Community Development

Business Day SHIFT 2026: Driving lasting Change by Tshikululu’s Matebe Chisiza

This article explores how corporate social investment (CSI) is evolving from traditional philanthropic activity into a strategic, impact-driven function that supports long-term business sustainability, risk management and inclusive economic growth through measurable outcomes and integrated approaches.

Collaborative models to enhance the socio-economic impact of the mining sector in South Africa

The mining and extractives sector plays a major role in the South African economy, and it has a significant responsibility to create positive socio-economic impact in the communities where mining houses operate.

Community assessment: still the best starting point for a meaningful social investment strategy

This article explains the importance of community assessments in designing effective social investment strategies, highlighting how grassroots insights, stakeholder engagement and data-driven approaches lead to more impactful, sustainable and community-aligned development interventions.

Key considerations in community trust design and operations

There is no single right way for a community trust to operate, but the decisions made in this regard have significant implications for impact, reporting and measurement. In February, Tshikululu facilitated a session on building capacity for impactful delivery at the INSPIREd Community Trusts Learning Event, hosted by the Initiative for Social Performance in Renewable Energy (INSPIRE). Drawing on Tshikululu’s more than 25 years’ experience in managing social investment trusts, and leveraging insights from our Community Trust Benchmarking Report, this interactive session explored the governance and operating models of Trusts in South Africa, the key factors Trusts should consider when deciding on an operating model, and the implications of this choice for delivering impact.

Beyond compliance: enhancing the impact of community trusts in South Africa

For decades, the mining sector has recognised the need to invest in the development of its host communities, both from a regulatory perspective and in recognition of the historical inequities that continue to create socioeconomic challenges in communities across South Africa. Community trusts (and similar broad-based community ownership schemes) are one vehicle through which companies seek to benefit communities. However, achieving meaningful and sustained benefit to mining host communities through the use of community trusts has not been successful in many instances.

Social investment in community-based organisations Ali Channon – Social Investment Specialist

The recent unrest and the humanitarian crisis arising from it have highlighted not only the inequality and anger pervading our society, but also the resilience of communities across the country that are working together to rebuild and bring about change at a local level. Community-based organisations (CBOs) play a critical role in this landscape. They represent communities identifying and addressing the issues that most affect them, and being at ‘grassroots’ level gives them a legitimacy that organisations coming in from the ‘outside’ may lack. Social investors are increasingly recognising the importance of resourcing CBOs, but are faced with the challenge of how to reach them as effectively, efficiently and responsibly as possible.