AKF Study Tour to South Africa

During July 2009, ICCSL conducted a Study Tour to South Africa on behalf of the Aga Khan Foundation. ICCSL met with the delegates from East Africa in Nairobi, Kenya for a team-building and briefing exercise and then proceeded with the country delegations (from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zanzibar) to Pretoria, South Africa, where the group met the South African Facilitator, Ricardo Wyngaard of Ricardo Wyngaard Attorneys, Somerset West. Mr. Wyngaard was later joined by a co-facilitator, Peter Hendricks, of Cape Town.

The teams were each asked to fill out an ICCSL provided "Country Checklist" in advance of the trip and to use the Checklist as a means of measuring success in each country, including South Africa, at meeting goals for creating a legal and fiscal enabling environment for civil society organizations (CSOs). Teams were also invited to complete country action plans, which were discussed during various briefing sessions in Pretoria/Tshwane.

On the first day of the Study Tour the focus was on "registration" and other issues regarding the life cycle of a CSO. The delegations met first with CIPRO, the registration authority for Sec 21 companies in the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

The PPT presented by CIPRO is available in the Documentation Center.

The second meeting was with the NPO Directorate in the Department of Social Welfare.

The Directorate registers NPOs, a special type of CSO defined by South African law. The NPO Directorate presentation is available in the Documentation Center.

The second day of the Study Tour discussed access to resources for CSOs in South Africa, including tax exemptions and deductibility of donations as well as grant funds from the National Lotteries Board. The PPT presented by the SARS Tax Exemption Unit (TEU) is available in the Documentation Center.

The presentation by the National Lotteries Board is available in the Documentation Center

On the final day of the Study Tour, the delegation met with two CSOs, one of which is involved with corporate social investment (CAF Southern Africa), based in Johannesburg.

The briefing session looked at actual problems CSOs face in dealing with government in South Africa.

The other one, Tswelopele Step by Step, is engaged in poverty relief in the Municipality of Tshwane (Pretoria). Tswelopele operates the informal settlement Woodlane Village in connection with the Municipality. After winning a lawsuit the informal settlement was granted rights to occupation of land within the Municipality. It was a highly instructive visit in terms of CSO-Government cooperation in helping the homeless.

The tour ended with a rousing social event, a dinner and Zulu dancing at the Gaabo Motho Cultural Village outside Pretoria/Tshwane. The rousing event was enjoyed by all who attended!