Projects

Africa is a cradle for media innovation. The continent is teeming with entrepreneurs and innovators tapping into new media markets, finding fresh ways to serve audience communities, and using technology creatively to deliver news and information to the people. Africa Media Perspectives celebrates these innovations and the innovators behind them, providing a platform for the exchange of ideas and inspiration.

The objective of AmaBhungane is to develop best practice in the field of investigative journalism, by producing investigative stories that are accurate and fair, advance methods and standards, expose wrongdoing and empower people to hold power to account. In addition, AmaBhungane provides investigations support by helping others in the media via training, editorial collaborations and organisational support. Furthermore, AmaBhungane is involved in advocacy where they lobby, campaign, exercise laws and litigate to help secure information rights (access to information and media freedoms).

The Association of Independent Publishers (AIP) is a vibrant national organisation for advancing the interests of the local grassroots independent print media sector in South Africa. They represent hundreds of small, locally owned media outlets from across the country, including newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and online publications.

The Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism is an independent media organisation that specialises in narrative, solutions journalism focusing on health and social justice issues across Africa. Their stories are distributed through various news platforms and reach policymakers, academics, activists and political leaders, often resulting in shifts in policy, setting national agendas and defining conversations.
Trained in evidence-based journalism, the reporters and editors use peer-reviewed journal studies and reliable statistics to support the narratives in their stories. As a donor-funded journalism centre, Bhekisisa hosts media trainings for journalists and civil society, as well as public discussion forums on health issues, that bring together policymakers and specialist audiences. One of Bhekisisa’s objectives is to create a new generation of health journalists in South Africa.

Campaign for Free Expression (CFE) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to protecting and expanding the right to free expression for all and enabling everyone to exercise this right to the full, whether it be by speaking out, by protesting, by revealing information, by blowing the whistle on wrong-doing, by arguing, debating, writing, painting, composing or just by shouting out an opinion.

The Campaign On Digital Ethics (CODE) is a non-profit organization based in Johannesburg, South Africa, dedicated to advocating for digital rights and ethics. Their mission is to enhance tech accountability, counter disinformation, and empower individuals and communities to take control of their digital lives. CODE strives to ensure that technology aligns with constitutional values, human rights, and democratic principles. They engage in advocacy, public education, and policy interventions, working closely with civil society organizations, policymakers, and technology companies.

The Cape Town Press Club is the oldest press club in South Africa and celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2026. The Press Club creates a collegial space where media – from senior editors to newcomers and students – can engage in on-the-record, face-to-face interactions with high-profile speakers, often in politics but also across other sectors, as well as each other across newsrooms. This includes debates on topical issues and facilitating a plurality of narratives on important national matters. By hosting events that are on the record, they help build a culture of informed, sharp interrogation, in which journalists can ask difficult questions and elicit honest answers in the public domain and creates an opportunity for younger journalists to learn from veterans.

GroundUp is an independent online news agency reporting news that is in the public interest, with an emphasis on the human rights of vulnerable communities.

The Henry Nxumalo Foundation (HNF) gives grants to individuals and organisations to do investigative journalism of relevance to contemporary South Africa. They enable journalists to have the time and resources to do reporting that might not otherwise be done, and encourage reporting on under-covered areas of South African society. Grants are available for journalists seeking pre-publication support for investigative reporting of public interest. The grants are administered by the Henry Nxumalo Trust in partnership with Wits Journalism.

The IJ Hub was established to support investigative journalism in the SADC region. The objectives are to de-risk, promote and raise philanthropic funding for a portfolio of investigative journalism centres spread across the SADC region; and to offer capacity-building and direct support at organisational/administrative and editorial levels to the centres.

DataDesk is a data platform developed by Media Hack Collective through its data journalism publication, The Outlier. It provides reliable, curated South African datasets and publication-ready charts, making complex public information easier to access and use for journalism, research, education and civil society.

Founded as Media Monitoring Africa (MMA), Moxii Africa’s journey began with a mission to strengthen ethical journalism, hold power to account, and empower people to understand the media shaping their world. Over the years, they have built deep expertise, forged strong partnerships, and led innovative initiatives that protect and promote information integrity across Africa.

Open Secrets is a non-profit organisation which exposes and builds accountability for private sector economic crimes through investigative research, advocacy, and the law.

The Press Council of South Africa is an independent, voluntary co-regulatory body that promotes ethical journalism, media accountability and press freedom. It administers the Press Code and provides impartial, accessible mediation and adjudication of complaints between member publications and the public.

Scrolla is a mobile news site in Africa in English, isiZulu, isiXhosa and Afrikaans and their objectives are to combine political and investigative content with a range of lighter coverage, including sport and popular culture.

The Sizwe Sibiya Journalism Academy (SSJA) was established to run training programmes and apprenticeships for unemployed or under-trained aspiring journalists. The focus of the SSJA’s training is media content skills, including reporting and writing skills, digital video editing, an introduction to content management systems and the use and risk of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools. One of the aims of the SSJA is to equip aspiring media professionals with the skills to secure work in a sector which will be exposed to significant changes – and a more challenging employment environment – because of the advent of AI.

The SOS: Support Public Broadcasting Coalition advocates for robust public service media and broadcasting, dedicated to providing quality content that is diverse and citizen orientated.

South African National Editors Forum (SANEF) is a non-profit organisation whose members are editors, senior journalists and journalism trainers from all areas of the South African media. They are committed to championing South Africa’s hard-won freedom of expression and promoting quality, ethics and diversity in the South African media. SANEF promotes excellence in journalism through fighting for media freedom, writing policy submissions, research, education and training programmes.

The objective of the Stellenbosch University Department of Journalism is to maintain and develop their comprehensive postgraduate programme aimed at countering disinformation by improving journalistic skills. They do this by drawing on industry expertise and furthering specialist journalism skills training in key areas, i.e. investigative journalism, science journalism and media innovation. The Department also engages with community journalism projects and civil society groups working in the media accountability and anti-disinformation space.

Accountability Now is a non-profit civil society organisation that works to promote constitutionalism, accountability and responsiveness in South Africa. Through advocacy, public engagement and public interest litigation, it seeks to hold those in positions of power accountable, strengthen the rule of law and ensure that constitutional rights and obligations are respected.

Business Against Crime South Africa (BACSA) exists to support government-led responses by mobilising and integrating private-sector capability where the State cannot easily act at speed or scale. Their role is to strengthen execution: advancing data integration, analytics, digital and financial forensics, and disciplined programme delivery. BACSA assists to improve coordination across institutions, reinforce accountability and translate agreed priorities into measurable outcomes. Alongside system-level reform, they enable targeted, evidence-led interventions against the most harmful criminal networks and illicit economies.

The Christof Heyns African Human Rights Moot Competition is the most important gathering of students, scholars and judges on human rights in Africa. This annual event brings together all the Faculties of Law in Africa, whose best students plead a hypothetical case on human rights as if they were before the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The Christof Heyns Moot Competition aims to continuously prepare new generations of jurists to prosecute cases of alleged human rights violations before the African Court.

Council for the Advancement of the Constitution (CASAC) is an initiative led by progressive people who seek to advance the South African Constitution as a platform for democratic politics and the transformation of society. CASAC believes in the advancement of a society whose values are based on the core principles of the Constitution, namely the promotion of socio-economic rights, judicial independence, the rule of law, public accountability, and open governance. The founding members of its Council believe that the people are the ultimate custodians of the Constitution, and that custodianship needs to be relocated from institutions to people. Once constitutional rights are claimed by the many, then ordinary people will undertake extraordinary acts to assert their rights and protect and advance the Constitution.

The Dullah Omar Institute for Constitutional Law, Governance and Human Rights is a research institute in the Faculty of Law at the University of the Western Cape. Through research, teaching and advocacy, the Institute works to advance good governance and human rights in Africa, with a focus on children’s rights, socio-economic rights, multilevel government and criminal justice.

The aim of Freedom Under Law (FUL) is to promote democracy under law by a) advancing understanding of and respect for the rule of law, b) litigating in relation to institutional conduct in conflict with the rule of law, c) strengthening the independence of the judiciary, d) supporting the legal profession in serving the courts, e) enhancing understanding between legal role-players, the media and society at large, f) furthering legal education appropriate to the needs of constitutional democracy and g) protecting freedom of speech and freedom of the media concerning the administration of justice.

Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF) promotes constitutional democracy, rule of law and human rights. Their mission is to ensure that key institutions of constitutional democracy in South Africa are strengthened and protected so that they, domestically and internationally, deliver on the Constitution’s promise. To achieve this, HSF a) undertakes public interest litigation that safeguards the rights of vulnerable persons who are unable to utilise the ordinary political process in order to do so; b) supports public advocacy interventions and dialogue that promote public participation and deliberation and so result in informed, reasoned decision-making; and c) works to end impunity for systematic criminal conduct destructive of a constitutional state – whether for state capture-related crimes or apartheid era atrocities.

Institute for Security Studies (ISS) works with partners to build knowledge and skills that enable sustainable peace, development and prosperity in Africa. The ISS is Africa’s leading multidisciplinary human security organisation, with a unique operational model that combines research, policy analysis, technical assistance and training.

Judges Matter is a research and advocacy project dedicated to enhancing transparency and accountability within South Africa’s judiciary. Judges Matter conducts rigorous applied research, monitoring, and advocacy to inform evidence-based legal, policy and practice reforms to ensure the judiciary remains independent, effective, and trusted by the public. Judges Matter’s key areas of focus are on: a) Judicial Appointments: to ensure quality, independent judges and magistrates for our courts; b) Judicial Conduct: to ensure judges remain accountable, ethical, and independent and c) Judicial Governance: to ensure that the judiciary is well-resourced and effectively governed.

The Southern African Legal Information Institute (SAFLII) is a free online repository of public legal information, including judgments, legislation and legal journals. By making legal materials openly accessible, SAFLII seeks to improve access to justice, strengthen judicial accountability and support the rule of law in South Africa and the wider region.

The South Africa Organised Crime Observatory (SA-Obs) works to gather granular data on illicit economies and criminal networks, strengthen societal responses to organised crime, facilitate engagement between government and civil society and disrupt organised crime. Launched in October 2023, SA-Obs is a response to high levels of violent organised crime in South Africa, as measured by the Global Organised Crime Index. SA-Obs aims to build on the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime’s (GI-TOC’s) Strategic Organised Crime Risk Assessment of South Africa, which identified 15 criminal markets that cause the greatest harm and pose an existential threat to the country’s democratic institutions, economy and society.

Kululeko NPC (TAPP) combines intelligent technology, trusted partnerships and proactive community safety initiatives to help protect those most at risk.

Article One aims to host a series of nine education workshops bringing together activists, lawyers and experts to reflect on three decades of defending and advancing constitutional rights. Through three themed workshop series – A Queer Constitution; A deep sense of dismay: The Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry; and Derailed: PRASA and criminal networks in the State – the programme will explore key justice struggles, landmark court cases, legal submissions, and the evolution from the negotiation of the Interim Constitution to the use and current limits of Judicial Commissions of Inquiry in ensuring public accountability. These workshops aim to deepen practical knowledge of constitutional law, strengthen campaigns to realise fundamental rights, resist attacks on the constitutional order, and critically assess both victories and setbacks in the pursuit of justice. Zackie Achmat will moderate the panels as a part of his work on justice, equality and freedom since 1994.

The South African Bail Fund Trust is a non-governmental organisation aiming to address the unacceptably high number of remand detainees who are incarcerated pending trial on non-violent offences merely because they are unable to afford to post bail. These are individuals who have been judicially assessed as fit for release pending trial, but cannot raise the money necessary to secure their release.

Black Sash works towards the realisation of socio-economic rights that reduce poverty and inequality, with an emphasis on social security and social protection for the most vulnerable, particularly women, youth and children. To this end, strong, vibrant and active civic engagement is promoted, made possible by enabling organisations of civil society that include community-based organisations, non-governmental organisations coalitions and movements.

Public Interest Practice (PIP) prepared a curated database of key judgments advancing constitutional rights in South Africa from April 1994 – March 2026. PIP is in the process of preparing an online database of legislation that makes real the constitutional rights of socially and economically vulnerable people living in South Africa. It will be a comprehensive, user-friendly compilation of legislation enabling the realisation of constitutional rights, as a follow-up to the existing database of constitutional judgments. The new resource aims to support legal practitioners, advice offices, researchers, journalists, and activists by providing clear, accessible summaries of key statutes related to rights such as housing, land, social security, education, health, food, water, and a clean environment.

Gun Free South Africa (GFSA) is committed to reducing gun violence through public policy advocacy, education, awareness and community mobilisation.

The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) was launched in 2000 in the wake of the public hearings of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Today, the IJR works towards its broadened vision of building fair, inclusive, democratic and peaceful societies in Africa, and increasingly further abroad, by designing relevant and carefully crafted interventions that combine research, dialogue, capacity-building, advocacy, policy advice and implementation support. We pursue this vision at the global, continental, regional and national levels.

The Justice and Activism Hub is a change tank for a time of change. We are committed to strengthening social justice struggles through connection, collaboration, coordination, convening and catalysing.

Land and Accountability Research Centre (LARC) is based in the University of Cape Town’s Faculty of Law. LARC forms part of a collaborative network, constituted as the Alliance for Rural Democracy, which provides strategic support to struggles for the recognition and protection of rights and living customary law in the former homeland areas of South Africa. LARC is particularly interested in the ways in which laws and policies frame power relations within these areas and threaten ongoing initiatives for democratic change and accountability at the local level.

Legal Resources Centre (LRC) takes informed, purposeful action to promote the transformation of South Africa into a democratic, accountable, and transparent society. Using the law as a tool, the LRC works to dismantle structural barriers to justice, dignity, and human rights, ensuring equitable and inclusive access for all.

Phuhlisani strives to assist rural citizens to secure their rights and facilitate engagement to combat poverty, landlessness and tenure insecurity. Phuhlisani is partnering with the Land and Accountability Research Centre (LARC) and the Legal Resources Centre (LRC) in a collaborative programme to strengthen land rights and land administration.

The Alliance for Rural Democracy (ARD) is a collective of civil society organisations and community groupings championing rural democracy and restorative land justice. The ARD works to challenge undemocratic practices and discriminatory laws through on the ground campaigns; test law reform through cases brought; and capacity building initiatives for rural communities and activists; participatory research and other related policy work.

The Scalabrini Centre strives to make a meaningful contribution to the cultivation of a welcoming South Africa where the rights of people on the move are realised. They envisage themselves as a key stakeholder, working with key partners, that takes action that protects and advances the rights of people on the move across the country and holds government institutions to account, whilst promoting the agency of people on the move.

SECTION27 addresses access to quality health care services by tackling the structural issues that hinder the health system’s ability to realise the right to access health care services; targeting health rights violations that impact the most vulnerable groups; and holding relevant role-players to account. The SRHR project focuses on the sexual and reproductive health rights of women, including access to abortion.

The Racial Justice calendar is an educational resource capturing key moments in the country’s journey towards racial justice, freedom, and democracy. Through daily historical milestones, the calendar offers a clear and accessible way to engage with the past and reflect on the ongoing work of building a non-racial society.

WeThePeopleSA promotes knowledge and understanding of the Constitution, its making and its impact on society. They aim to advance constitutional education through various projects, including Saturday School Constitutional Literacy Workshops for high school learners.

For more than a decade, the African Procurement Law Unit (APLU) has worked to promote: research on public procurement regulation on the African continent; training in public procurement regulation; discussion of public procurement issues within the African context; building of networks in Africa and with similar units elsewhere. The unit provides a permanent platform for in-depth research in an area of law that is critical to development in Africa, but currently largely neglected. APLU maintains a continental footprint by means of associated researchers based in a number of African countries and beyond.

Through evidence-based research and policy analysis, NSI has worked tirelessly to uncover the complexities of government in fragile democracies. Their approach is simple: by identifying the root causes of institutional failure, they provide actionable insights that drive reform. NSI’s work seeks to build stronger, more accountable institutions that can restore the faith in democracy and deliver on its promises for all citizens.

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) is a non-profit civil action organisation that investigates and exposes corruption, maladministration and the misuse of public resources. Through research, advocacy, public communication and legal action, OUTA works to hold those in authority accountable and promote more transparent and effective government.

PARI is an African research institute affiliated to the University of Johannesburg and Wits University, providing new and original social science research, advocacy and implementation support for South Africa, the global South and beyond. PARI is a Johannesburg-based organisation founded in May 2010.

#UniteBehind is a civil society movement committed to mobilising against the crisis of state capture. A crisis, which disproportionately affects the most vulnerable in our society. By building strong movements, mobilising communities, individuals, and other organisations, they strive to dismantle inequality, promote human rights, and create lasting social impact.

Africa in the World is a festival, founded and hosted by Dele Olojede, that connects leaders and innovators across the globe who are committed to moving Africa forward. The festival has built a unique platform and intimate forum for sharing ideas, collaboration, and sparking the imagination. This is a long-range attempt to showcase the best ideas and give a platform to the most honest and committed leaders from South Africa and Africa.

Established in 2008, the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation (AKF) was created to uphold and promote the values embodied by Ahmed Kathrada and his generation of anti-apartheid activists. As an independent and non-partisan organization, the foundation is dedicated to advancing the principles of justice, equality, and non-racialism. Kathrada, a veteran of the liberation struggle, spent 26 years imprisoned on Robben Island alongside his fellow Rivonia Trialists for opposing apartheid. His unwavering dedication to the ideals of a democratic, non-racial South Africa continues to inspire the Foundation’s work today.

The aim of the Cities Leadership Forum is to build a network of trust amongst leaders across divides in the cities. It is an immersive, readings-based, dialogue programme. Participants are selected for diversity in respect of demographic, gender, political and economic viewpoints, but the single common criterion for selection is that each candidate should have the means to act in ways which create serious positive impact in their city. The programme deepens the leaders’ understanding of what constitutes a good society by reading and participating in the conversations of the last 2 500 years. Each participant in the programme is required to commit to a project which will contribute value to their community.

Engage SA is committed to strengthening democracy and human rights in South Africa through the promotion of youth leadership and active citizen participation in democracy. The work of Engage consists of different programmes. a) My Voice is an eight-session leadership and civic education programme that helps young people develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to find their voice as young leaders. b) My Initiative is a six-session civic engagement programme that builds on the skills developed through the My Voice programme and helps young leaders design and implement their own youth-led community initiative to tackle an issue of their choice in their immediate surroundings.

MISTRA is a South African think-tank that takes a long-term view on the strategic challenges facing South Africa, the continent and the globe. In April 2024, MISTRA released their report Coalitions Barometer 2021 to 2023. The second iteration of the Coalitions Barometer examined coalitions from August 2023 to February 2025. To this end, MISTRA undertook an analysis of the 2024 elections, assessing the election results and trends, coalition negotiations as well as the coalition governments established at both provincial and national level. The third iteration of the Coalitions Barometer will update its analysis of coalitions at all three levels of government. The report will include the following indicators per municipality: (a) 2026 election outcome; (b) coalitions formed; (c) coalition agreements, if any; (d) party political developments since 2021 (e.g. by-elections and outcomes, and party re-alignments); (e) functionality of municipality (e.g. budget passed, any references by the Auditor-General); (f) whether an IDP was developed; and (g) any other indicators on service delivery and protests. The report will also include trends in national and provincial coalitions and lessons as the country approaches the 2029 elections.

The objective of My Vote Counts is to improve the accountability, transparency and inclusivity of elections and politics in South Africa. They focus on political systems, the influence of money in politics and inter- and intra-party democracy.
My Vote Counts focuses on (a) producing popular education material to allow for a clearer understanding of South Africa’s political and electoral systems (b) conducting research that helps to inform MVC’s advocacy and popular education activities, providing an understanding of political and electoral issues and providing policy alternatives for the South African political and electoral systems based on the changing economic and socio-political context (c) initiating litigation, as a last resort, in order to ensure that the constitutional principles of transparency, inclusiveness and accountability remain the basis of our political and electoral systems.

Parliamentary Monitoring Group NPC (PMG) aims to provide accurate, objective and current information on all Parliamentary Committee proceedings in the form of detailed, unofficial minutes and documents and since 2007, sound recordings of the meeting. PMG’s key activity is attending all Parliamentary Committee meetings, where a monitor tapes and minutes the proceedings and obtains all documents tabled in the committees. The Parliamentary Monitoring Group (PMG) and People’s Assembly (PA) are two of South Africa’s most important civic information platforms. Together they have accumulated nearly three decades of parliamentary data and serve a large, professionally engaged user base spanning government departments, law firms, universities, civil society organisations, journalists, and the public. PMG has engaged on a project to replace both platforms with a single, modern system — consolidating nearly three decades of data into a clean, well-typed schema designed to last for the next ten or more years. The rebuild will create the foundation for new features including AI-assisted content processing, data visualisation, and a tiered subscription model. The plan also incorporates the transition of ParliMeter — currently operated in partnership with OpenUp, OUTA and the EU — into the rebuilt PMG platform, bringing attendance tracking, bill progress monitoring, and parliamentary activity data into the core product.

Tore’s Foundation aims to engage young people and educate them to develop their critical thinking and confidence through debate. The content of our motions requires students to consider, research and articulate arguments concerning topical issues and current affairs, thereby inspiring and empowering them to participate politically and transform their communities. With this our programme expands their outlook and encourages their interest and involvement in democracy and its institutions.

The Impumelelo Economic Growth Lab was established in October 2024 as a unit within the Bureau for Economic Research (BER) of Stellenbosch University to focus on generating policy relevant work and building capacity to support South Africa’s economic reform agenda. “Impumelelo” means success and with the unit’s expertise in macroeconomics and an established reputation in public interest research, they are well-positioned to convert good research into even better decisions – and faster.

The Centre for Competition Law and Economics (CCLE) at Stellenbosch University promotes research and teaching related to competition policy in South Africa and beyond. The CCLE team consists of economics and legal faculty, doctoral students, post-doctoral fellows, student and part-time researchers and academic associates from across the globe. The Centre was established as a research unit within the Department of Economics at Stellenbosch University.

The Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE), an independent policy analysis and advocacy organisation, is South Africa’s leading development think tank. Since its establishment in 1995, CDE has been gathering evidence, consulting widely, and generating innovative policy recommendations on issues critical to economic growth and democratic consolidation. By examining South African and international experience, CDE formulates practical policy proposals outlining ways in which South Africa can tackle major social and economic challenges. CDE has a special focus on the role of business and markets in development.

The Centre for Household Finance (CHF) is a research group within the Department of Economics at Stellenbosch University. Their goal is to advance knowledge about consumer financial markets in developing countries: how they work, and which policies may make them work more efficiently and more equitably. They use tools from applied microeconomics and causal inference to study how people make financial decisions and what influences their choices. The CHF focuses on South African survey and administrative data in a variety of domains, including retirement, insurance, and credit.

The Development Action Group (DAG), established in 1986, is a leading South African non-governmental, not for profit organisation focused on urban development and housing issues. Since its inception DAG has worked to create equal, inclusive, and sustainable neighbourhoods and cities through development processes that foster human rights, equity, and dignity. Operating from the conviction that empowered citizens must actively drive their own development, DAG’s efforts are rooted in a participative and democratic approach to advancing socio-economic rights and spatial justice through collective action in South African cities. DAG’s impact in the urban sector over the years can be attributed to the organisation’s role in unlocking the development of approximately 8000 new low-cost housing opportunities; facilitating improved security of tenure for 27,000 people; providing direct assistance in securing community services to over 100 000 households in over 85 projects; securing and unlocking R275 million for housing projects; and strengthening the capacity of more than 2,100 civic leaders, with a focus on women and youth.

The Free Market Foundation (FMF) was founded in August 1975 to promote freedom of enterprise in South Africa. This occurred in response to what was evidently, at the time, a government with little interest in allowing South Africans to make decisions about their own economic affairs. Since South Africa’s infamous system of racial segregation came to an end in 1994, the FMF has responded with new zeal to a democratic government that has signalled its intention to curb the very entrepreneurial freedom necessary to undo the country’s seemingly endemic poverty.

IRR Legal originated in the Institute of Race Relations (IRR) and challenges laws and regulations which undermine constitutional rights, economic freedom, and equality before the law. It brings strategic court actions against race-based legislation – most notably employment and BEE laws – seeking to vindicate the Bill of Rights and promote non-racial, merit-based alternatives. Through public-interest litigation, IRR Legal complements the IRR’s research and advocacy by translating policy positions into direct legal challenges.

The Laboratory for the Economics of Africa’s Past (LEAP) is dedicated to the quantitative study of African economic and social history. It brings together scholars and students interested in understanding and explaining the long-term economic development of Africa’s diverse societies. Since 2023, LEAP is a Type-1 centre within the Department of Economics at Stellenbosch University, South Africa.

Meridian Economics is a climate and energy strategy advisory firm that works with private firms, government and public interest organisations to develop solutions across the energy transition landscape. They leverage their extensive individual and collective experience as professionals in Southern Africa, combined with robust local and international networks, to stay at the forefront of current developments in the energy sector and beyond. Their small, highly skilled team includes senior energy sector specialists, energy engineers and regulatory and climate economists active in the South African energy space since the early 1990s.

PALS (Partners in Agri Land Solutions) is a private sector initiative by farmers in cooperation with the community. Originally launched in 2015 in Ceres the PALS initiative has since extended nationally with several PALS enterprises implemented in other areas and PALS centres envisaged for each province and region. SA PALS is the overarching national body, with the SA PALS centre in Ceres coordinating activities across South Africa. Currently regional centres in the Free State, Western Cape, as well as the Mpumalanga office facilitate projects in these regions and adjacent provinces.

Sakeliga was founded in 2011 when a group of business leaders decided an organisation was needed to resist harmful state economic intervention. Today, Sakeliga is recognised as a premier litigant on commercial matters in the public interest. They have thousands of committed funding partners, a growing business chamber network across the country and have produced substantial economic benefits for businesses and the communities they serve. The name ‘Sakeliga’ is inspired by the famous trading alliance ‘The Hanseatic League’, or in German ‘Hansaliga’, that established a centuries-long prosperous economic order across northern Europe. “Sake” is the Afrikaans word for business. Their network of funders and partners is a league – an alliance – of businesses standing together to restore and strengthen economic order for a flourishing society.

The Stellenbosch Economics PhD Pipeline Bursary Programme is a bursary and training initiative housed in the Department of Economics at Stellenbosch University. The programme seeks to address South Africa’s under‑representation in top international PhD programmes in economics by strengthening the local training pipeline for high‑performing quantitative students.

Since 1929, the Institute of Race Relations (IRR) has advocated for a free, fair, and prospering South Africa. At the heart of this vision lie the fundamental principles of liberty of the individual and equality before the law guaranteeing the freedom of all citizens. The IRR stands for the right of all people to make decisions about their lives without undue political or bureaucratic interference.

Apex Education is the school operating partner of Apex High School in Eerste River as part of the Western Cape Public Schools Partnership Programme, and the owner of Apex Stellenbosch, an independent high school in Kayamandi outside Stellenbosch. They developed a system of blended learning as a form of education that combines traditional, in-person classroom instruction with online learning and digital resources. They are implementing a replicable school blueprint, financial model, and business plan for a network of proof-point schools providing quality education in low-income communities. Following the successful establishment and early operational success of Apex Stellenbosch, Apex Education Group is expanding its network of affordable, high-quality schools to serve more learners. Apex Pinelands is the next school in this expansion, designed to accommodate up to 1,800 learners across both primary and high school grades once completed. The short-term objective is to reach 10 000 learners in ten schools.

Community Keepers delivers school-based mental health and social services to learners from marginalised communities. The objectives of this project are to provide counselling and therapeutic support to learners; to develop learners’ social and personal skills to deal with everyday life and to make informed life choices and to equip teachers and parents with the skill to fulfil their responsibilities towards learners.

Instructional Leadership Institute (ILI) is an independent, non-profit company that aims to improve learner outcomes across South Africa. Their 18-month Instructional Leadership Development Programme (ILDP) enables school leaders to improve the quality of teaching and learning in their schools. The ILDP programme is offered at no cost to public school leadership teams across South Africa.

The Public Schools Partnership (PSP) programme is a collaborative programme between government, donors and non-profit school operating partners, aiming to achieve a system-wide improvement in the quality of public schools servicing children from low-income communities by giving selected government schools the same level of leadership and management flexibility that is accorded to independent schools; harnessing managerial resources that currently reside outside of the public education system, concentrating them in underperforming schools and in schools serving marginalised communities and embedding a robust accountability framework so that government is able to track the performance of PSP schools. The group of funding organisations entered into a memorandum of agreement with the Western Cape Education Department to pilot “Collaboration Schools”, that will strengthen the quality of public schools, demonstrate effective models of public school improvement, strengthen public school governance models, develop educators, and implement interventions to improve the quality of public education for learners from the poorest communities in the Western Cape.

The Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas, Stellenbosch University’s Research on Socio-Economic Policy (RESEP) unit and the Academic Research Collective are conducting a research project to evaluate the blended learning model developed by Apex Education, as implemented at Apex High in Eerste River. They want to know whether technology can enable schooling to look fundamentally different in resource-constrained contexts and envisage that the results will assist the WCED with policy choices in support of the blended learning model.

WOW (Words Open Worlds), hosted by Stellenbosch University, has been presenting the largest spelling competition in the country for 16 years. In 2025 the WOW Spelfees reached 469 000 learners from 1877 schools in 279 competitions in three languages. WOW must now focus on strengthening the quality, sustainability, and educational depth of the spelling competition. This means investing in teacher development, enhancing learner support, refining programme materials, and building stronger partnerships with schools and education departments. It also involves evaluating the long-term impact of the programme and aligning it with broader literacy goals. Over the next three years WOW plans to expand the isiXhosa spelling competition.

Numeracy is a foundational skill that underpins academic success, economic participation, and everyday decision-making. The WOW Telfees wants to empower learners and teachers in mental arithmetic and make numeracy fun, accessible, and achievable. The vision is to grow the WOW Telfees into a national flagship event that empowers young learners with confidence and competence in numeracy. Over the next three years, the WOW Telfees will be extended to learners in Grade 4 to 7, in line with the emphasis in developing fundamental numeracy skills in the intermediary phase. Objectives are: (a) to expand participation of schools, prioritising inclusion of under-resourced and rural schools; (b) to develop engaging and age-appropriate mental arithmetic challenges, aligned with the national curriculum; (c) to train educators by offering workshops and toolkits to help teachers integrate Telfees activities into their classrooms and build a community of practice; (d) to foster partnerships by collaborating with the provincial education departments where the WOW Telfees takes place, and secure sponsorships and funding to ensure sustainability and scalability; and (e) to monitor impact by tracking learner performance, confidence, and engagement and use data to refine programming and demonstrate value to stakeholders.

The Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and National Research Foundation (NRF) Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology or Centre for Invasion Biology (C·I·B) has its headquarters at Stellenbosch University and is considered to be the world’s most productive research and training unit in the field of invasion science. The Centre was set up in 2004 to do research on invasion science, a branch of science that addresses the causes and consequences of introducing organisms to new environments. It asks questions about why some species persist and spread unaided, often to the detriment of native species and invaded ecosystems. The C·I·B addresses topics such as biodiversity conservation and environmental change, but also cuts through issues such as human health, water provision, food security, tourism, job creation, agricultural economics and the habitability of certain parts of the earth. The Centre is busy converting to a Stellenbosch University supported institute and contributions from the DSI/NRF are being phased out. The newly positioned C·I·B will continue spearheading the development of indicators for assessing the status of invasions and of management initiatives in addressing problems associated with biological invasions. The C·I·B will also continue to a) publish world-class research outputs in top journals to ensure international benchmarking of research, b) convene training workshops and conferences on subjects relevant to our partners, c) contribute to all national policies and legislation pertaining to invasive species, d) maintain and grow its strong national, continental and global networks to support research, training and policy development and e) maintain its partnerships with government agencies, for example the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries and its affiliates, the South African National Biodiversity Institute and the Working for Water Programme.

The Augrabies Landscape Project is an informal partnership between Millennium Trust, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Wilderness Foundation Africa (WFA) and SANParks with the aim of expanding the Augrabies Falls National Park west along the Orange River in accordance with the expansion plan set out in SANParks’s Vision 2040.

The aims of the project are to establish a research position for a fish palaeontologist in South Africa and to employ Dr Robert Gess in a contract full time position at the Albany Museum in Grahamstown; to explore and research South Africa’s globally significant late Devonian fossil heritage; and to disseminate knowledge thereof to the scientific community through publishing at least nine scientific papers in relevant ISI-ranked scientific journals. The project continues to play a crucial role in supporting exploration of South Africa’s internationally important Devonian fossil record, analysis and publication of discoveries and the development of students with a focus on Devonian studies. Growing public awareness on this aspect of our National Heritage has also resulted from this project.

The KDF was established in 2009 as a non-profit Trust, with the overarching goal of promoting sustainable development in the Karoo.

The Conservation Campaign for Marion Island is a global fundraising campaign to restore the island’s ecosystem and preserve and protect its globally significant biodiversity by eradicating invasive mice from Marion Island.

Protect the West Coast (PTWC) is a not-for-profit organisation (NPO) established in 2020 by a group of concerned citizens who wanted to put a stop to the illegal and destructive mining activities which are running rampant on South Africa’s West Coast. The team comprises a collective of concerned South Africans (including scientists, journalists, activists, legal and media experts) who work for the organisation to ensure that mining on the West Coast of South Africa is conducted with the correct and proper oversight in accordance with fundamental principles of the law. These are the fundamental environmental rights enshrined in our Constitution, the applicable environmental and mining statutes, and the correct fulfilment of authorisations granted to companies that mine in this sensitive and biodiverse region.

The Sugarbird Project’s mission is to protect and restore the unique biodiversity of the Cape Floral Kingdom (fynbos and Afromontane forest) by removing the invasive alien plants (IAPs) that are threatening this precious natural heritage. Almost all of their work is currently in the Table Mountain National Park, in friendly collaboration with SANParks. They are a registered public benefit organisation funded entirely by donations from the public.
While contracted teams do the work of clearing the IAPs, all oversight and administration is undertaken exclusively by volunteers who give freely of their time and effort for the sheer love of forest and fynbos.

The Table Mountain Fund (TMF) is an independent trust founded and managed by WWF South Africa and dedicated to the conservation and protection of the globally significant biological diversity of the Cape Floral Kingdom. The Table Mountain Fund develops and funds projects to protect and restore the world-famous natural heritage of the Cape, known as the Fynbos.
Millennium Trust supports a project with the aim to protect (and legally secure) critical biodiversity areas contained within privately owned lands. This objective will be achieved through supporting landowners of high priority biodiversity with the conversion of their private nature reserves into Private Nature Reserves, compliant with the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act.

Wilderness Foundation Africa (WFA) was officially registered as a non-profit organisation in late 1972 and has become a recognised African-based conservation organisation that protects and sustains landscapes through its agile and innovative approach to conservation. Whether it is landscape wilderness management, developing young leaders from disadvantaged communities, direct action anti-poaching, advocacy at a government level or the incubation of emerging non-profit organisations, Wilderness Foundation Africa focuses its fifty years of experience on lasting impacts.

The Cape Malay Choir Board, established in 1939, is a cultural organisation focused on preserving the unique traditions of Cape Malay choral music, particularly the singing of Nederlands Liedere and Afrikaans songs. It plays a vital role in maintaining the cultural heritage of Cape Malay communities in Cape Town, South Africa.

Choral Celebration Network Foundation (CCNF) aims to be the network link between choirs, events and festivals across South Africa. CCNF hosts Choral Celebration Festivals in all provinces. These festivals allow eight to ten choirs of all ages, music genres and associations to perform in the same festival. CCNF also hosts an annual National Choral Conductors Convention, Udumo Choir Projects (mass choir events for emerging and developed choirs across South Africa) and Choral Ignite series focusing on exposure of adult choirs to other conductors and music genres.

The University of Cape Town’s Opera School has developed a reputation by producing opera singers of major world standing. The Opera School prides itself on discovering exceptional vocal talent amidst impoverished communities that are rich in a singing culture and training them in all aspects of opera performance to be accomplished artists for a global stage.

It is a biennial fine art competition based on the rules of the long-standing Herbert Smith Freehills Portrait Award in the UK. All the works entered are unsigned, ensuring that they are judged anonymously, purely on technique, narrative and emotional appeal.

This is the annual Eisteddfod in the Western Cape. The donation from Millennium Trust will be used to sponsor disadvantaged choirs to participate at the Eisteddfod and the hosting of choral conductor training courses.

Athlete Aid South Africa was established to support athletes who have left high school and have the potential to make the transition to elite senior competition. Millennium Trust is proud to support Athlete Aid through to the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028, sharing in the excitement of preparing these athletes for the world’s biggest sporting stage.

Badgers intends to improve the lives of girls and women by offering them a safe space, professional team sport offerings, life skills training, mentorship and a sense of belonging.

Endurocad supports emerging and elite athletes through programmes that combine personal and career development with specialised coaching, performance optimisation, physical and mental conditioning, competition planning and access to professional support networks. Its work aims to empower young athletes, particularly women, and prepare high-potential athletes to compete successfully at international level.

Tennis NPC was established with the ambition to kickstart a tennis revolution in Africa by establishing a world-class racquet centre in Stellenbosch. With hard courts as well as clay courts, indoor courts and ATP-level stadium courts, the facility will enable junior tennis development on an unprecedented level and give local rising stars much-needed tournament exposure.