Our Impact
Oxfam South Africa (OZA) is a social justice organisation working at the intersection of poverty and inequality.
Our Work
Our work is grounded in feminist principles and practice and the gender inequality that Covid once again highlighted has encouraged us to focus even more on these principles as we seek a just society.
MOBILISING
Being part of the movement organising against Gender Based Violence
CREATING
platforms for feminist
organising like the
Shayisfuba Campaign
BUILDING
livelihoods through
transforming inequitable
value chains
CAPACITATING
communities on the right to Free, Prior and Informed
Consent (FPIC)
CONTRIBUTING
to a strong coalition
against inequality
INFLUENCING
State influencing
through partnership
SUPPORTING
the struggles of
precarious workers
SOUTH-SOUTH
people to people
Co-operation
What we do
Our programmes work together to highlight the ways in which poverty and inequality impact work and livelihoods, accountable governance, and natural resource justice.
CLIMATE JUSTICE – A JUST TRANSITION
We are piloting various initiatives that highlight the need to reduce inequality and injustice in the impact of climate change.
As South Africa remains one of the world’s biggest coal producers, one of our main concerns is how a just transition from coal to clean energy can take place as recently highlighted as an important issue at COP26.
REJECT OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION – SAVE OUR OCEANS
Beyond engaging with policy and policy makers, our climate justice work is also focused on movement building in climate change affected communities. We have been at the forefront of this work first in the extractives space but have now expanded the work beyond extractives.
COP 26
Our focus on climate justice led to our participation at the Climate Change Conference (COP 26), where Salima Hamada from our Saving Lives Building Resilience programme represented us. She highlighted the work we do, including the East Africa Climate Change project, on which OZA is a partner.
Watch Oxfam’s SBLR Programme Manager detail our Disaster Management Guidelines work
Waste Recycling
Oxfam South Africa has been in partnership with the City of Johannesburg and the City of Ekurhuleni on the Waste Recycling project since 2009. Through our interventions the recyclers now have city sponsored land with structures built for sorting, we also fundraised for plastic and other recyclable processing equipment which makes the work more sustainable.
WOMXN, JUSTICE & POWER
Violence in South Africa is a daily reality, and this year our 16 days of activism campaign focused on unpacking violence in South Africa and its impact on our lives.
Our Women’s Rights and Gender Justice Programme Manager Kwezilomso Mbandazayo hosted a number of feminist activists and held various conversations looking at different aspects of violence and South Africa during 16 days of activism. Click here to join us on this emotive journey into the thinking of Feminist activists in South Africa.
Poverty as Violence
We supported our partner Women on Farms with their call for Feminist reparations, a farm worker women’s demand for dignity. The campaign highlighted poverty as violence. It was built on the fact that for far too long farm women have endured many injustices – their land was stolen, they became slave labour and others ruled over them and this campaign called for them to reclaim what was forcibly taken from them and own it.
The Hunger Virus
It became clear at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic that South Africans are increasingly going hungry. Oxfam International released a global briefing document that showed that by the end of the year 12,000 people per day could die from hunger linked to COVID-19, a number potentially more than the people expected to die from COVID-19.
Food Security and Women
Working with partners, we harnessed the power of women by supporting food security and livelihoods in the rural areas of the Eastern Cape, Ntabankulu and the poorest urban areas of Cape Town, Vrygrond. We donated containers which were used as kitchens for cooking for the community in two soup kitchens. These efforts helped vulnerable partner communities to mitigate the extreme crisis caused by the protracted Covid-19 pandemic.
Accountable Governance
Our call for a feminist government in South Africa and the region has been consistent. This is a government that would build inclusive, sustainable development with the full participation of the community. This is a government that responds to all while protecting the most vulnerable in emergencies. We have also collaborated with partners towards building a People’s Feminist Economy. This is an economy and society that recognises and values the right to dignified work and livelihoods for all.
Transparency and Accountability Series
These discussion papers argue that much more can be done to improve transparency and accountability within the New Development Bank (NDB). Read the reports for the recommendations made for finding a way forward for a potential Independent Accountability Mechanism (IAM) at the NDB.
Movement Building
We support movement building across South Africa by working with and supporting initiatives like the Makhanda Development Initiative, which has a vision of Makana developing into an economically viable, diverse, socially stable community so that all residents can benefit from its development and all stakeholders at the launch committed to realising this vision.
HOLDING IFI’s ACCOUNTABLE
As South Africa received more and more funds from International Financial Institutions to support Covid 19 relief efforts, our Global Impact programme focused on the role of IFIs in development. This led to the revival of the SA/Africa CSO NDB Working Group, co-chaired by Oxfam South Africa and African Monitor. This working group seeks to engage the NDB and its Africa Regional Center (ARC) on its role in SA and the region, in coordination with BRICS civil society.
ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNANCE ON GBV
We support two feminist movements, the Call to Action collective and Shayisfuba. These collectives have been instrumental in the fight against GBV and ensuring government is held accountable for its actions and plans. As part of the collective we helped to raise awareness on GBV and the National Strategic Plan (NSP) for GBV through education, research, advocacy and information provided on our and the other partners social media platforms.
Oxfam South Africa News
An open letter to finance minister Enoch Godongwana about SA’s international loans
Oxfam South Africa's interim executive director, Louisa Zondo, among other civil society leaders appeals for transparency and consultation ahead of the minister's first budget speech.Read more
New SAIIA paper highlights IMF's role in supporting South Africa's just transition
Global finance organisation the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has an important role to play in supporting South Africa’s just transition away from fossil-fuel dependence, independent think-tank the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) has found.Read more
The World’s 10 Richest Men Doubled Their Fortunes During Covid-19
Economic Justice Lead for Oxfam South Africa Thembinkosi Dlamini spoke to Sebenzile Nkambule about their report on global inequality that says that the pandemic has made the world's wealthiest richer but has also led to more people living in poverty.Read more
Women on Farms Project demands wealth tax
Further information depending on layout: The Women on Farms Project will be picketing outside Parliament to demand the introduction of a wealth tax head of Wednesday's budget speech. They are calling upon the National Treasury, together with the South African…Read more
COVID-19 in South Africa: The intersections of race and inequality
Author: Vuyokazi Futshane, Project Officer- Mining and Extractives, Economic Justice Programme at Oxfam South Africa Soweto Township, South Africa. Townships, whose demographic profile is predominately Black people and people of colour employed in low paying jobs…Read more
NeST Monitoring & Evaluation Framework for South-South Cooperation: Why it Matters?
by Marianne Buenaventura Goldman, Project Lead: South- South Cooperation The issue of the accountability of development cooperation is met with growing concern by citizens based in Southern countries as South-South Cooperation (SSC) further contributes to larger financing of global, regional…Read more
On Women’s Month, I Think of My Mother, and Many Other Women Like Her
By Busiswa Nyume -Senior Projects Officer As we celebrate Women’s month, I sadly think about one phenomenal woman: my mother who passed away at a tender age of 56. She raised seven children all ALONE — six girls and one boy. She…Read more
The Effects of El Nino on land reform farmers –Polokwane, Limpopo ?
By Tanaka Nazare (Research and Programmes Assistant) An estimated 40 million people have been affected by El Nino in Southern Africa. This number has increased from 28 million since the beginning of the year. Oxfam South Africa conducted research into…Read more
Our Constitution, the buffeted staffrider of the world?
By: Ayabonga Cawe, Economic Justice Programme Manager ‘Patient because history is on their side, these masses do not despair because today the weather is bad. Nor do they turn triumphalist when, tomorrow, the sun shines. Whatever the circumstances they have…Read more
Our vulnerability is our power
By Kwezilomso Mbandazayo (Women’s Rights and Gender Justice Programmes manager) On the 7th of May 2016, I sat around with sisters and reflected on the meanings of the rape trial that was supposed to be against Jacob Zuma, his ultimate…Read more
In solidarity with Workers on International Workers Day, 1 May 2016
By Siphokazi Mthathi (Executive Director, Oxfam South Africa) I grew up with my grandmother as a farm worker. When she was forced by the farm-owner to move out, we went to a village in the then Homeland called Ciskei, where…Read more
Africa’s brave have already been born!
By Lerato Motaung, (Youth Co-ordinator, Oxfam South Africa) As we celebrated and promote unity on Africa Day, the 25th of May, we turn to the words of the late Thomas Sankara who reminds us that we “… cannot carry out…Read more
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