Minister Lindiwe Zulu celebrates the role NGOs play in SA

On the occasion of the World Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) Day, the Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu said that she applauds the NGO sector.

These organisations are at the forefront of implementing programmes that uphold human rights and give voice to the most vulnerable in our society.

World NGO Day is celebrated annually by the United Nations and international development organisations across the globe on 27 February to recognise and honour the fundamental contribution of NGOs and civil society organisations as crucial actors of change and their commitment to social justice and building a humane and inclusive society.

“On World NGO Day, I thank all local NGOs as key partners of Government in initiating and implementing programmes in local communities that ensure no one is left behind. The Covid-19 pandemic provided a classic example of the critical role of the sector and also demonstrated what and how much we can achieve when we work together. Early this month, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a state of national disaster due to heavy rainfall and devastating floods that have affected seven provinces in our country. The NGO sector has and continues to be in the forefront of our national rapid response, recovery and rebuilding efforts. It is for this reason that our Government will continue to support this sector through the creation of an enabling legislative environment for it to flourish and contribute to our national development," said Minister Zulu.

South Africa has a large and vibrant civil society. As of 23 February, 270 313 NGOs were registered with the NPO Directorate in the Department of Social Development, up from 221 000 registered organisations in October 2019.

As of March 2021, nearly 25 700 public benefit organizations (PBOs) were listed on the South African Revenue Service (SARS) website, representing an increase of just over 1,500 organisations since March 2020.

The sector employs almost 1 million people, according to the 2020 Trialogue Business Handbook. Between 2019/2020-2022/2023 financial years, a total of 69 484 NGOs across the country were funded by the Department of Social Development to the tune of 7 Billion Rand.

In recognition of the important role of the NGO sector, the Department hosted the Presidential Sector Summit in 2022 which culminated into the signing of the Social Sector Framework Agreement.

The Agreement sets the basis for a strong state-civil society partnership to tackle the triple challenges of poverty, inequality, and unemployment, and fight the pandemic of gender-based violence and gender inequality, amongst others.

At the heart of the agreement is the recognition that NGOs play a pivotal role in the realisation of the National Development Plan and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In addition, the sector also plays an important role in skills development and creation of job opportunities, particularly for women and youth who are the hardest hit by the high levels of unemployment in South Africa. Data from Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey for quarter 2 of 2022 indicate that 648 000 jobs were gained between the first quarter of 2022 and the second quarter of 2022. Of this number, the biggest job gains were recorded in the NGO sector which created 276 000 sustainable job opportunities.

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