By Judith Kakese Mukuna-Garisch, Operation, Marketing and Knowledge Management Coordinator at IPASA
Polycrisis and Polyopportunity
The 2024 IPASA Annual Review of South African Philanthropy was launched on the 26th of November 2024 in Cape Town, bringing together key stakeholders to explore the challenges and opportunities shaping philanthropy today. Themed “From Polycrisis to Polyopportunity,” this year’s edition highlights how philanthropy can transform interconnected crises into pathways for systemic change.
The event opened with a keynote address by Doris Viljoen, the Director of the Institute for Futures Research at Stellenbosch Business School. Doris made a compelling case for foresight-infused philanthropy, urging funders to adopt futures thinking to anticipate and navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing world.
Leveraging strengths
Her presentation stressed the importance of addressing South Africa’s unique context, marked by critical risks such as climate change, resource scarcity, and failing infrastructure, including water systems and healthcare. She also discussed global shifts like populism and protectionism and South Africa’s demographic paradox: while half the population is under 28, people are living longer, yet funding mechanisms often neglect the needs of older populations.
Contrasting with these challenges, Doris highlighted South Africa’s strengths, including its culture of innovation and resourcefulness particularly in resource-constrained environments. She called on philanthropy to leverage these strengths by fostering bold solutions and taking the time to think about what will matter next. “We need to deal with the status quo but unless we take time to zoom out and plan for the future, we will always be playing catch up”.
Value-informed futures perspectives
Doris emphasised the importance of cultivating a foresight culture within philanthropy, grounded in three core assumptions:
- there is a range of plausible futures;
- the seeds of these futures already exist in the present; and
- people have the ability to influence which future eventually unfolds.
She called on funders to co-create a future that reflects their shared values and aspirations, urging them to move beyond simply reacting to immediate crises. In the context of a polycrisis, she emphasised that philanthropy cannot afford inefficiency or waste; it must adopt bold, forward-looking approaches that maximise its impact and relevance.
Building capable leadership
Following Doris’s presentation, a panel discussion brought together the editor of the Review, Yogavelli Nambiar, alongside contributors, Grace Kalisha from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Siphokazi Mthathi from Tekano Health Equity and Bongiwe Ndondo from the Hlanganisa Community Fund for Social & Gender Justice, who delved into the difficulties and responsibilities of philanthropy in shaping the future. The discussion highlighted the importance of building leadership capable of navigating complexities and embracing uncomfortable but necessary conversations. As Siphokazi Mthathi, noted, “the ability to address multifaceted challenges requires leaders who are not only resilient but also open to rethinking traditional approaches”.
The 2024 IPASA Annual Review echoes the insights shared at the launch, challenging funders to venture beyond reactive responses and instead take bold intentional actions to co-create a preferred future. Doris’s closing remarks offered a poignant reminder: “The seeds of future opportunities exist in the present. It is philanthropy’s role to nurture them.” As the sector faces unprecedented challenges, the Review appeals to philanthropy to act decisively, co-creating a future that is not only sustainable but also transformative for South Africa.