Thousands thrive through the Social Employment Fund

Credit: INMED South Africa – during the aquaponics project at North West University

Credit: Siyavuna Kumandi - Products for sale

The SEF recognises the vast network of civic actors already driving meaningful change in communities across South Africa. To strengthen and scale this impact, the SEF partners with these actors, known as Strategic Implementing Partners (SIPs), who are civil society organisations that design and deliver community-based projects.

The SIPs operate in a variety of thematic areas such as community health and caregiving, gender-based violence, digital inclusion, food security and nutrition, education, Early Childhood Development (ECD), greening and environment, placemaking, and arts and culture. In turn, these partners collaborate with more than 1,100 community-based organisations, networks, and structures, driving tangible, measurable economic and social change at the local level.

According to data compiled from 19 SIPs, more than 3,300 participants transitioned from SEF to three dominant pathway Of the 3,312 participants who exited in this round, 55.8% moved into formal employment, 34.5% started their own micro-enterprises, and 9.6% pursued further studies or training.

The SEF recognises the vast network of civic actors already driving meaningful change in communities across South Africa. To strengthen and scale this impact, the SEF partners with these actors, known as Strategic Implementing Partners (SIPs), who are civil society organisations that design and deliver community-based projects.

The SIPs operate in a variety of thematic areas such as community health and caregiving, gender-based violence, digital inclusion, food security and nutrition, education, Early Childhood Development (ECD), greening and environment, placemaking, and arts and culture. In turn, these partners collaborate with more than 1,100 community-based organisations, networks, and structures, driving tangible, measurable economic and social change at the local level.

According to data compiled from 19 SIPs, more than 3,300 participants transitioned from SEF to three dominant pathway Of the 3,312 participants who exited in this round, 55.8% moved into formal employment, 34.5% started their own micro-enterprises, and 9.6% pursued further studies or training.

“These numbers show that public employment can be more than just short-term relief,” said Pascale Du Toit. “It can be a genuine bridge to sustainable livelihoods, dignity, and community resilience.” she further stated.
Three clear pathways to opportunity

The synthesis highlights three dominant transition routes:

• Absorption into public and community services, including placements in clinics, schools, and municipalities as, for example, community health workers, early childhood development assistants, and safety patrollers.
  
• Self-employment and micro-enterprise especially in agroecology, food processing, crafts, and recycling.
  
• Further education and training with participants using SEF stipends to fund accredited courses and professional certifications.

Several SIP-led programmes reported strong enterprise-led pathways, while others demonstrated high levels of absorption into longer-term public service roles.

What drives success?

The data identifies four key enablers that consistently turned short-term work opportunities into sustainable progress for participants and their communities:

• Experience-based training and recognised credentials.
  
• Clear pipelines to employment or markets.
  
• Seed assets and start-up kits to turn stipends into productive capital.
  
• Mentorship and psychosocial support, building the confidence and persistence needed for lasting change.

Where these conditions aligned, transitions flourished. Programmes that addressed small barriers, such as transport, IDs, or childcare saw even stronger results.

Enterprise and innovation at the core

In areas where formal jobs were limited, enterprise-led pathways proved essential. For example, Siyavuna supported over 160 entrepreneurs, INMED reported 54% of participants starting enterprises, and Solidaridad estimated value of agricultural produce of over R8 million as a result of support provided to smallholder farmers through the SEF programme .

Looking ahead: innovation for deeper impact

Beyond impact in numbers, qualitative data derived from on-the-ground SIP experiences propose innovative “thought experiments” for SEF’s future, such as:

• Neighbourhood Enterprise Maps to connect and visualise local businesses;
  
• Community Wallets that link savings and social impact;
  
• Experience-based accreditation that formally recognises practical skills gained; and
  
• Personalised digital pathways to address barriers like documentation or mental health.

These ideas build lessons from the field and aim to strengthen local economies and inclusive growth.

A platform for dignity and development

A lesson from the SEF story is that work experience matters. It’s not the wage alone, but the confidence, networks, and recognition that unlock human potential. The emerging ideas from data grounded in SIP-led experiences signal a shift from ‘jobs created’ to ‘systems changed.’ The next step lies in scaling these bridges, not just the jobs themselves: building an ecosystem where every short-term opportunities plants a long-term seed for inclusive growth.To find out more about the Social Employment Fund, please click here.

Edited by: Pascale Du Toit and Margo le Roux