Organisational Viewpoint

Why Siloed Social Investment Is Costing South African Corporates More Than They Think

South African organisations are channelling millions into CSI programmes and still struggling to move the needle when it comes to lasting, systemic change. There are numerous reasons for the gap between CSI spend and social impact, but one of the most significant challenges the sector faces is fragmentation.

Managing risk by investing in sustainable environmental, social and governance strategies

For decades the business sector has recognised its corporate social responsibility and has invested in sustainability programmes aimed at supporting, amongst others, community health, access to quality education, infrastructure, and enterprise development initiatives. The philosophy that the success of a business is directly linked to the stability and growth of the country and the communities in which it operates dates back to the early 1970s.

Understanding Empowerment Endowments is a report by Intellidex, funded by Tshikululu Social Investments

The report is based on a six-month research exercise into the charitable and community components of the 100 largest JSE companies’ empowerment deals implemented since 2002, when community schemes started to be included in BEE deals.

Building Safer Mining Communities: A Stronger Response to Addressing GBV

The South African government has declared gender-based violence a national disaster. This demonstrates strong political will to mobilise the country’s resources to eradicate this scourge, which is exacerbated by multiple factors such as unequal power relations, cultural norms and economic inequality.

Enabling the Just Energy Transition: Creating a socially inclusive future

When we talk about the Just Energy Transition (JET), we tend to focus only on gigawatts, emissions targets, and investment flows. At its core, however, the Just Transition is not only about energy: it is about people. The choices we make in the next decade will shape whether this transition deepens inequality or whether we seize one of the greatest opportunities in our history to address unemployment, poverty, and exclusion.

Digital News Transformation Fund Wraps Up Review Process for Initial Funding Round

The Digital News Transformation Fund, managed by Tshikululu Social Investments in partnership with Google and AIP, has selected 23 projects for funding to advance digital innovation and sustainability in South Africa’s independent news sector.

Creating shared value through community trusts

In the mining industry, a community trust is established to benefit communities affected by mining operations, to ensure that they share in the wealth generated by the mine’s activities.

October 2025 JET Project Pitch Schedule

The JET supports South Africa’s commitment to reducing emissions to 350-420 MtCO2-eq by 2030, as outlined in the 2021 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).

A flexible approach to impact assessment

In the social investment space, measuring project outcomes and impact is often considered only at the end of a project lifespan to highlight the work that has been done. However, this loses the true value of impact measurement, which is the early identification of bottlenecks and developmental areas, and thus the opportunity to course-correct based on data. Our experience as Tshikululu has shown us the value of planning for impact measurement and data collection right from the beginning of a project to ensure that future assessments are built on a strong foundation. In reality, however, this is not always possible. We have found that we need to be flexible in how we conduct impact assessments, acknowledging any limitations while we seek to meaningfully measure impact.

Dialogues in Social Investing 2025: Unlocking the power of social investment for the future of South Africa

South Africa is at a defining moment. Today, it remains the most unequal country in the world, with gaps that continue to widen. Youth unemployment is among the highest globally, with one in two young people aged 15–34 unable to find work.[1] Poverty is weakening social cohesion and intensifying the impacts of climate change, placing further strain on communities and the economy.