Our Programmes
It is through these programme areas that Planact’s work has been geared towards effective and innovative approaches to strengthen the capacity of community members and government role players to engage in participatory development processes, thus improving the quality of life particularly for poor and marginalised people.
Strengthened Grassroots Voice
This programme is set to engage with, and influence actions at national level between communities and government on development planning projects and issues that are of prime concern for underprivileged communities. The aim of the programme is to influence bureaucratic systems through improved participation, specifically at local government and add to policy regulation where necessary at a policy level through knowledgeable facts from executed pilot projects.
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[SEMINAR INVITATION] Participatory Democracy at local government: Where to next?
Please join us for a robust discussion that dives into the importance of participatory democracy and its significance in the sphere of local governance. Date - 31 October 2024 Time - 10:00am Venue - Planact, Maths Centre Building, 28 Juta Street, Braamfontein,...
Planact expands the ‘cluster approach’ to North West Province
Planact developed a methodology of working closely with individual settlements to build trust and working relationships with communities that over time led to a restructuring of capacity and resources. It was through this strategic shift, that the Cluster of Community...
Social Justice In Action: Planact’s Clusters Of Community Agency
In 2018, with support from the Raith Foundation, Planact established what is known as Clusters of Community Agency, a platform made up of community leaders from informal settlements in a particular municipality. Planact has long-standing relationships with informal...
Sub Programmes |
Objectives |
| Participatory Budgeting, Performance & Accountability | Participation & Influence in local government development processes. |
| Active Citizenship | Shift in power – municipalities provide information willingly to citizens when required, as a practice towards accountability in municipal affairs. |
Responsive Living Environments
This programme is set to engage with, and influence actions at city wide-level with the results correlating and or contributing to the national level and referencing the results to the communities. The aim of this programme is to show evidence of different successful methods of practice in supporting citizens to achieve improvements in the quality of their settlements or neighbourhoods.
Reshaping the Construction Industry by Empowering Emerging Contractors and Small-Scale Developers
Planact and the Development Action Group (DAG) are reshaping the construction industry by empowering emerging contractors and small-scale developers. The construction industry in South Africa has served as a pivotal engine of economic growth and job creation,...
Langaville residents’ hope for flushing toilets goes down the drain
Our advocacy for clean water and dignified sanitation in informal settlements in the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) continues. The community of Langaville forms part of the Ekurhuleni Informal Settlement Movement. This is a Cluster of Community Agency made up of informal...
Asivikelane Sanitation Hub: Advocacy for the Eradication of dilapidated and unusable VIP toilets in informal settlements
Municipalities are responsible for ensuring that informal settlement residents have access to basic sanitation, which is a crucial part of service delivery. In the City of Johannesburg, the Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) toilets are considered the basic standard of...
Sub Programmes |
Objectives |
| Informal Settlement Upgrade | • Incremental settlement development is recognised and widely used. • Strong coherence among communities’ approach to urban land acquisition to reach security of tenure. |
| Inclusive Inner Cities | • Understand and support diverse needs to create strong livelihoods within urban areas. • Access of vulnerable communities to all available opportunities. |
Sustainable Livelihood Initiatives
This programme seeks to link marginalised communities to local
economic opportunities and processes within government development programmes and private and public initiatives in efforts to promote equitable resource and opportunity distribution. Successful improvement at this level demonstrates the efficiency and success of policy and practice.
Impact Story: How the Safety and Security Team Stepped Up to Protect a Community Lifeline
In the informal settlement of Skoonplaas, located in the City of Ekurhuleni, life is shaped by daily struggles and limited resources. However, a small but impactful group of individuals has emerged as champions of security and community well-being. This group - the...
The impact of social employment – Shaunita’s Story
BackgroundIn the heart of Bertrams, Johannesburg, Shaunita Pace faced a life fraught with challenges. At the age of 32, Shaunita struggled with joblessness, a pervasive issue affecting an estimated 8.4 million South Africans. Personal crises compounded the financial...
Empowering She Power: A National Women’s Day Recognition
This National Women’s Day, we celebrate women making a difference in the Social Employment Fund (SEF) project, exemplified by Linda Zondi, a project manager for SEF at Planact. Planact is not a ‘do good feel good’ organisation, we work on eliminating the exclusion of...
Sub Programmes |
Objectives |
| Community-Based Organisational Development |
• Confident and respected negotiations with external support (ability to tap into available government programmes and private partnership ventures). |
| Livelihood Improvement | • Community groups have access to resources that ensure sustainable economic, environmental and social improvement of their livelihoods. • Ability to determine path for self-sufficiency and reliance. |