Who gives in South Africa and to whom?

Three reports clearly show the drivers of charitable and philanthropic giving in South Africa, as well as the difference between charity which often provides for relief while philanthropy looks beyond the day-to-day issues towards socio-economic systemic change. Both ways of giving are important for our civil society and generally it is clear that South Africa is a nation of givers, regardless of levels of income.

Three recent reports on giving have provided information on charitable and philanthropic practice in South Africa. The latest is SA Giving 2017which has been produced by the Charities Aid Foundation Southern Africa and it explores the different ways that people donate and volunteer and why they give; the second is the Nedbank Private Wealth Giving Report lll published in 2016 and the third, produced in 2016, is entitled Form and Function, published by GastrowBloch Philanthropies, and focuses on the financial and operational practices of South African Private Philanthropic Foundations. These three reports provide an interesting overview of the state of giving in South Africa and clearly distinguish between charitable and philanthropic practice.