The 27th Conference of Parties (COP27) transpired in Egypt in 2022. Billed the African or implementation COP, it took place amid urgent concerns about the increasing rather than decreasing global warming despite commitments by all parties to cut emissions. COPs monitor how countries individually and collectively manage the shift from high-carbon to low-carbon economies. All countries have committed to combat climate change as equal partners, despite some being far more polluted than others. It is, however, clear that the nations do not have the same financial, technological, institutional, systematic and human resources capabilities to make that shift. Several challenges require fixing to ensure that commitments transform into practical steps necessary to cut carbon emissions. Most (if not all) African countries cannot fulfill their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), despite their commitment.1 There is consensus at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that least-developed countries need financial and technological assistance from developed countries to become active participants in the fight against climate change. For the past decade, developed countries have not fulfilled their promise. The UN has asked developed countries to contribute the most towards cutting emissions on their home ground “as they are the largest contributors of past and current greenhouse gas emissions.”

On the contrary, it has become apparent that developed countries are not ready to make the necessary shift, partly due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Instead, developed countries have increased their investment in fossil fuels at home and abroad. Meanwhile, African countries are demanding preferential treatment, especially in the use of fossil fuels, to ensure that the development impulse of recent decades is not interrupted. The global fight against climate change suffers from a lack of implementation. Countries make promises and set goals but fail to allocate sufficient financial resources to ensure the attainment of goals. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that “many changes in the climate system, including extreme events, will become excessive in the near term with the increasing global warming. Multiple climatic and non-climatic risks will interact, resulting in increased compounding and cascading impacts becoming more difficult to manage. Losses and damages will increase with increasing global warming, while excessively concentrated amongst the poorest vulnerable populations (high confidence). Continuing with current unsustainable development patterns will increase exposure and vulnerability of ecosystems and people to climate hazards (high confidence).”2 This paper analyses the general outcomes of COP27, and specifically, how it advanced Africa’s interests and those of poor African communities. It then discusses how Africa should prepare itself for COP28.

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Opportunity type: Employment
Contract type: Fixed term employment of 1 year

The Southern Africa Trust was established in 2005, to support civil society organisations in
Southern Africa to participate effectively and with credibility in policy dialogue so that the
voices of the poor can have better impact in the development of public policies. Our mandate
is to work on a non-profit basis, to engage in activities that contribute to the reduction of
poverty & inequality. In delivering this mandate, we strive to strengthen the voices of poor
people in public policy processes. Africans deserve an economy that allows each person to lead
a dignified and meaningful life. We believe inclusive economies are critical for reducing poverty
and inequality and unlocking the potential of regional integration to generate jobs, drive
innovation, protect the environment and generate economic opportunities for all. The Trust in
2022 to 2024 plans to purposeful engage with gender justice for women’s empowerment
focusing on mainstreaming gender across the organisation and its programme.

The Southern Africa Trust seeks to recruit a Communications and Research Associate

Purpose
The main purpose of this role will be to provide Communications and Research support to the
Southern Africa Trust (SAT) by working closely with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to
ensure that the appropriate SAT Communications Strategy is implemented with the goal of
increasing the Trust’s presence and influence within and outside of South Africa, the SADC
region and beyond.

This role will support the CEO in creating content and ensuring that the Trust Strategic
messages on all relevant platforms, including but not limited to relevant social media
platforms and the Trust website promote and protect the Trust’s vision, mission, and goals.

A further function of the role is to provide research on trends and developments in the sector
in the SADC region, continentally and globally to keep abreast of events that will be beneficial
in influencing delivery of our strategy and increasing the Trust’s visibility in the region and
beyond.

Key Responsibilities (Refer to the Job description for full information):

o The role will broadly be responsible for three areas:
a) Communications support by working closely with the CEO to implement the
Communications strategy through various communications related functions
including content creation.
b) Research function by supporting monitoring research and development trends.
c) Executive Administration by supporting the CEO office with planning and
administration of events and by supporting with other relevant administration
processes required by the team.

Competency profile:

The candidate should hold a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences with 3-5 years relevant
experience in in conducting research and analysis, experience in copywriting content for
social media and relevant platforms. In addition, the candidate should have experience in
administration and event coordination, knowledge of applicable national legislation and
policies, communications technical knowledge and an understanding of social media trends.
Fluent proficiency in English is essential. Prior sector experience will be advantageous.

Please forward your curriculum vitae and covering letter explaining of your interest in the
work of the Trust to email recruitment@southernafricatrust.org

Please include the full position title you are applying for in the email subject line.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. The Southern Africa Trust is an equal
opportunities employer.

The Southern Africa Trust reserves the right to modify this job advert or not to make an
appointment.

Opportunity Closing Date: 11 April 2023

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa or remote. The Trust offices are based in Johannesburg,
South Africa; however this role is open to remote working (preferably to suitable candidates

Click here for the full job profile

On the 21^st and 22^nd of February 2023, our partners from Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe joined us in Johannesburg, South Africa, for a regional dialogue. Our work with them is advancing climate justice and advocating for accountable natural resource governance.

The interlinkage between natural resources and the impacts of climate change is central to people’s lives and livelihoods in Southern Africa.

We are collaborating on implementing initiatives that focus on building agency and advocating for policy shifts. This will ensure that local communities, civil society organizations and human rights defenders are working collectively to protect their lands and livelihoods from destruction, and to hold the extractive sector accountable for the delivery of equitable benefits.

See snippets from the dialogue below.

As world leaders attempt to plot the way forward at Cop27, Claude Kabemba, director at Southern Africa Resource Watch, has urged governments and civil society to join hands with rural communities for finding solutions to climate change

Rural African communities are among the most vulnerable people in the world to climate change, yet they are also a key part of the solution.

While government commitments to reducing emissions and reliance on fossil fuels are critical, the people on the ground could hold the secret to a just energy transition. It is time to put communities at the centre of climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.

The 27th Conference of the Parties (Cop27) on climate change, being held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, from 6 to 18 November 2022, will test the collective commitment of global leaders to tackling this severe threat to humanity.

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The Southern Africa Trust is a regional organisation that supports citizen engagement by generating relevant knowledge to inform policy discussions. It facilitates partnerships between policymakers, civil society and private sector groups for joint action to advance the pro-poor development agenda.

It also mobilises and builds agency among the poor, marginalised and vulnerable groups for their voices to be heard in policy dialogue and the ability to hold governments to account. The Southern Africa Trust programme covers the following areas: climate change and natural resource management, gender justice, youth, economic recovery and Covid-19.

With support from Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, SA Trust is working with community foundations in Southern Africa. These are grantmaking public charities that are dedicated to improving the lives of people in defined local geographical areas. With a spike in poverty levels, unemployment, and loss of income due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the role of community foundation has gained more significance in identifying and solving community problems.

In South Africa, SA Trust is working with Community Development Foundation Western Cape (CDF-WC), Initiative for Community Advancement (ICA), Cederberg Social Development Foundation (CSDF), Namkawa Ontwikkeling (NAMKO) and Uthungulu Community Foundation (UCF).

CDF manages to keep their doors open

The Community Development Foundation (CDF) Western Cape is looking forward to a sustainable future after forging a partnership with the Southern Africa Trust.

Executive Director of CDF Western Cape Freda Philander said the foundation, which has the vision “to ensure that ordinary people living in the Western Cape are provided the opportunity to identify their potential, set appropriate goals and achieve extraordinary dreams”, managed to keep its doors open amid the donor funding crisis that came with the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020. A grant from SA Trust came in the nick of time, as international donors were withdrawing funds from community development organisation at the height of the pandemic.

“In South Africa a lockdown was announced in March 2020, and that is when all the donor support was either cancelled, or they exited. Fundraising initiatives were also either aborted or postponed due to lockdown, so there was a possibility that CDF would close in September 2020. SA Trust came in as a partner and gave us a much-needed grant of R300 000, which was made in two tranches. SA Trust helped us with institutional strengthening and put us back on track,” said Philander.

CDF Western Cape works with 13 other local community-based organisations (CBOs) in Delft, Hanover Park, Heideveld, Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha, Seawinds and Atlantis, which in turn reaped positive spinoffs from SA Trust’s grant.

By keeping its doors open, CDF was able to provide grants to local community partners, which went towards feeding schemes in the communities during the Covid-19 pandemic. This opened avenues to the local CBOs to raise funds and forge partnerships for sustainability with other donors.

“In Delft, Masithembele Enrichment Centre joined Food Forward, which provides them with monthly food contributions that reach 80 families. They continue to feed about 4 000 children and adults per month from contributions received through local community giving,” Philander said.

“The Alcardo Andrews Foundation in Hanover Park forged further partnerships and managed to feed 8 900 people in the morning and 1 151 in the evening with warm meals. Due to the Covid-19 relief grant made by CDF Western Cape, the Children Resource Centre was able to attract the attention of some donors that gave them more funding, which allowed them to feed 60 children in 11 areas in the Western Cape for three days per week,” she said.

The charitable foundation’s aim is to continue to support communities while taking care not to strip them of their agency. “It’s about demonstrating the strength and power of, by and for the community. It was and still is the trust relationships built over many years, which continue carrying the foundation through crises,” she said.

Philander added that CDF envisaged an ongoing partnership and collaboration with SA Trust, in the form of “focused and meaningful dialogues on social justice and the alleviation of poverty, horizontal philanthropy, peer training and support”.

Namakwa community fell into hard times

Southern Africa Trust has helped several non-profit organisations (NPOs) in the Northern and Western Cape to navigate the unprecedented difficulties that came with Covid-19, with positive spinoffs for dozens of local communities.

SA Trust has assisted local NPOs involved in community development with capacity building in addition to financial support. Namakwa Ontwikkeling (NAMKO) — a community outreach foundation in Okiep — was on the verge of closing down after 28 years of supporting local communities.

What was achieved for African countries as we look forward to COP27?

Join the Southern Africa Trust for a dialogue to reflect on the outcomes of COP26! This dialogue is the first for the series “Roadmap to COP27: From Johannesburg to Sharma El-Sheikh” to shape Africa’s narrative for climate justice leading to COP27.  

Africa is uniquely susceptible to the impacts of climate change. It is critical to jointly advocate for Africa’s position on climate justice, ensuring that the voices of marginalised and vulnerable citizens are heard and voiced.  

Key issues to be discussed include: 

• Assessing the achievements made at COP26 
• Focusing on challenges in communities from southern Africa that are vulnerable to climate change 
• Discussing the impact of the climate crisis in South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe 
• Discussing outcomes from the March African Negotiators Meeting on the COP26  
• Discharging Africa’s position for the upcoming COP27 

Date: Thursday 19th May 2022
Time:10:00 SAST 
Platform: Zoom