info@southernafricatrust.org – Page 5

24 June 2020

Youth Social Entrepreneurship in Africa

Society Talks is a public dialogue hosted by the Southern Africa Trust through a live stream on YouTube. The dialogue brings together stakeholders within the development community, business and the general public to inform, engage and share experiences with the broader society.

In the ninth instalment, the conversation focused on young social entrepreneurship in Africa, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The panellists included Esi Otchere, Recruitment Associate at Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (Ghana), Emmanuel Marfo, co-founder and Consultant of Global Shapers Community & Innovation Hub (Ghana), and Lemogang Senwelo, co-founder of The Pereil Group and Leadership and Governance Mentor (Botswana), hosted by Marlon Zakeyo of the Southern Africa Trust.

Esi opened the conversation with an overview of her work with an organization she is involved with, looking at health and women empowerment. Even before COVID-19 hit, there was concern in West Africa about the health care system. People have found ways to bring health care to those who cannot afford it or do not have access, using technology like simple apps. Another focus has been finding employment opportunities for marginalized women, upskilling them to make them more employable, especially those in rural communities. A big part of this is instilling confidence, that then supports their ability.

Lemogang spoke about the disruption that the pandemic has caused, since much of the work in her company involves bringing people into the country. She said they have increased the use of social media platforms and technology to maintain the contact and communication with the young people they mentor and the leadership in their ecosystem. Interestingly, the theme set at the beginning of the year for African Youth Entrepreneur Summit was Upskilling the Industrial Workforces in Preparation for Africa’s Digital Transformation – a most fortuitous topic.

Emmanuel echoed Esi and Lemogang’s comments on the uptake of digital technology to continue their mentoring programme. He said that some of the social entrepreneurs have come up with innovations to help with PPE protocols, but that there has been less engagement and less policy development during lockdown. Funding has also been slowed, but the mood and energy is still buoyant.

In response to a question of what skills citizens need to sharpen to grow sustainable enterprises, Esi spoke of the need to find a cause that motivates, and work towards that. She said it’s easy to become an expert in something if you are passionate about it, and the key then is to find a way to make an impact that has social benefit. Using technology to achieve your goals, like coding or social media marketing, is essential to success.

Lemogang added that ‘heart’ – being emotionally invested in what you do – is at the core of social entrepreneurship. This, coupled with a goal of what social impact it will have, is what will see you through the difficult times of developing a business. The right mindset is as important as the skills, knowing how you want it turn out, regardless of what happens along the way.

In the context of mentoring, Emmanuel expressed the need for good communication skills, citing an example where young social entrepreneurs were given an opportunity to talk about their ideas on national television –engagement and lobbying skills are essential. He also spoke of a need to understand process, to come up with realistic solutions. Reflecting on how many social entrepreneurs want to develop their business alone, he said this is what would limit them, or hold them back. If you don’t have the necessary skills, you need to collaborate with those who do, to add exponential growth to the development and implementation of ideas. Teamwork is a skill that should not be underestimated.

Marlon reiterated the need for partnerships and teamwork, especially now as people are separated. For smaller social businesses and NGOs to survive, it’s vital to remain united and encourage collaboration.

Addressing gender equality in youth social entrepreneurship, Esi spoke of the need for organizations to be more deliberate in their search for female talent. There should be more encouragement and support for women and girls to enter the tech and science space and be coached to take risks.

Lemogang, in response to the question of going beyond profit objectives, shared her personal difficult journey of her entrepreneurship. Realizing that other young people would go through similar challenges and obstacles, she decided she would rather help and empower youth so they can stay on track and not suffer through the process.

Speaking to the challenges of collaboration between social entrepreneurs and the private sector, Emmanuel explained how private sector need governance and trust – they want to see the systems and checks that have been put in place. He also mentioned that the private sector needs to be recognized for their contributions, so the impact must be demonstrated, or the partnerships will fail. He said the importance is not only coming up with a solution to a challenge, and getting the funding to implement it, but to be able to demonstrate all aspects of the effort, for sustainability of the opportunity.

On the subject of mental health, Esi spoke on support structures for young entrepreneurs. She said there is already access for people who need it, to psychologists and mental health workers, but that the first step was for a person to reach out and recognize that they need help. Lemogang added to this, by sharing her coping mechanisms: speaking to her coaches, mentors and her employees; keeping busy with initiatives that are coming up; and trying not to only see the negative impact of the pandemic.

Emmanuel addressed the question of social entrepreneurship in politically unstable economies, like Zimbabwe or Sudan. He said that policy engagement is more effective when approached by a group, rather than individuals.

In closing, Marlon asked the panelists to paint a picture of what their post-pandemic Africa would be like:

More global power – more of a voice in a crisis
More connectivity, and with it, more exposure within the world
Young people are given a platform to speak, and be heard
Opportunities are offered, not fought for
Resources are found and used effectively
More collaboration among young entrepreneurs to solve problems.

Click here to watch the full webinar

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Society Talks is a weekly public dialogue hosted by the Southern Africa Trust through a live stream on YouTube. The dialogue brings together stakeholders within the development and business community, civil society and the public to inform, engage and share experiences with the broader society.

Connect and participate every Wednesday at 16h00 Central Africa time (GMT +2).

By info@southernafricatrust.org

Supporting Indigenous Communities in Africa Beyond COVID-19

Society Talks

15 June 2020

Supporting Indigenous Communities in Africa Beyond COVID-19

In the eleventh instalment, the discussion looked at the disproportionate affect that the pandemic has had on indigenous communities, which has magnified structural inequalities and discrimination – and how critical long-term solutions are needed post-COVID. The panel included Lesle Jansen, Programme Director at Natural Justice, Kanyinke Sena, Director at the Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee (IPACC), and Job Morris, Co-founder and Director of the San Youth Network, hosted by Masego Madzwamuse, CEO of the Southern Africa Trust.

Lesle opened the dialogue by sharing background on indigenous people in Africa. She mentioned a study that looked at indigenous populations in 19 African countries – and how some communities within the region, particularly those with hunter-gatherer forms of land economies, are not accessing their human rights on a par with other African societies.

Job spoke about the San Youth Network, a recently opened organization working towards the needs of San Youth, including health, culture, and movement. Most recently, the work has been focused on delivering aid and information with regards to COVID-19.

Kanyinke discussed the work of IPACC, which is to promote the rights of indigenous people in Africa. With 135 organizations forming the network, the focus has been on environmental climate change, the anticipation of war, and women’s rights. He also highlighted some of the impacts that the pandemic has had on indigenous communities, like the effect of border closures on nomadic groups who have livestock that graze cross borders, and the lack of access to information about COVID-19, because of the channels used.

Kanyinke also delved into the increased burden on women, due to COVID-19, and a new development of how the school closures have resulted in a sharp rise in teenage pregnancies.

Lesle spoke of the challenges that indigenous people face, due to the lack of human rights. Communities are not able to engage with policy makers, the geographical location of communities is too remote – special measure are needed to ensure that these communities are not left behind. The approaches to community engagement: consultation, participation, people being able to give consent – are difficult to implement if people are not recognised as a group.

Job expanded on some of the challenges, bringing up gender violence, as a result of increased stress experienced during the restrictions. He also raised the lack of food, and the resulting hunger, which has caused poaching.

Looking to solutions, Kanyinke spoke of how IPACC is working towards curating information for indigenous communities, that is distributed, understood, and accepted. He also spoke about basic measures, like providing water tanks to promote hand washing, free masks, and health services for the infected. Without these, the effects of the virus when it does arrive in indigenous communities, will be devastating.

Job spoke of the difficulty with communication, with languages that are not recognized, or even understood by the organizations trying to help.

Lesle said that civil society groups should put all their weight behind advocating for the human rights and struggles of these groups, who are the custodians of heritage and biodiversity. In closing, the panelists collectively advised on the need for the preservation of language, culture and heritage, of these communities.

Click here to watch the full webinar

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Connect and participate every Wednesday at 16h00 Central Africa time (GMT +2).

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By info@southernafricatrust.org

The Importance of Disaster Preparedness in a Time of Climate Change

Society Talks

10 June 2020

The Importance of Disaster Preparedness in a Time of Climate Change

In the eighth instalment of Society Talks, the conversation focused on the need for disaster preparedness, to ensure that the impact of natural disasters and pandemics are kept to a minimum, especially in reflection of the Cyclone Idai and in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The panelists included Maggie Mwape, Co-Chair of the Southern Africa Youth Forum and Executive Director for the Centre for Environmental Justice, Chikondi Chabvuta, Southern African Humanitarian Advisor for Action Aid International, Wellington Mahohoma, a volunteer for the Citizens Initiative in Zimbabwe, hosted by Masego Madzwamuse, CEO of the Southern Africa Trust.

Chikondi responded to the question of what previous disasters like Cyclone Idai have taught us, starting with how the community needs early warning messages, even if that information is not entirely accurate (from Weather Bureau). Having preparedness plans in place, educates the community on what steps they need to take, as well as mapping community groups and government agencies that offer support and resources. Another shortfall is how the culprits behind the climate change are not taking the lead in responding (climate justice). From the COVID-19 perspective, it just highlights the existing vulnerabilities and challenges on a humanitarian level, globally.

Undertaking a vulnerability analysis involves checking the risks that exist in that community, who is impacted by the risks, with the community themselves coming up with mechanisms that can address the challenges– a process that is most successful when led by women.

Maggie told of how the SADC region has a Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy for helping countries affected by natural disasters, in terms of financial and technical support, but as a region, we are not ready. The challenge is always resources, followed by difficulty in implementing the strategies and innovations.

Wellington shared how his organization, in the aftermath of Cyclone Idai, appealed on social media for donations, the response of which was quite good – demonstrating that there is a new platform for support. He mentioned corruption and how sad it is that it exists in times of disaster management. Also talking to trust and credibility of the information that is sent out to communities, and if they use that information.

Chikondi spoke of how there seems to be very little learning from each disaster. Relating to a meeting in Zimbabwe earlier in the year, she noted how strong the response was from the community for a need to be involved in the planning to ensure that their grassroots structures are actually working. This includes using their indigenous knowledge as well as science to inform planning and making people accountable when the plans don’t work. Masego also mentioned how the information about climate change that links to the natural disasters, is not getting through to the communities, so planning and policies are not built on the knowledge.

Maggie explained that the language used to explain climate change must be one that is understood at the community level – so that the people understand their roles and their rights in claiming for climate justice. This enables them to take part in forming the solutions.

Wellington spoke on the need to account for every dollar of donated money, as well as ensuring that value is obtained. He said a project’s progress could be tracked on social media – enabling the quick sharing of information (money, spending etc.) – and this would be a big step towards avoiding corruption. Also, making communities aware that they have the right to demand accountability from the office bearers, that need to go beyond the point of just receiving aid.

Chikondi reiterated the need for accountability for the various Disaster Funds and resources that are available for people, making them more accessible. She said there must be decentralization of these funds, ensuring the communities know about them and can access them. Maggie supported Chikondi’s statement, saying that the criteria for recipients of benefits actually disadvantages the community.

Chikondi stated that all the agencies in the region are working towards resilience – the key being that they need to work together, have collective action. Wellington spoke of his desire for communities to get to the point of being able to look after themselves. By relating to the communities as partners, you achieve more, in less time.

Looking to the future, we need to bridge the gap between government and civil society – a shared space to engage with community. To aspire to resilient communities where there is social justice and people’s rights upheld, with women and youth taking charge.

Click here to watch the full webinar.

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Connect and participate every Wednesday at 16h00 Central Africa time (GMT +2).

By info@southernafricatrust.org

The Experiences of Community Foundations Amidst COVID-19 Responses

Society Talks

3 June 2020

The Experiences of Community Foundations Amidst COVID-19 Responses

In the seventh instalment of Society Talks, the conversation focused on the experiences of the community foundations who play a major role in meeting the needs of marginalized people, during COVID-19. Panelists included Beulah Fredericks, Executive Director of the Community Development Foundation Western Cape, Jeremy Maarman, Director for the Initiative of Community Advancement, Niaina Harijaona,Technical Coordinator of the Citizens Organization for Common Interests Defense Madagascar)and Busisa Moyo, Chairman of I Am For Bulawayo Fighting COVID-19 Trust (Zimbabwe); facilitated by Marlon Zakeyo, of the Southern Africa Trust.

Beulah opened the narrative with a brief background of the work she does within the Community Development Foundation. Focusing on the upliftment and empowerment of women and children, Youth Civic Engagement, the Green Economy (sustainable livelihoods and the taking back of empty spaces), and the Giving Economy (helping communities with horizontal philanthropy), Beulah specifically listens for burning issues within communities, talking less and listening more. The Foundation also covers the constitutional building of CBOs, looking at issues of governance, accountability, capacity building and training.

Jeremy started with an explanation of community foundations– mechanisms for community giving, financial and other, usually based around a community fund that addresses specific issues. Community members can give to the fund by debit orders or through fund raising events, thereby giving the community the ability to fund and support their own development.

Niaina summarized the general feeling in Madagascar towards COVID-19 as being very fearful, with civil society organizations being limited by travel restrictions, experiencing delays with activity implementation, delays with payments and struggling to continue their work.

Busisa outlined the situation of COVID-19 in Zimbabwe, saying they have had a spike in infections since people have started returning from South Africa. Currently on Level 2, Zimbabwe schools and churches remain closed, as well as some high-risk business sectors. He mentioned the broad suffering by many of the population due to the lockdown, and the inability to generate an income.

In discussing the impact on community foundations, Beulah explained how they were not set up for remote working. She explained how their group, the CDF, had no new funding so started the response to the pandemic on aback foot – many of the initiatives and fund-raising events were suspended – so they focused their efforts on solidarity. She said the overwhelming call from the community was not for money, rather for emotional support. The community-led response was impressive, enabling feeding programmes through the existing networks. The gaps she noted were in mental health, access to information and the lack of technology. Sadly, she speculated that the foundation may not survive many more months.

Jeremy said that the bringing of people together has not been possible, thwarting fundraising efforts and planned engagements. In response, they have launched an online talk show, with a strong youth focus, discussing among others, mental health issues. They were asked to deliver food security services in their ward, using Meal on Wheels and community donations.

Niaina said the response was mainly focused on the affected urban areas, distributing a mix of cash allowances, and food and hygiene parcels. The biggest problem was identifying who should benefit from these subsidies, which was difficult due to high levels of corruption, with a lack of transparency and reporting on funds used. The civil society groups are trying to advocate for more collaboration and exchange of information with other groups and donors.

Busisa explained how they have not had the resources to reach everybody, especially the marginalized communities on the outskirts of the region, but the government has promised social grants to vulnerable groups in rural areas. The real challenge is the cities, where hunger has become a burning issue. The civil society groups are having to identify these families and act fast.

Beulah explained how the approach initially was to deliver food parcels, but in a bid to restore dignity, they shifted to giving out small grants, which included money for food, taxi fares and data. She felt this was as strategic move on the part of the foundation, to show the community they were acting on their requests, really listening, the outcome of which promoted the horizontal sharing among community members.

In conclusion, Jeremy said the biggest lesson learned showed that people can get through whatever life throws at them, collectively and with collaboration. Niaina said their biggest lesson was the relations the civil society organizations have at grassroots level, during the travel restrictions that prevented many of their activities. This is what enabled them to know what was happening across the country. Another key point they noticed was with the increased reliance on technology to communicate, they had to rely on the youth-based organizations to facilitate. Busisa’s key observations were: to pay attention to the development of health care sector, building resilience through private, corporate and public sector cooperation and participation; to study value chain resilience, that is to be able to provide at least food for the country in times of crisis; and to apply this thinking to the region (Sub Saharan Africa), looking at neighboring countries and the need for cross-border collaboration in times of a global pandemic.

Click here to watch the full webinar

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Connect and participate every Wednesday at 16h00 Central Africa time (GMT +2).

By info@southernafricatrust.org

Food Security and how Smallholder Farmers are Critical to Community Survival

Society Talks

27 May 2020

Food Security and how Smallholder Farmers are Critical to Community Survival

In its sixth instalment, the conversation centered on smallholder farmers and their role in community survival. The panelists for the session included Mercia Andrews of the South African Rural Women’s Assembly (RWA), Flaida Macheze from the Mozambique National Small-Scale Farmers Forum (UNAC), and Joe Mzinga of the Eastern & Southern African Small-Scale Farmers Forum.

The conversation focused on the availability and accessibility of food during the pandemic and closed borders. We looked at the challenges that smallholder farmers face and discussed the measures that need to be put in place to address these challenges. The panelists agreed that development measures that are not crisis-driven are needed in Africa.

Mercia Andrews opened with a statement about smallholder farmers not being recognized for their valuable contributions – 85% of these farmers provide most of the food for the country. She said the lockdown had disrupted the value chain, showing the government’s limited understanding of the impact that smallholder farmers have. She emphasized the gap between large-scale retailers and small-scale farming and the injustice that only large retailers could continue providing food during the Lockdown.

She also mentioned the Agriculture Relief Fund – and how its stringent requirements on proving annual turnover excluded many women farmers who could not prove their income. The fact that the food parcels put together and distributed during the lockdown were not sourced from smallholder farmers, shows that there is insufficient knowledge by the South African government of how local economies operate, and the role of small-scale producers. By not seeing the value and contribution of this sector to society and the economy, the government has not established sufficient support programmes.

Flaida Macheze highlighted the lack of government support for small-scale farming in Mozambique, as well as the 20% increase in the cost of food imports and decrease in volume. Since the staples of maize and sugar have run out, it would be a great opportunity for small-scale farmers to sell their produce. She said there were seed shortages due to border closures, and that while UNAC is introducing indigenous seed, it is not on a scale that could feed the country. She spoke of the need for food sovereignty – producing healthy food for the nation in times of a pandemic or natural disaster.

Flaida expressed her belief that it is a good time to boost peasant agriculture, focusing on variety and not the large-scale production of single foods, like maize. The government must increase access to rural markets over supermarkets, especially in these times.

Joe Mzinga opened with a statement that no country in SADC is succeeding in the agricultural sector. Supporting Mercia’s sentiment that the input of small-scale farming to trade and economy is not recognized. He said regardless of the lockdown, food movement between countries is restricted and there is a massive disruption. What is to be learned from this, is that countries need to focus on sustainable intracontinental production of food to reduce the need for imports of rice, oil and wheat. There is a need for financial inclusion and more funding.

The panelists were united in their views of the measures that need to be taken:

Rebuild the seed banks, with a focus on indigenous seed as they offer better yield, as well as diversifying food types
Investment is needed to build capacity at a local level
Allow women access to land, in their own right
Offer subsidies to smallholder farmers and access to agricultural inputs
Provide more support in the form of farmer input programmes
Encourage the government to put a ceiling on food imports: SADC has the natural resources to support local food production
More investment is needed in the value chain to create more jobs
Priority must be placed on smallholder farmers – consultation is vital between farmers and policymakers to determine the type of support needed
SADC should provide extension services to smallholder farmers.

Start with agriculture and empower people to contribute to the economy. Grow food that is appropriate to the region – smallholder farmers can feed the nation if they get support.

Click here to watch the full webinar.

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Connect and participate every Wednesday at 16h00 Central Africa time (GMT +2).

By info@southernafricatrust.org

The voices of Southern Africa’s youth in the era of COVID-19

Society Talks

13 May 2020

The voices of Southern Africa’s youth in the era of COVID-19

Society Talks a public dialogue hosted by the Southern Africa Trust through a live stream on YouTube. The dialogue brings together stakeholders within the development community, business and the general public to inform, engage and share experiences with the broader society. On its fourth instalment, the conversation centered on the youth. The panelists for the session were young people, namely Thokoza Mjo, the Programme Lead for the Anzisha Prize – a Young Entrepreneur Acceleration programme for 15 – 22 year-olds at the African Leadership Academy; Ronald Magomo, the Regional Advocacy and Communications Manager at Southern African Youth Forum, and Rukudzo Nyoka – a student at African Leadership University and co-founder of an edu-techstart-up, Mtabe.

The conversation centered on the youth and their response to COVID-19. Amplifying the voice of young people during this pandemic is important as they represent close to 40% of the population in Southern Africa. While one in two young people is likely to be unemployed in the region, it is recorded by SADC and COMESA that over 70% of the labor force participates in the informal economy, of which young people, especially women make up the majority. Also, the Goalkeepers Report (2018), published by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation forecasts that by 2050 the largest number of young people, globally, will live in Africa, surpassing youth populations of South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia and Oceania.

Young people are no less if not more vulnerable to the depravity caused by the pandemic. As the world contemplates a post COVID-19 reality, Mariama Sow of the Brookings Institute reports, “investing inhuman capital has been pivotal in the prosperity of emerging economies…specifically those in health and education can trigger an 88% increase in GDP per capita by 2050”. Young people make up a significant proportion of those whose work will be needed to realize this growth potential, to invest in them is to invest in the region’s development.

Panelist Rukudzo Nyoka, founder of an edu-tech start-up, Mtabe agrees. She highlights how the education sector has experienced a huge setback during this pandemic wherein the resort to online learning has been largely impractical. Internet penetration in Southern Africa is around 40%; the region’s Internet infrastructure caters mostly for middle to upper-income customers, while the majority of region’s youth come from low-income or even child-headed households. Her call to action is for business to do things differently by leveraging existing solutions and customizing them to the region’s context and ensuring the solutions are affordable to the poorest.

Fellow panelist Ronald Magomo emphasized the different ways young people have been proactive in responding to this pandemic by producing PPEs and developing technology to protect households from unsafe water. As a representative of the regional body for youth, he highlighted the importance of young people participating in the decision-making and policy development structures. The creativity and innovation needed to #BuildBackBetter is abundant among young people, yet they are often excluded, despite the fact that they represent an important share of the continent’s population. Thokoza Mjo further shared how funders and financiers can do things differently to support young micro-entrepreneurs, including those in the informal sector. Through the Anzisha Prize, for instance, the applicant’s bank statement is not the only way they can prove credibility and legitimacy. The programme allows applicants to provide alternate supporting documents, such as copies of the applicant’s accounting records, reported simply in an exercise book. She brings home the idea that in order for the human capital investment required to drive future growth to happen, the trust factor towards young people must increase. It is only then that they will be included in the decision-making structures and given capital to grow as entrepreneurs and to grow out of being a frontier market.

Click here to watch the full webinar.

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Connect and participate every Wednesday at 16h00 Central Africa time (GMT +2).

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By info@southernafricatrust.org

Informal Cross Border Trade in Southern Africa and how the Sector will Recover

Society Talks

6 May 2020

Informal Cross Border Trade in Southern Africa and how the Sector will Recover

In the third instalment of Society Talks, the conversation centered on the impact that COVID-19 has had on the small-scale cross border trade. Panelists included Regina Kanyimbiri of the Malawi Cross Border Traders Association, Jacob Makambwe of the Southern Africa Cross Border Traders Association (Zambia), Dr Talkmore Chidede of the Trade Law Centre, and Augustine Tawanda of the Zimbabwe Cross Border Traders Association; hosted by Christabel Phiri, Programme Manager at Southern Africa Trust.

With the closing of borders, citizens from neighboring countries who engage in small-scale cross border trade have been negatively affected, both in terms of the economy and employment, poverty alleviation, food security and the support of vulnerable people.

Talkmore opened the discussion saying that while he recognizes the necessary and valid measures that governments have put in place to avoid the spread of the coronavirus, they have had a negative effect on the export and import of goods and services across borders, specifically the informal cross border traders. This includes a massive loss of employment and increased poverty across the continent, due to the restrictions of movement of anything other than essential items.

Jacob spoke of the impact on Zambian women who cannot cross into bordering countries: Malawi, Zimbabwe, DRC. He also mentioned that the access to personal protective equipment, like masks and hand sanitizer, has been difficult due to limited capital of traders and their remoteness. He spoke on a recent instance of DRC traders overcoming the border security to enter Zambia, out of desperation to access the commodities they cannot get in DRC. Jacob also spoke on the Zambian relief fund established to support SMEs and how their Cross-Border Trade Association was advocating for small-scale traders to receive some of this bale out money.

Looking at interventions that are needed, Talkmore spoke of the need for governments not to restrict trade of cross border traders during the pandemic. He also mentioned the need of access to financial support and non-financial support to be provided by the government, like simplified trade regimes, that are entrenched in legal binding instruments (to make it easier for other regions to adopt and enforce). Talkmore spoke of a need to digitize many of the border processes, to speed up the process of distributing essential food across borders.

Augustine spoke of how the Association in Zimbabwe has split their issues into social and enterprise-related efforts, engaging with the government on the post-COVID recovery. Focusing more on the enterprise side, they have advocated on how they can resuscitate the livelihood of CBTs with various interventions: 1 – a review of the restriction of movement; 2 – there needs to be a strong database; 3 – the capital base of traders has been decimated, so they need a strategy that can provide capital to them (revolving funds).

Regina shared Malawi’s issues, starting with the travel restrictions and the fact that so many of the suppliers have had to shut their doors. As with the other regions, small scale trade has been dramatically impacted, with many traders using their minimal capital for survival, rather than trade. Measures to be taken include funding allocated to small traders, to allow women to look at other trade opportunities during the pandemic.

Jacob spoke on Zambian’s responses for SMEs, and their coalition with other industries to approach the government with solutions. With no near end to the border closures, Jacob spoke of looking at solutions to cross border trade, one being the use of technology. He suggested bulk consignments and more communication between women traders, and the need for more formality, certainly in the processes. Also, of an appeal to government for countries to produce more of the traded items within their borders.

Talkmore reiterated on the need for government to re-evaluate their industrial policies to ensure they are producing enough to feed the country and possibly export, rather than relying on imports. Augustine supported the view on diversification for traders, as well as connectivity between traders. He also said that government is limited in their ability to help, because of the informality and lack of data around informal cross border trade.

A joint response is needed to support the informal cross border traders across the region, both in terms of cash transfers or bail outs, and the improving of systems and tracking, to provide the necessary information to build tangible solutions.

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Click here to watch the full webinar **Please pardon the moments of bad connectivity in this webinar. **

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Connect and participate every Wednesday at 16h00 Central Africa time (GMT +2).

By info@southernafricatrust.org

COVID-19 Economic Relief Packages and the Future of Social Protection

Society Talks

29 April 2020

COVID-19 Economic Relief Packages and the Future of Social Protection

In the second instalment of Society Talks, the conversation centered on the economic relief responses from government that have been made available to those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, while also looking at the gaps in policy and what needs to change in future. Panelists included Isobel Frye, Director of Studies at the Inequality and Poverty Institute, Herbert Jauch, Chairperson of the Economic and Social Justice Trust (Namibia) and Deprose Muchena, Regional Director for East and Southern Africa at Amnesty International; hosted by Masego Madzwamuse, CEO of Southern Africa Trust.

Isobel opened the discussion with a summary of the social security structure in South Africa, particularly aimed at children, pensioners, the disabled and a few other small groups, but with a massive gap for the working population. The advent of COVID-19 showed the faults in the system, starting with the numbers of people living below the food poverty line, the informal traders and piece workers who saw a complete severance of income, as well as delays in unemployment benefit payments. Outcomes saw protests and riots, mainly over food. Isobel and her peers expressed more concern at the lack of subsidies for informal workers – the existing emergency relief fund was mostly going out as food parcels rather than income. She said that money in the hands of the informal workers stimulates the local economic development, whereas food parcels undermine the local food production chains.

Herbert added to the conversation, with a reference to a basic income grant in Namibia, pre-COVID, that was based on the structure of the local employment structure. Mentioning the huge gaps in the distribution of wealth in Namibia, much like in South Africa, Herbert agreed with Isobel’s point on how money, rather than food, encourages economic activity. In a pilot project in an eastern region, the basic income grant in Namibia showed an improvement in education outcomes (less children leaving school early) and increased use of the local clinic, which increased levels of health awareness. Unfortunately, the grant has still not been implemented in government. In response to the pandemic, with the collapse of certain industries, like tourism, the government introduced the emergency income grant, which was paid out to people who could prove their loss of income, and who were not receiving any other grants. The outcome of giving people cash rather than food, empowers them to decide what they need to spend the money on.

In response to a question on care work, Isobel touched on the necessity of grants for caregivers, as well as for community health workers. In relation to the rights of migrant workers, particularly the informal cross border traders who have been seriously impacted by the pandemic, Isobel mentioned that this sector is not included in grant allocation, unlike refugees and asylum seekers.

Discussing how the most vulnerable groups are reached, Herbert explained how a basic income grant available to all, would be better and more affordable than trying to determine who is eligible.

Deprose weighed in on the trends in the region, outlining three main issues that have emerged:

The pandemic arrived at a time when there were pre-existing political economic conditions, that have hindered a region’s ability to respond effectively (mass unemployment, mass poverty and inequality).
The inequalities are not just in income – gender, generational, able-bodied vs disabled – the response has been largely economic. Aggressive social policies are required to address the needs of the people.
There is a need to free the states from capture and show them that it is their responsibility to meet the needs of poor people, not just in times of COVID-19. Creating the means for local economy and job development, a right respecting economy.

To realize the dream of social inclusion, the post-pandemic economy and social order cannot be built on what we had before. It is a time for inspirational leadership, to sustain energy on the gains we have seen during the pandemic – the rethinking of the social and economic order for the future.

Click here to watch the full webinar

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Connect and participate every Wednesday at 16h00 Central Africa time (GMT +2).

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Reflecting on the Southern Africa Region’s Different Responses to COVID-19

Society Talks

24 April 2020

Reflecting on the Southern Africa Region’s Different Responses to COVID-19

In the first instalment of Society Talks, the conversation centered on the responses of various governments in the SADC region, just after the announcement of projected COVID-19 numbers in Africa: a million infections, with 300 000 expected fatalities. Panelists included Nnimmo Bassey, Environmental Justice Advocate and Director at Health of Mother Earth Foundation (Nigeria), Liepollo Lebohang Pheko, Political and Feminist Economist, Public Intellectual and Senior Research Fellow at Trade Collective, and Nancy Kachingwe, Consultant specializing in women’s rights, public policy and advocacy strategy; hosted by Masego Madzwamuse, CEO of Southern Africa Trust.

Nnimmo Bassey opened the discussion, with his views on their ported COVID-19 numbers in Africa, and his concerns on the showmanship that is emerging. He expressed his opinion that many are treating the pandemic as a marketing opportunity, citing Bill Gates for investing in a number of factories who seek to manufacture a vaccine.

Liepollo Lebohang Pheko spoke on the language of lockdown and how she found it very disturbing. Likening the lockdown to a form of incarceration, she touched on the restriction of movement through border closure and then went on to talk about the economics, and the approaches taken by different governments to address it. Looking at South Africa’s relief fund to augment social welfare grants, child support grants, to assist people not on any form of grant or eligible for UIF, and help businesses to keep going – a sharp contrast to the 2008 relief model, which was entirely corporate. The marked difference in the focus towards humanity and welfare across the continent, as well as the view to supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses, possibly unregistered, has been very welcome. She mentioned that the terms that different states are using (State of National Emergency, National Health Emergency, National Disaster) has given the executives, the army, the police, and the criminal justice machinery the opportunity to intervene as they see fit.

Nancy Kachingwe looked at the gaps that exist for emergency health care responses in different countries. Examining the various types of political economies that exist: patriarchal, top down, conservative, secretive and non-transparent, hesitant to open up to real dialogue and to be responsive, often focused on outsourcing contracts rather than real service delivery, was something she thought should be talked about. Looking at health and medical responses, Nancy termed the current state as ‘threadbare’, emphasizing how the pandemic has brought its inadequacies sharply into focus. In terms of demographics and socio-economic realities, she said it is very clear that our states don’t have the data or a grip on the day-to-day realities, and that their pandemic response plan has not been broad enough to cater for all these varying groups.

In response to a question of what strategies are needed to move forward, Nnimmo started by stating that no country in the world was ready with their health response to this pandemic. He said that it is time for Africa to look at the health of the environment. He also mentioned that the global ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach of social distancing to curb the spread of COVID-19 cannot work in Africa, because of the social fabric of community and family living.

Lebohang theorized the need for a common fund, trust or forum for modelling alternative ideas. She also spoke about mainstreaming the alternative ideas, bringing a voice to student and feminist movements. Nancy spoke of the need for more accurate data to provide depth and understanding for better adapted policy responses.

It is a time to reframe and renegotiate toxic trade agreements, so that African countries can be more interdependent on one another. This [the pandemic] is a warning to change and prepare the economic directive to be more holistic, looking at the reproductive economy, the care economy, health and environment.

Click here to watch the full webinar.

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Connect and participate every Wednesday at 16h00 Central Africa time (GMT +2).

By info@southernafricatrust.org