Conversations on African Philanthropy Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment

The Conversations on African Philanthropy Podcast is an exciting library of content housed within the Centre of African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI) which is a unique institution that specialises in research and academic offerings on the study of philanthropy. In this special series, you will meet members of the Centre's team, hear how they have experienced the sector and learn about their work in developing academic offerings.

Prof. Jacob Mati, Dr Melody Mandevere and Joseph Subothongo work with CAPSI's academic offerings. In this conversation, they reflect on, amongst other topics:
- How the Centre continues to offer successful doctorate, masters and postgraduate academic programmes
- Why it is important to ensure that students have positive experiences
- How the Centre has built partnerships with sector practitioners and guest lecturers
- Why it is important to professionalise the sector for the benefit of the continent's development

Visit the podcast webpage - https://bit.ly/484AEr3

Briggs is an activist, analyst and commentator on African politics and development issues whose work has been widely published. He is currently the Programs Director at TrustAfrica, overseeing a diverse portfolio of programs and initiatives that deal with themes relevant to development and equality on the continent.

In this conversation, he offers his reflections and comments on, amongst many others, 
- Creating a collaborative framework for mobilizing resources towards change and transformation
- Ensuring citizen input and social economic justice, particularly in the Zimbabwe crisis
- How Arts and Culture are catalysts for societal change
- The importance of social movements in shaping future answers to critical global questions

Sekoetlane is a development practitioner and activist, currently serving as the Director of the African Climate Foundation's New Economy Hub.

During this conversation, they reflect on recent developments impacting the work of Climate Action advocacy and unpack why Climate Change remains a crucial development matter that needs support through social investment and African philanthropy.
Some of the talking points in the conversation include
- Impacts of climate change on food systems and education
- Addressing the complexities of social spending and climate action
- The role that young people can play through advocacy and leadership

Chiedza is the Senior Manager at Hlanganisa Community Fund for Social and Gender Justice, and leads its Program Development & Knowledge Management pillar.
 
Her conversation offers insights into the importance of community-based organisations in the philanthropic ecosystem, and how efforts to strengthen partnerships between organisations working at the grassroots of development, funders and policymakers can benefit the impact of African philanthropy. She also reflects on
- The barriers that are faced by community-based organisations
- How Hlanganisa generates value as a grant-maker for community-focused efforts
- How her studies in African Philanthropy have empowered her professional and personal efforts

Barbara Sematimba is the Chief Steward at CivSource Africa. She is a development practitioner with a decade of experience in human rights and social justice.

In this conversation, Barbara unpacks the importance of fostering leadership within executive teams, and how creating opportunities where individuals can gain real-world experience can lead to more focused development. 

Other discussion points of the conversation include
- Lessons from having launched development efforts
- Managing within a learning-focused organisation
- Defining what 360° Leadership is

5511Crystal Orderson is a respected journalist who has kept communities across sub-Saharan Africa informed and engaged on current affairs. She has become a reputable voice on socio-economic issues and has influenced prominent and up-and-coming journalists in her home country of South Africa and across the continent.

In this conversation, she reflects on her career and shares how she has contributed to authentically telling the stories of Africans. Other discussion points include:
- Storytelling gap in the philanthropy sector
- Media's role in amplifying philanthropic stories

Visit the podcast webpage - https://bit.ly/484AEr3