Mapping SA social investors’ response to Covid-19

Covid-19 is an unprecedented global health crisis. In SA, the pandemic has resulted in a response from all sectors to mitigate the social and economic impact of the pandemic.

Since the day President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the national lockdown in March, the response of social investors has been encouraging and inspiring, especially given the uncertainty that many are facing themselves.

The social investors who have provided funding include businesses, private foundations and international development foundations. This structured funding is in addition to the largely unacknowledged community efforts, where individuals and community-based organisations have responded directly to the needs of their communities.

In April, Tshikululu initiated a project to map these interventions by social investors throughout SA in response to the pandemic. To date, more than R3.3bn has been tracked.

The largest portion of the funding has been allocated to business rescue activities (R1.3bn) and personal protective equipment (R1bn). A wide spread of funding has addressed basic needs, such as food, water and psychosocial support, to help people deal with the impact of the pandemic.

While it may not paint the full picture as yet, it provides valuable and verified insight into how SA’s social investors responded to a national call for solidarity and reached out to those most in need.

This data will prove invaluable in terms of decision-making and fund disbursement in future responses to Covid-19 and disaster risk mitigation plans. The groundswell of support in the wake of the pandemic has provided a glimpse of what’s possible when we work together with commitment and focus.

The pilot map is available to view at www.tshikululu.org.za.

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