Media Releases

Launch of the Southern Africa Youth Exchange Programme in Maputo An exciting new Southern Africa youth exchange programme, sayXchange, launches in Maputo, Mozambique, on Tuesday, 23 February 2010. The sayXchange launch will start at 18h00 at the Pestana Rovuma Hotel, Rua da Se 114, Maputo. Members of the media are invited to attend.

Donation to Support Earthquake Survivors in Haiti and Malawi The Southern Africa Trust announces a donation of R100, 000 to help reconstruction efforts following the devastating earthquakes that struck Haiti earlier this month and Malawi in December 2009. The Trust urges all other organizations in the southern Africa region to also contribute to the reconstruction efforts.

New Southern Africa Youth Exchange Programme to be Launched The Southern Africa Trust in collaboration with AFS Interculture South Africa will, on Thursday 4 February 2010, launch a new southern Africa cross-border youth exchange programme called sayXchange. The launch will be held at The Wanderers Club, Johannesburg, starting at 18h00. It will be facilitated by the Southern Africa Trust's change4ever campaign ambassador and prominent media personality, Unathi.

Pan-African solidarity with Haiti 22 January 2010 The earthquake that recently struck Haiti has caused unprecedented devastation and suffering to the country and its people. Wednesday’s aftershock aggravated an already grave humanitarian crisis. Across Africa, government, church, business and civil society leaders are mobilizing support for the people of Haiti. In South Africa, CIVICUS and its partners, African Monitor, Trust Africa, the Southern Africa Trust, Charity Aid Foundation (CAF) Southern Africa, the South African Red Cross Society; the National Welfare Forum; and Ivan May through 1485 Radio Today on 1484 AM in Jozi and through SADC (also DStv 169), the Synergos Institute, The NEPAD Business Foundation and the African Women’s Foresight Network, have agreed to join what is known as the “Africa for Haiti Campaign” and to help in co-ordinating efforts

Government listens to civil society on ways to tackle poverty The Presidency of South Africa, under the leadership of Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, will convene a two-day consultation from 8 to 9 December 2009, at Willow Park Conference Centre in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg. The consultation aims to consolidate engagement with civil society organisations on strategies to end poverty. The Presidency has requested the Southern Africa Trust to facilitate the mobilisation of civil society to participate in this process and to gather input on the government's Anti-Poverty Strategy (APS).

President Mutharika Among the 2009 Southern Africa Drivers of Change Award Winners The 2009 Southern Africa Drivers of Change award winners were announced on 29 October 2009 at Summer Place, Hyde Park in South Africa. Among the 2009 Southern Africa Drivers of Change that were honoured was Dr Bingu wa Mutharika, President of the Republic of Malawi.

Business for Development (B4D) Pathfinder Launched "This initiative offers a system that enables businesses to navigate an uncharted path to sustain their own growth and profitability," said former President Benjamin Mkapa as he launched the initiative, "while at the same time directly contributing to sustainable development in the region by including the poor in their growth path. It is new. It is daring. It is doable...and it is replicable. That is why it is called a pathfinder."

Benjamin Mkapa launches Business for Development (B4D) Pathfinder in South Africa His Excellency, Mr Benjamin W Mkapa, former President of the United Republic of Tanzania will launch the B4D Pathfinder initiative spearheaded by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Employers' Group and the Southern Africa Trust.

Government and civil society organizations collaborate on anti-poverty strategy in South Africa Supported by the Southern Africa Trust, a series of anti-poverty workshops in all nine provinces in South Africa will begin on Thursday 8^th October 2009 in the Eastern Cape.

Moringa Oleifera – The Miracle Tree – Unveiled in Limpopo Province On 16 October 2009, Lammangata Moringa and the University of Fort Hare will announce the results of a scientific nutritional analysis of Limpopo-variety Moringa Oleifera leaves at Sedikong sa Lerato Drop-in Centre Tooseng village, GaMphalele, Limpopo province (12km south of Lebowakgomo on the Jane Furse Road).

Southern Africa Trust Set for Greater Collaboration with Mauritius The Southern Africa Trust today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity and Senior Citizens Welfare and Reform Institutions of Mauritius and the Mauritius Council of Social Service (MACOSS) to co-operate in building the capability of civil society to engage in pro-poor policy influencing work at the national and regional levels.

Boosting Smallholder Farming is Key to Easing Hunger at Household Level in Southern Africa A policy brief just released by the Southern Africa Trust entitled Seeds of Plenty: How Boosting Smallholder Farming Can Ease Hunger and Reduce Poverty at the Household Level in Southern Africa, proposes that increased agricultural production for food security in poor households, should focus on smallholder farmers.

The African Grantmakers Network is launched Ghana, Accra-15 July 2009: "The African Grantmakers Network will change the face of global philanthropy. And it will happen right here in Africa", said Sarah Mukasa, Director of Programmes at the African Women's Development Fund, at a meeting organized to establish a network of African grantmakers.

Informal Cross Border Traders' Association Formed to Raise Voices of Poor Traders in Policy Development in Southern Africa Informal traders make a major contribution to the growth of economies in southern Africa. Informal trade is a source of livelihood for many poor people - especially women. But it is often invisible in national policies and regional development strategies, and the voices of informal traders are seldom heard in discussions about regional trade in southern Africa. As a result, regional trade integration is often seen to be irrelevant to poor people in southern Africa. To address this gap, the Southern Africa Cross Border Traders Association was formed at a regional meeting held on 9-10 July 2009 in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, with the support of the Southern Africa Trust.

African Parliamentarians set for greater collaboration with civil society A consultative dialogue aimed at fostering a closer working relationship between civil society and the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) will be held on Africa Day, 25 May 2009, at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, South Africa.

How can microfinance benefit the poor? The Southern Africa Trust, in partnership with the Association of Microfinance Institutions of Zambia (AMIZ), will be holding a southern African regional workshop on microfinance and policy development in southern Africa at the Protea Hotel in Lusaka, Zambia, 13 – 14 May 2009.

Namibian Minister to launch the 2009 Drivers of Change Awards The Minister of Information and Communications Technology of Namibia, Joel Kaapanda is expected to launch the 2009 Drivers of Change Awards on 1 April 2009 at Kalahari Sands Hotel in Windhoek, Namibia. The prestigious non-monetary awards recognise outstanding new ways of working to overcome poverty in southern Africa.

Thomas Says "Change4ever" Grab the opportunity to change one school FOREVER! Through the Southern Africa Trust's innovative anti-poverty campaign CHANGE4EVER, Thomas Msengana MetroFM presenter - and Ambassador - for Change will host a family fun day to raise funds for a palisade fence for the Yeoville Community School.

Media Release archive