Sustainable Development Goals

The Motsepe Family joined the Giving Pledge in 2013 with a mission to improve the quality of life for all communities in South Africa. The UN measures poverty alleviation using the international poverty line, which is improved through increased access to resources, opportunity and social protection systems.

All programmes initiated by the Foundation correlate to the alleviation of poverty in South Africa, ensuring the poor are self-sustainable and are protected during economic, health and environmental shocks.

In 2019 the Foundation initiated food security programmes related to agriculture and land reform in South Africa. Secure access to land, by men and women, and the provision of necessary support and skills development for those living in rural areas will ensure that small-scale producers are able to enhance their capacity and sustainable agricultural practices are implemented.

The land reform and agricultural projects of the Foundation are carried out through partnerships with religious and traditional leaders, AgriSA, the Black Farmers Association, African Farmers Association of South Africa, and the Congress of South African Trade Unions.

Motsepe Foundation In Conversation Mental Health and COVID 19

In 2004 the Foundation launched the Kay Motsepe Schools Football Cup, which expanded to include the Kay Motsepe Schools Netball Cup. The aim is to empower South African youth and invest in the development of national sports. At the same time these programmes serve as a support structure for the youth, assisting in creating alternative lifestyles that will prevent substance abuse.

The Foundation also contributes to healthcare research programmes relating to HIV, Cancer and COVID-19. In 2017 the Foundation, through their Centre for Gender Equality and Leadership, published a resource guide for women titled The Little Black Book. This guide included information around sexual and reproductive health, amongst other information.

Currently the Foundation is investing in national platforms that will generate dialogue and awareness around mental health in South Africa. The aim is to encourage individuals and families to seek help and identify the medical interventions available.

Enabling greater access to education is a pillar of the Foundation. The bursary programme invests in academically deserving students, while development partnerships with 256 primary and secondary schools across the country has facilitated the building and provision of laboratories, libraries and other educational tools in schools with limited resources. This is to ensure equitable and quality access to education, regardless of affordability.

The Foundation, in an effort to ensure South African youth are equipped with relevant skills, priorities bursary recipients based on their interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

Through the Centre for Gender Equality and Leadership (GCEL), the Foundation is determined to help raise the socio-economic status of women in South Africa and enable them to contribute more effectively to their communities and our national economy. CGEL hosts annual Women Summits, to elevate and discuss issues that accelerate women empowerment and gender balance in all sectors of society. The Girls in STEM programme was launched in 2017 to build a pipeline of women in sectors where their contributions have been limited.

Through the Gender Responsive Budgeting Initiative (GRBI) of GCEL evaluates poverty, gender-based violence, healthcare and education systems, access to finance and enterprise development through gendered dimensions. Emphasis is placed on initiatives that can enable women to narrow, and hopefully eliminate, gender inequality and the severe economic imbalances.

The provision of water and sanitation, particularly in rural areas and schools where piped water is still lacking, has been initiated by the Foundation through partnerships with traditional leaders. During the COVID-19 outbreak this became an urgent priority for the Foundation, with water tanks, boreholes and sanitary facilities provided across the country.

The Foundation is associated with the Breakthrough Energy project, a group of investors working together to build a carbon-free future for all. The project supports cutting-edge research and development; invests in companies that turn game-changing technologies into scalable and transformative solutions; and advocates for policies that speed innovation from lab to market.

The Foundation supports productive job creation opportunities through the agricultural sector. Agriculture is a sector where majority of unemployed young people can be absorbed, through the provision of skills and resources. Together with traditional leaders and other agricultural partners, the Foundation is investing in youth employment through agricultural skills development and land security.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution and the resulting technological innovation is considered a driving force of economic activity in the future. By promoting STEM education amongst poor and marginalised youth, the Foundation is building a pipeline that will enable their economic contributions and access to decent work opportunities.

The infrastructure and resources available in schools correlates to the quality of education learners achieve, and the opportunities they will receive as they enter the job market. The Foundation has invested in the building of science laboratories, computer labs and libraries as necessary additions to schools’ infrastructure.

During the outbreak of COVID-19 additional classrooms were added to the Foundations development agenda, to ensure health regulations around social distancing could be followed.

Through CGEL the Foundation advocates for gender equality, including equality in political decision-making and equal pay. Through the bursary programme and development projects, the Foundation aims to reduce inequalities in outcomes by giving the poor and marginalised equal opportunity to graduate and economically contribute.

In partnership with NGOs and other organisations, including the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, the Foundation supports efforts to address environmental challenges and the resulting social effects. In Africa, climate change has a particular impact on the lives of the poor and marginalised. For example, the Foundation supported relief initiatives in Mozambique following the destruction caused by cyclone Idai.

International partnerships – The Giving Pledge; the World Economic Forum Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship Programme; the Milken Institute (Capital Markets Programme and Prostate Cancer Research); the Harvard Executive Education Programme; and amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research.

Regional – African Union, Ebola and COVID-19 relief, and Cyclone Idai.

National – South African government (the Department of Basic Education), local universities, religious organisations and traditional leaders.