At Letsema, we are a family where no two people look the same. The Letsema family has a shared purpose of using business as a catalyst for social change. This philosophy originated from the conviction that business and society cannot continue to operate independently but instead are intrinsically inter-connected. Our philosophy is manifested through the development of strong partnerships.
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THE FOUNDATION
Letsema strives to utilise its skills, resources, expertise and capabilities to bring to life it’s philosophy of “Business as a catalyst for social change”. We do this through the activities of the Letsema Foundation and the broader Letsema family.
These are with both established and start-up organisations, programmes and initiatives which we care about, and which we believe can bring about positive social change. The Letsema Foundation has four focus areas which guide its approach to catalysing social change and facilitates the institutional success of programmes and projects we care about in those focus areas.
SERVICE OFFERING
CONSULTING
Utilise consulting services to enhance the impact and sustainability of programmes through the provision of tailored consulting projects for the programmes.
NETWORKING
Access to extensive local and global networks with the aim of promoting collaboration and partnerships
RESOURCES
Specific resources will be made available to programmes which need assistance and will include office space, back office support and other related resources as determined
MARKETING
The development of marketing strategies, review of existing marketing material and the hosting of events to promote programmes
FUNDRAISING
Will assist programmes with obtaining funding from a variety of different sources including donations and or financial instruments
VOLUNTEERING
Letsema family members will be encouraged to volunteer their time to programmes we support and causes which the staff care about
SELECTION PROCESS
The Letsema Foundation uses a principled and robust selection process to support projects that best align with the Foundation’s objectives. The key considerations in this process include, amongst others, impact, alignment and sustainability.
CONNECT WITH OUR FOUNDATION
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Africa Leadership Initiative – The African Leadership Initiative was founded by Isaac Shongwe in 2003. It forms part of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. ALI exists to convene, nurture and inspire a growing network of influential, civic-minded, values-based leaders who are committed to the “Good Society” and are prepared to act to promote it. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu said “Leadership and morality are indivisible. Good leaders are the custodians of morality”.
The ALI programme has two products: The programme itself and then events that occur throughout the year to compliment the programme and keep alumni engaged. The ALI programme has been a catalyst of many highly successful community projects such as the Bulungula Incubator, TeachSA, Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator and FUEL.
Apolitical Academy – Apolitical Academy is an independent, non-profit venture which seeks to make the public service work for people everywhere by supporting the next generation of transformational public leaders. Born from a partnership between the Daniel Sachs Foundation and Apolitical Foundation, the Academy offers non-partisan personal leadership development and training programmes designed to prepare diverse groups of talented and innovative leaders for careers in government or as elected political leaders.
Focused on public purpose, ethics and values, and underpinned by a high-level mentorship programme, Apolitical Academy identifies and supports young candidates, women and other political “outsiders” who wish to transition into public service but lack the networks and opportunities to do so on their own.
Young Africa Leadership Initiative (YALI) – In Africa, it is said that “Wisdom is like fire, people take it from others”.
Likewise, the Young Africa Leadership Initiative (YALI) is premised on the Africa Leadership Initiative’s (ALI) purpose. This initiative’s mandate is to develop the next generation of values-based young African leaders who are prepared to be significant and be co-creators of a good society.
The age profile of YALI fellows ranges from 25 years to 35 years. As part of the initiative, the YALI Fellows attend three four-day seminars, over a period of 12 months. Just like ALI Fellows, they also carry out a high-impact Leadership project of their own choosing, approved by their peers. Together with their peers, the Fellows capture the energy, engage in seminars and encourage one another to be community-spirited while creating a community of like-minded people who care about their continent.
HIGH IMPACT PROGRAMMES
Diski Nine9 – “Diski” is a South African slang term for soccer. “Nine9” is slang for authentic or real. Diski Nine9 is our version of real, local soccer. Diski Nine9 aims to develop soccer in rural and township areas in South Africa and in the process, empower youth and local communities. It seeks to empower and educate young talent.
Diski Nine9 organises soccer tournaments for soccer clubs and schools with their soccer tournaments incorporating educational workshops for participants. Before participants play soccer, they attend workshops focused on entrepreneurship, Maths, English and life-skills.
Nelson Mandela Childrens Fund – The Nelson Mandela Childrens’ Fund (NMCF) was started by Nelson Mandela in 1991 and focuses on four key issues: child survival and development, child safety and protection, sustainable livelihoods and youth leadership. The NMCF operates across some of the worst affected and most remote areas in South Africa, with reach across all nine provinces. The NMCF adopts an holistic approach to helping improve the lives of children and youths by focusing on the upliftment of families and communities.
Itlhokomeleng Home For The Aged – In 1978, Majorie Manganye, started a project with a group of concerned women to assist the aged and needy in Alexandra township. In 1984, Itlhokomeleng, which means “Help yourselves”, was registered as a welfare organisation.
The Sandton Rotary Club and Anglo-American jointly bought some land and erected temporary houses for the aged in 1988 and in 1992, following some major additions, the project now has a permanent home and bears the Majorie Manganye Frail-Care Centre.
Manganye now cares for scores of elderly people, although she herself is older than some of charges. Most of the people living in the Frail-Care Centre were among the first to own land in Alexandra.
Bulungula Incubator – The Bulungula Incubator (BI) is a non-profit organisation which “incubates” development in four communities in the rural Eastern Cape within the former Transkei. The BI seeks to address in an integrated and systemic way the challenges of rural poverty through infrastructure, health, education and entrepreneurship.
At the same time, the BI promotes and preserves positive traditional values and structures. It thus acts as a catalyst, partnering with the community, the public sector and civil society to find sustainable solutions and synergies. The BI’s focus areas are education, health and nutrition, sustainable livelihoods (micro-enterprise and agribusiness) and basic services (water and electricity). The venture is funded by corporations, foundations, government and individuals.