Problem first, solution second
- Deryn Graham
The traditional model of philanthropy in Africa is very different from the concept of African philanthropy.
Coined by Anne Isabelle Thackeray Ritchie in 1885, the proverb ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime’ highlights the significant difference between the impact of short-term social intervention and empowering someone with the skills to be self-sufficient.
According to Bhekinkosi Moyo, Adjunct Professor in the Wits Business School and Director of the Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI), the role and model of philanthropic giving – in Africa as elsewhere – was historically designed to assist underdeveloped and under-resourced countries, communities and even individuals to thrive independently of the donor after the funding ended. In other words, teaching them to fish.
However, causes and beneficiaries have historically been cherry picked by institutional and private philanthropists. Western philanthropy has typically been aligned with democratic principles, funding governance and legal programmes, health, education and human rights areas, often tied to a country’s foreign policies. Regimes in other parts of the world have been guided by different agendas, benefitting causes such as labour issues – connecting philanthropy with global politics. On the other hand, individuals have deployed their private resources according to their own particular interests, giving to causes that they care about, whether people, animals or a movement.
There is no doubt that traditional philanthropy has played a critical role in Africa’s development, particularly in the health sector. Melinda French Gates explains why philanthropy is beneficial: “At its best, philanthropy centres people who are being left behind and helps take on problems that business and government cannot solve alone. When it comes to piloting new programmes or testing new ideas, philanthropy is uniquely positioned to make the high-risk, high-reward investments to figure out what works.”
She adds: “Philanthropy is all about partnership – you partner with experts in the field. You partner with people with lived experience of the issues that you are working on. As you uncover new solutions, you work with businesses and governments to make sure those solutions reach as many people as possible. So, while I believe that philanthropy has an important role to play in driving progress, it is a supporting role.”
The Gates Foundation has announced that it will disburse all its wealth and cease operations by 2045.
Donor fatigue is real
Times are changing – where institutional philanthropy used to have guidelines, it now has strategies. The recent withdrawal of USAID and Pepfar funding (albeit aid, different from philanthropic giving) has exposed the cracks in government systems that have long relied on external funding to fill the gaps where governments are failing to fulfill a function.
“So many resources have been poured into Africa but the social ills that they are supposed to alleviate remain. Even philanthropists require a return on investment and a timeline for results,” says Moyo. “Donor fatigue is real.”
Alternative forms of philanthropy
A new generation of philanthropic leaders is coming through, brought up differently from the parents that originally established family foundations. Alex Soros is a good example – when he took over the Open Society Foundation from his father George, he laid off 40% of the international staff and announced significant changes to the operating model including a shift toward political engagement, prioritising national level political arenas over global forums. These philanthropic entrepreneurs have a different approach to how and to whom they give.
According to Moyo, this is an example of the philanthropy ecosystem regenerating itself.
‘Venture philanthropy’ and ‘impact investing’, of which Nigerian philanthropist Tony Elumelu is a proponent, are examples of new forms of philanthropy designed to offset the impact of capitalism.
Building African philanthropy
In South Africa, we have the skills and the capacity to adopt our own model of African philanthropy, argues Moyo. Although many of our local foundations – such as the Motsepe Foundation and the Thabo Mbeki Foundation – have characteristics and frameworks borrowed from Western institutions, they are a combination of African philanthropy and philanthropy in Africa.
Moyo says that outside of Africa, philanthropy is a formal discipline. “Our interpretations have been labelled ‘indigenous versions’, patronised by the west. In fact, South African models of giving and support, including stokvels and burial societies, are based on the cultural commitment to not leaving anyone behind.”
Stokvels were started by rural women to fill the financial gaps and needs left by their migrant worker menfolk, in a demonstration of mutual support. Even if a family can afford to bury a loved one, African culture says that they do not need to bear that financial responsibility alone and a book of pledges will do the rounds. Even so-called ‘Black tax’ is a form of philanthropy, as financial support extends way beyond the concept of nuclear families. This is Africa’s ‘many to many’ response to crisis or need, in a pooling of resources.
Another model of non-financial philanthropy is giving in kind.
“The biggest donation towards South Africa’s democracy was solidarity in the struggle against apartheid shown by other countries, institutions and individuals,” says Moyo.
This is in-kind giving and may also include food or even buildings, such as Anglo American’s 45 Main Street, recently donated to the Maharishi Invincibility Institute and another building on the same road – The Crucible – given to the Wits Business School to establish a new entrepreneurship centre.
These alternative models offer South Africa the opportunity to rethink the ways to thrive without relying on traditional philanthropy from outside.
“We are looking for a form of philanthropy that is developed, practised and led by Africans,” says Moyo.
Problem first, solution second
In Africa we do things the other way round. In the west, the accumulation of wealth comes first and then the search for how to spend it. Here, we identify the problem first and only then look for ways in which to solve it.
Rwanda’s Girinka programme follows this model. To address the challenge of poverty, indigent families are given a cow. As a result, child nutrition has improved with access to milk and small-scale food gardens flourish with a ready source of fertiliser. Problem first, solution second, driven in an organised, structured way by the Rwandan government.
In another example, in response to the West African Ebola outbreak, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, then Chair of the African Union Commission, mobilised high net worth individuals and the private sector in Africa in the fight against the disease. Kenya has an endowment fund located at the Kenya Community Development Foundation which brings in local individual and community donors to address educational provision and access deficits.
Role of the African Diaspora
What of the role of the African diaspora? Moyo believes that everybody has a responsibility to give back to their home country. The growth of ‘hometown associations’ with social frameworks for mutual assistance among immigrants, plus remittances, cumulatively represent significant funds that support families, extended families and wider communities.
“Africa has the structures, cultural practices and collective as well as individual wealth that we can redirect into African philanthropy. The main challenge we face is the mindset of politicians, policy makers and even our communities,” says Moyo. “If we can switch mindsets, taking back the power to determine what we need and to shape the philanthropy agenda, our next stage would be to harness institutions, indigenous knowledge systems and apply the principles of ethical practices and corporate social responsibility.”
South Africa has agency
From a developmental point of view, South Africa is very advanced. We have immense wealth underground but immense poverty on the surface. We should not be struggling. We should be a beacon of how African philanthropy works. However, we lack the required leadership and discipline to implement a model that enables Africa to thrive through its own resources, relationships and ideas.
Is it enough? Can these alternative forms of philanthropy replace the traditional philanthropy and foreign aid that has been retracted? Should we be looking to other sources of funding from BRICS countries, the Gulf States and the Far East? Will strategic partnerships, innovation, start-ups and commericalisation provide the requisite resources for the future?
“We do need to start thinking more broadly about resource mobilisation that includes exploring diverse funding opportunities to secure the future of the continent,” says Moyo.
“This is what we are striving for at the Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment. We are actively seeking to advance research, teaching and advocacy and to build an inclusive, sustainable philanthropy ecosystem that empowers people rather than one that perpetuates dependency.”
- Deryn Graham is a freelance writer.
- This article first appeared in CURIOS.TY, a research magazine produced by Wits Communications and the Research Office.
- Read more in the 20thissue, themed #Thrive, which explores what it truly means to flourish — across a lifespan, within communities, and on and with our planet.