Philanthropy and Equity: The Case of South Africa

Philanthropy and Equity: The Case of South Africa

In South Africa, more than ten years after the onset of a democratic political system, the
challenge to promote greater economic and social equity continues. Income and wealth
inequality, unemployment and HIV/AIDS are rife. While the state continues to be the
primary mechanism through which structural change can be affected, civil society and
philanthropy have a role to play in addressing poverty eradication and development. In
South Africa, philanthropy is not limited to acts of kindness from the wealthy to the poor
and is not, primarily, from international sources.
The paper explores the potential role for philanthropy to promote greater equity in South
Africa. The South African Constitution provides a clear context in which philanthropy
could promote greater equity across gender, race and socioeconomic status. Examples of
such equity-promoting philanthropy include support for 1) those most marginalized in
society, 2) policy implementation needed to create greater equity, 3) the promotion of
civil society to create a voice for those outside decision-making structures, and 4)
structural changes that directly address inequities in society.
For the most part, philanthropy is not reaching its potential to promote greater equity in
South Africa. Philanthropic resources flow predominantly to activities and services that
could more accurately be described as charitable. The paper reviews the funding patterns
of: