The Covid-19 pandemic is an unprecedented global health crisis. In South Africa, the pandemic has resulted in an unparalleled response from all sectors to mitigate its social and economic impact. Since the day President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the national lockdown, social investors have been part of the national response.
Social investors have provided funding for a wide range of emergency interventions from food relief to bridging finance for businesses to withstand the most devasting impacts of the lockdown. At Tshikululu, we believe that social investors are all entities or individuals that invest capital, whether through grants or other distribution methods, with the intent of having a positive social impact. The response of social investors has been encouraging and inspiring, especially given the uncertainty that many of them are facing.
To capture the work of social investors during this time, Tshikululu has launched a project to map their interventions and investments in South Africa. The aim of the project is to develop an integrated picture of interventions and to reflect on the multi-sector response to a humanitarian crisis.
We have reached out to over a hundred social investors in an effort to map the responses. The collection of verifiable data has been central to the project.
Data has only been mapped where the funder has given explicit permission for their investments to be included. Collecting this information will introduce a level of transparency and let all South Africans know the exact extent of what organisations are doing to help those most in need during this difficult time.
By mapping the social investment taking place in South Africa, this data will also prove invaluable going forward in terms of decision making and fund disbursement, as the response to the pandemic continues and disaster risk mitigation is planned in the future. South Africa has a responsive, vibrant and committed funding sector and the response to the pandemic has highlighted the work done by funders throughout society. Ultimately, we want to ensure that we capture the story of how South African social investors responded at a time when the country needed.
The pilot map is available to view at www.tshikululu.org.za with initial input from social investors amounting to R1.7 billion. Tshikululu is aiming to get input from many more social investors in the coming weeks. Tshikululu invites all social investors and funders to participate. If you would like to
include your interventions or would like more details about the project, please email datamapping@tshikululu.org.za.