an initiative by 麻豆原创 designed to encourage organizations across industries to direct more of their addressable spend toward certified social-enterprise and diverse-business suppliers. In joining the initiative, organizations agree to formalize their exploration of social procurement, including partnering with leading intermediaries, adopting social-procurement policies, consuming goods and services from purposeful suppliers, and expanding their engagement with more social enterprises and diverse businesses. The goal is to reach 5 percent of annual addressable procurement spend with social enterprises and with diverse businesses by 2025 and in doing so make significant impact on social inequalities and environmental imperatives. 5 & 5 by 鈥�25 is part of the 麻豆原创 One Billion Lives program, focused on promoting greater inclusion of social entrepreneurship in the global economy. For more information, visit听

About 麻豆原创

麻豆原创鈥檚 strategy is to help every business run as an intelligent enterprise. As a market leader in enterprise application software, we help companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best: 77% of the world鈥檚 transaction revenue touches an 麻豆原创庐 system. Our machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers鈥� businesses into intelligent enterprises. 麻豆原创 helps give people and organizations deep business insight and fosters collaboration that helps them stay ahead of their competition. We simplify technology for companies so they can consume our software the way they want 鈥� without disruption. Our end-to-end suite of applications and services enables business and public customers across 25 industries globally to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and make a difference. With a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders, 麻豆原创 helps the world run better and improve people鈥檚 lives. For more information, visit

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*Addressable spend (as opposed to total spend) includes only a company鈥檚 orders for goods and services that can be fulfilled by a social enterprise or diverse business. For specific goods and services such as rent, energy, labor and some professional services, often neither social enterprises nor diverse businesses yet exist that provide them. Estimates based on assessments of 麻豆原创鈥檚 own spend suggest that between 10 percent and 30 percent of total spend could be designated as addressable spend, depending on country.

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JOHANNESBURG, South Africa 鈥� September 9th, 2020 – Looking out over the skyline of the vibrant city of Johannesburg, one youth activist considers the work that still lies ahead to safeguard women鈥檚 rights and safety. In a country with one of the world鈥檚 highest rates of gender-based violence, Amonge Sinxoto is making sure young women are empowered to effect change in their communities.

鈥淕lobally, women鈥檚 safety remains in peril, and they often bear the brunt of gender-based violence. We need to work with young women and cultivate their talent, so they feel confident to help build a safer, more just society.鈥�

Amonge Sinxoto is the co-founder of Blackboard Africa, a 2019 Global Teen Leader and current Allan Gray Candidate Fellow. She has lent her voice to speak on issues related to youth activism on programmes by Google, Facebook, and TEDx. And she鈥檚 only 19 years old.

In 2019, Sinxoto attended the Social Enterprise World Forum in Addis Ababa, where she met 麻豆原创 Head of Global CSR Alexandra van der Ploeg. After Sinxoto shared a proposal of their plans for 2020, Blackboard Africa was awarded an 麻豆原创 grant for 鈧�15,000 to help fund some of the planned activities. 鈥淎lexandra has been a mentor and helped guide us through the disruption from Covid-19 to ensure we can continue our programmes despite lockdown. She has also helped guide us as we make changes to our organisation to ensure we can continue delivering on our purpose, which is more relevant than ever.”

Sinxoto says the statistics speak for themselves: 鈥淪outh African women feel unsafe, bear the brunt of gender-based attacks, and often live in fear even as they contend with immense socio-economic challenges. It鈥檚 time to lean into young women and empower them to become the next generation of leaders in our country.鈥�

Accurate figures over South Africa鈥檚 rate of gender-based violence are hard to come by, partly because most incidents are not reported. However, in one local study in 2011, data revealed that more than one in every three (37.7%) women in the country鈥檚 economic hub of Gauteng have experienced intimate partner violence. And last year, found that 43% of women surveyed reported feeling unsafe.

Blackboard Africa is a registered non-profit organisation based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The brainchild of youth activists and social entrepreneurs Amonge Sinxoto and Zingisa Socikwa, Blackboard Africa aims to bridge the leadership gap among young people aged 13 to 25 with a view to addressing Africa鈥檚 challenges.

The organisation runs a number of projects, including the Fan Her Flame leadership programme, a Boys Will Not Be Boys outreach programme for young men, and Pass The Baton, which aims to prepare young people aged 12 to 25 to overcome life鈥檚 hurdles in the pursuit of social impact.

Sinxoto and her team are currently working with two groups of girls as part of the Fan Her Flame programme, one group from Soweto and another from Alexandra township. 鈥淢any of these girls live in trying circumstances with daily battles against poverty and hunger. Despite this, the girls are incredibly bright, but their confidence levels are low. We want to inspire them to see themselves in situations where they can achieve more and make a positive change in the community around them.鈥�

The Fan Her Flame programme takes the format of a series of workshops hosted over several weeks. The goal is for young women to understand their value, learn to better express their challenges and maximise their contribution to the development of their communities. 鈥淲e want to show these young women that there is power in their voice,鈥� says Sinxoto. 鈥淎nd we want to give them practical tools to help them build a better future, including planning techniques that help them set short and long-term goals that bring them closer to their vision.鈥�

She adds that it鈥檚 important that the next generation of female leaders and role models don鈥檛 live in fear of violence and abuse. 鈥淭ackling the issue of gender-based violence requires interventions at multiple levels. Policy reform is needed to improve the structures that govern women鈥檚 rights. Police need to be trained to deal with gender-based issues and increase the intensity at which they investigate gender-based violence. And we need an honest conversation with men, many of whom continue to wage war against the women in our society.”

South Africa鈥檚 government is taking the matter seriously. It released a National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide in 2020, which features built on four strategic pillars: Accountability Coordination and Leadership; Prevention and Rebuilding of Social Cohesion; Justice, Safety and Protection; and Response, Care, Support and Healing.

鈥淭he challenges are immense,鈥� says Sinxoto. 鈥淚n one of our communities, up to ten families share a single outdoor toilet. This means young girls often have to walk in the dark of night as far as 1km to use the bathroom, which puts them at incredible risk.听These are not problems that will disappear overnight, but that doesn鈥檛 mean there aren鈥檛 meaningful actions we can take now to improve the lives of these young girls and inspire hope.鈥�

To help deliver on its purpose, Blackboard Africa often works with partners and volunteers to help drive the success of its programmes. 鈥淲e are always seeking more industry support, particularly to bring in relevant mentors that can inspire and guide the girls on their journey. Funding is always a challenge: some of the communities in which we work face abject poverty. You can鈥檛 learn when you鈥檙e distracted by hunger, so we work with partners to meet some basic needs within our communities.鈥�

Global head of CSR for 麻豆原创, Alexandra van der Ploeg says young women such as Amonge and her colleagues at Blackboard Africa hold the promise of a bright future for the African continent. 鈥淯ndaunted by the scale of the challenges, Amonge and the Blackboard Africa team work tirelessly to support one of the most vulnerable communities, inspiring hope and creating opportunities for meaningful change in their communities. As a purpose-led organisation, 麻豆原创 is proud to support the vital work they are doing and will continue working with them to create sustainable, positive impact.鈥�

For more information about Blackboard Africa鈥檚 initiatives, please visit

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