Social Employment Fund

#SEF Spotlight: Through the Social Employment Fund, ASSITEJ SOUTH AFRICA with its 175 partners, has empowered 2 499 part-time artists, providing training in arts facilitation, administration, project management, entrepreneurship and child-directed workshops. To date, the #ArtsForYouth programme has: ·?Employed an average of 1,640 artists per month ·?Trained 1,976 artists in critical skills ·?Reached 54,790 children & youth monthly ·?Supported 411 schools & 197 ECDs with arts-based activities And it’s growing! Over 1 500 part-time artists will be placed with 175 + member organisations, ensuring that the arts create work, uplift communities, and inspire hope. #SocialEmploymentFund #SEF #WorkForCommonGood

The recent Nixtamalisation training session, organised by GRAIN SA/GRAAN SA, was a resounding success! Our Social Employment Fund (SEF) participants from Mareetsane were trained in Goedgevonden village, where they eagerly embraced this ancient Mesoamerican technique. Nixtamalisation is a game-changer for our communities, enhancing the nutritional value of maize—our staple crop. By soaking and cooking maize in limewater, farmers increase its calcium content, reduce phytic acid, and make it easier to grind. Participants got hands-on experience in extracting Masa, a nutritious maize-based ingredient, which they used to create: ? Fresh banana bread ? Delicious ginger bread ? Tasty pizza ? Homemade yogurt One participant summed it up best: “I had no idea maize could be so versatile!” Why This Matters: ? Boosts food security ? Enhances nutrition ? Creates economic opportunities With Masa, our participants can produce value-added products, from baked goods to snacks and beverages—generating income and stimulating local economies. We’re excited to roll out Nixtamalisation training across all our SEF localities—empowering communities through skills and innovation. #SocialEmploymentFund #workforcommongood #empoweringlives #SEF #communitydevelopment

?? Farmer Spotlight: Nomapondo Tjebileyo! ?? At just 26 years old, Nomapondo Tjebileyo from Daveyton proves that hard work and determination can create lasting opportunities! As the head of a household of five, she joined SEF to grow her farming knowledge and achieve financial stability. She started with manual labour on the farm, but her dedication and eagerness to learn opened new doors! Moving into warehouse operations, she managed invoices and monitored fridge temperatures . And, her commitment didn’t go unnoticed—Nomapondo was one of 11 participants selected to stay on at Sungula Farm beyond #SEF Phase 2, securing a long-term contract! ?? With her earnings, she’s supporting her family, saving for the future, and actively contributing to her community. Now equipped with valuable farming and logistics skills, she’s building a stable future while inspiring others to see the potential of agriculture for themselves. ???? Social Employment Fund isn’t just a program—it’s a launchpad for #sustainablelivelihoods and #economicgrowth! ?? We’re creating a more #inclusive, resilient, and thriving #farming sector. One participant at a time! #SocialEmploymentFund #WorkForCommonGood #SustainableFarming #WomenInAgriculture #AgricultureOpportunities #EmpowermentThroughWork #SmartFarming

#SEF Spotlight: In the fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Hlanganisa Community Fund for Social & Gender Justice is leading the charge. Through the Sisterhood Advocates programme, nearly 1900 women have been trained as paralegals and psychosocial support providers, helping survivors of GBV navigate legal and support systems. Between July - October 2024, they reached: ? 126 000 households ? 1 100 women supported with legal aid ? 239 women safely accompanied to police stations This is the value of investing in community-driven employment—it strengthens society, saves lives, and creates opportunities. #SocialEmploymentFund #SEF #WorkForCommonGood

WATCH: Nal'ibali- Social Employment Fund Project Literacy Facilitator Mogale Mokou discusses how the project has helped him improve his skills in early childhood development and positively impacted his community in Ga-Molepo, Limpopo. Nal'ibali, a Strategic Partner of the Social Employment Fund, has recruited over 1000 participants, including 900 Literacy Facilitators, 85 Team Leaders, and 15 administrative professionals, to carry out the Nal'ibali-SEF 3 project at 85 sites across five provinces: Eastern Cape, KZN, Gauteng, Limpopo, and Western Cape. Nal'ibali-SEF 3 facilitators provide story sessions in ECDs and mentoring sessions at home, modeling and demonstrating reading aloud, shared reading, and play-based learning activities that parents and caregivers can use with their children. Learn more about the Nal'ibali-SEF Literacy Project here: https://lnkd.in/d2HAY8gU #Nalibali #Literacy #SocialEmploymentFund #SEF #PresidentialStimulus

#SEF Participant Spotlight: When given the right support, people don’t just succeed—they uplift others too. Qhamukile ‘Q’ Ndlovu started as a river warden with The Litterboom Project NPC and soon became a vital member of the organisation's Wastepreneur Programme. She gained the skills and experience to step into a leadership role helping train others and developing a buy-back centre in Waterloo, creating economic opportunities in her community. 'Wastepreneurship' empowers individuals to build careers in recycling, contribute to cleaner communities, and drive circular economy initiatives. By investing in people like Q, social employment is unlocking economic opportunities and strengthening communities. #SocialEmploymentFund #SEF #WorkForCommonGood

When support meets passion, amazing things happen ?? https://siyakholwa.co.za/ SmartStart South Africa I Social Employment Fund #SiyakholwaDevelopmentFoundation #CommunityDevelopment #ECD #SEF

Meet Our Social Employment Fund Participant: Mathews Nthinya As a Public Relations, Communications and Marketing Assistant for Choma magazine, Mathews is gaining hands-on experience in PR, digital marketing, and communications through the SEF programme. Over the past six months, he has been sharpening his skills in project management and mastering industry tools such as Google Analytics, WordPress, and Hootsuite—valuable expertise that will shape his future career and help him contribute to his community. With a passion for storytelling and social impact, Mathews is working towards his dream of becoming an expert in the PR and communications industry. His commitment to learning and growth is not only helping him develop crucial skills but also allowing him to build a strong professional network that will support his aspirations. Mathews' journey is a testament to the power of skills development and showcases how the SEF programme is creating real-world opportunities that strengthen career paths and empower young professionals. At HIVSA, we are privileged to witness Mathews' growth, and we cannot wait to see all that he will accomplish in the future. His story is just one example of how access to skills development and mentorship can transform lives. Stay tuned for more inspiring SEF participant stories! Industrial Development Corporation #HIVSA #SEF #SocialEmploymentFund #workforcommongood #empoweringlives

Illegal dumpsites are a pressing issue in our country, making our communities look unpleasant and threatening our environment and its inhabitants. This problem leads to habitat loss for some species and water pollution, as most of the litter ends up in our rivers. We would like to take this opportunity to applaud the work done by our envirochamps. From our sponsorship by the Social Employment Fund, they have made significant progress, removing 71 600 kg of waste from the environment from mid-last year to date. #empoweringlives #sef #socialemploymentfund #workingforcommongood #conservation #sustainability.

The Social Employment Fund uses public funding to create tens of thousands of employment opportunities to make South Africa a better place to live in: people are employed to combat gender-based violence in Mpumalanga, they are employed to protect our rivers in KwaZulu Natal, they are employed to make Johannesburg’s inner city beautiful again, to start hundreds of community gardens in the Eastern Cape, and to develop the next generation of artists in the Northern Cape. It creates SOCIAL value which is all about going directly to the factors that influence the quality of people’s lives. This is also what makes all other economic activity possible. You can’t run a prosperous economy when millions of people are going hungry. You can’t run a prosperous economy without clean water. There’s so much work that needs to be done to address the many social problems in our society. On the 12th of March when Minister Godongwana announces the new budget, it’s so important that the Presidential Employment Stimulus continues to be funded so people can do this work. When government invests in these programmes, they are reducing unemployment. But they are also improving the quality of live for people in thousands of communities across South Africa … directly!