The Department of Social Development, its agency National Development Agency and the Alliance of NPO Networks to commemorate World NGO Day

The Department of Social Development, its agency the National Development Agency (NDA) and the Alliance of NPO Networks will on Monday, 27 February 2023, join the world in commemorating the annual World NGO Day. The commemoration will pay tribute, celebrate, and appreciate NGOs, NPOs, CBOs for the quality services they continue to offer to ordinary and vulnerable citizens to address social ills and deliver critical essential services - together with other various sector stakeholders across the country.

World NGO Day is an important annual event for NGOs to celebrate their achievements as agents of change who, through fostering partnerships and collaborations, give a voice to grassroots communities and intercede in service delivery challenges faced by many communities in the country. The day further encourages active citizenry to move communities towards resolving their own development challenges by seeking solutions.

The NDA, an agency of the Department of Social Development, is tasked with empowering and enhancing the capacity of the civil society sector, supports the commemoration as it contributes to the building of cohesive communities that are able to tackle the triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality. In addition to this mandate, the NDA is required to promote consultation, dialogue and sharing of development experience between the CSO sector and relevant organs of state and private sector; debate on development policy and undertake research and publication aimed at providing the basis for policy development.

The department is the custodian of the NPO Act and is mandated to register and regulate NPOs in the country. As of 23 February 2023, there were 270 313 NPOs registered with the Department of Social Development (DSD) in South Africa, and more than 7 Billion Rand was already allocated as financial support to NPOs. The NDA in partnership with the Department of Social Development also support CSOs that implement the Victim Empowerment Programmes (VEP) in response to Gender-Based Violence and Femicide. Through the Criminal Asset Recovery Account (CARA) Programme, the NDA and DSD have been able to support and fund CSOs that provide direct services to victims of gender based violence.

The NDA’s core values indicate a strong commitment to build and strengthen civil society organisations involved in poverty eradication through enhanced grant funding and research.

Source: Government of South Africa