Bhekinkosi Moyo
A New Dawn in Africa
The interest in and momentum of African philanthropy is rising faster than ever before. Not so long ago philanthropy was accorded no part in formal and intergovernmental processes. Today it plays a crucial role in bridging gaps and connecting actors to help drive outcomes.
Historically, political and civil societies were blurred. However, as soon as independence was won, lines became clearer. Civil society continued to play its watchdog function, and the one-party state and subsequently, ironically, the democratic state became critical of civil society.
Philanthropy shows similar historical trends. Initially, most international foundations supported new nationalist governments primarily through their planning departments, but a shift occurred in the late 1970s towards a clear focus on human rights and social justice.
Philanthropy is Centre Stage
Today, African philanthropy is playing a central role in development in Africa. In 2009, the government of Liberia established the Liberia Philanthropy Secretariat – a platform for linking national priorities with philanthropic resources. In 2015, the African Union launched the African Union Foundation to mobilize voluntary contributions in support of Agenda 2063. Meanwhile, the Southern African Development Community is developing a framework for the inclusion of philanthropic activities in supporting its regional integration agenda.
The government of Rwanda is developing a strategy to engage philanthropy in implementing Vision 2020. In South Africa, the National Treasury and Department of Science and Technology have conducted studies mapping current collaborations between philanthropy and government, mainly in the areas of education and health. Kenya and Ghana have collaborated with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to establish their own philanthropy platforms. Clearly, something is advancing here.
According to the World Wealth Report (2015), Africa has the fastest-growing market of high net worth individuals (HNWIs). The number of African HNWIs has increased by 145% over the past 14 years, compared with a worldwide HNWI population growth of 73% over the same period. The wealth of African HNWIs has increased by even higher proportions.
A Foundation Centre report shows that the number of US foundations giving to Africa between 2002 and 2012 almost doubled from 135 in 2002, to 248 in 2012. Their funding also increased from $289 million in 2002 to $1.46 billion in 2012.
A New Era for Philanthropy and Development in Africa
Many governments in Africa are experiencing declines in Overseas Development Assistance (ODI). In the consultations leading to the 4th High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, held in Busan (July 2012), African countries placed emphasis on the need to shift from aid effectiveness to development effectiveness. This rethinking of development assistance has been apparent in recent global processes. The Financing for Development Conference (Addis Ababa 2015) produced an outcome document and agenda that was endorsed by the UN General Assembly (Resolution 69/313 – July 2015), which officially included the role of philanthropy and foundations.
This new era however might lead to collusion between philanthropy and governments in pursuing government agendas, which could be at the expense of civil society. No doubt, governments are clear about their needs from philanthropy: they need resources to meet global and national targets. They want to align philanthropic interventions and resources with national priorities. Governments further recognize the value of philanthropies in risk taking, innovation and stakeholder engagements.
The Future of Philanthropy
There are three things that philanthropy needs to do. First, it needs to engage governments strategically while maintaining independence of action and approaches. In this regard, principles of engagement ought to be collectively developed and agreed upon between governments and philanthropies. Philanthropy must insist on a seat in policy making. Second, these principles should identify areas of collaboration, including clear demarcations between political activities and developmental ones.
Third, philanthropy needs to continue supporting civil society and using its leverage and position to push for reforms that include providing an enabling space for civil society.
There is no doubt that there will be more governments embarking on developing philanthropy strategies. They don’t have a choice, given that the Sustainable Development Goals are underpinned by the principle of ‘leaving no one behind’. This principle calls for partnerships and increased investments. If philanthropy provided about $30 million towards the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals – and Brad Smith argues in his Blog, foundations are projected to provide $364 billion of the $3.5 trillion required – then philanthropy is a force to contend with.
Bhekinkosi Moyo is the Chief Executive of Southern Africa Trust