The DGMT Learning Lunch

The DG Murray Trust

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The Learning Lunch is an opportunity for NPO teams to be exposed to new ideas, discover what others are learning, and reflect on what that means for their implementation and strategy. Visit www.dgmt.co.za/resources/learning-lunch for the full experience and to access the podcasts and instructions for a ±30-minute group reflection.

9H AGO

The Learning Lunch - Stopping violence before it starts

Gender-based violence is a national disaster in South Africa, reflecting the scale and urgency of the problem that has social, public health and economic costs. Preventing violence before it happens is a critical part of building safer communities in the long run. This means investing in the social conditions that shape behaviour, relationships and how boys and men understand power, respect and masculinity. From early childhood socialisation to positive role modelling, programmes that challenge harmful gender norms and promote healthy forms of masculinity can address the risk factors that drive men’s perpetration of violence. South Africa has committed around R21 billion over the medium term to implement the National Strategic Plan on Gender-based Violence and Femicide, including measures to strengthen women’s economic empowerment. In this podcast, we explore what it would take to strengthen South Africa’s focus on violence prevention, why community-based interventions matter and how investing in boys’ development can help build safer societies. We talk to Kgahliso Mangoale, Project Lead for GBV Initiatives at DGMT and Kolping Mbumba, Director of Operations at Heroes Academy. Visit to read more and access the takeaway instructions. The Learning Lunch podcast features three types of episodes: Deep Dives; Nourish & Flourish; and Best Bites. Each podcast/learning lunch session is structured as follows: The Main Meal - A ±30-minute podcast The Takeaways - Instructions for a ±30-minute group reflection based on what you listened to. To learn more about the work that we do, go to www.dgmt.co.za

31 min
10H AGO

The Learning Lunch - What the science tells us about babies’ brains

The first 1 000 days of life — from conception to age two — is a once-in-a-lifetime window to shape physical growth, brain development, health and the foundations of future learning. During this time, nutritious food for mothers, optimal infant feeding practices, access to healthcare, income support for pregnant women living in poverty, and responsive caregiving all work together to build the foundations for a child’s life. Brain development begins in the womb. During pregnancy, a baby’s brain grows at an astonishing pace — producing around 250 thousand new nerve cells every minute. By the time a baby is born, their brain has about 100 billion neurons, connected through neural pathways. These early connections lay the foundation for how children learn, behave and make sense of the world. But a baby’s development is shaped not only by biology — their social world matters too. From the moment they are born, the people and environments around them begin to influence how their brain develops. In the first months of life, the brain’s sensory pathways for vision and hearing develop rapidly, followed closely by the circuits that support language. These connections are strengthened through everyday interactions between babies and their caregivers known as “serve and return”. When a baby coos, babbles, smiles or reaches out, and a caregiver responds positively, this back-and-forth builds the brain’s architecture and supports early learning, attachment and development. In this podcast, we talk about why the first 1000 days matter, with particular focus on the role of adequate nutrition and responsive caregiving. For NGOs working with caregivers, understanding this window of opportunity is essential — as is understanding what government, civil society and households can do to help young children thrive. Our guests from the Hold My Hand Accelerator are Liezel Engelbrecht, Nutrition Lead, and Mikhaila Steenkamp, Language and Learning Lead, along with Dr Chantell Witten, Health Systems Strengthening Director at Ilifa Labantwana. Visit to read more and access the takeaway instructions. The Learning Lunch podcast features three types of episodes: Deep Dives; Nourish & Flourish; and Best Bites. Each podcast/learning lunch session is structured as follows: The Main Meal - A ±30-minute podcast The Takeaways - Instructions for a ±30-minute group reflection based on what you listened to. To learn more about the work that we do, go to www.dgmt.co.za

31 min
14H AGO

The Learning Lunch - Reimagining our future

What would it take for every child in South Africa to grow up with enough food, love, safety and brain power to reach their full potential? A new national strategy aims to make that vision a reality. The National Strategy to Accelerate Action for Children (NSAAC) approved by Cabinet in December 2025, sets out the country’s top 10 priorities for improving the lives of children and teenagers. It identifies gaps in services and highlights interventions that could speed up progress. While government will lead implementation, the strategy makes clear that real progress will require a whole-of-society effort, that is championed through a national campaign known as Hold My Hand. There is a role for all of us: communities, faith-based organisations, business, trade unions and civil society. Civil society organisations are already active across the country, often stepping in where services are thin or absent. Through nutrition programmes, support for early learning, afterschool programmes and more, they are helping children and teens every day. With the NSAAC approved, the question is how these efforts can connect with and strengthen implementation of the strategy. In this podcast, we talk about the role of civil society in turning a national commitment into tangible change. We ask Mesuli Kama, Mobilisation Lead for the Hold My Hand Accelerator for Children and Teens, how NGOs can contribute to the NSAAC’s priorities. Visit to read more and access the takeaway instructions. The Learning Lunch podcast features three types of episodes: Deep Dives; Nourish & Flourish; and Best Bites. Each podcast/learning lunch session is structured as follows: The Main Meal - A ±30-minute podcast The Takeaways - Instructions for a ±30-minute group reflection based on what you listened to. To learn more about the work that we do, go to www.dgmt.co.za

26 min
10/16/2025

The Learning Lunch - The impact engine

Civil society organisations, particularly community-based organisations, are often on the frontlines of responding to complex social challenges. Yet, they face a host of obstacles that limit their impact. Many are under-resourced and overstretched, relying on small teams to deliver programmes, fundraise and manage administrative tasks without access to adequate training, systems and leadership development courses. When core organisational functions are weak, interventions suffer. Considering their critical role in South African society, the sector needs strong, resilient and innovative organisations. Strengthening the sector is a shared responsibility among the organisations themselves, various players in the NGO space, donors and government. In this podcast, we discuss ways to support civil society through funding, resources and strategies that won’t fall flat. We talk to Malibongwe Nkunkuma, Innovation Manager at DGMT. Visit www.dgmt.co.za/the-impact-engine to read more and access the takeaway instructions. The Learning Lunch podcast features three types of episodes: Deep Dives; Nourish & Flourish; and Best Bites. Each podcast/learning lunch session is structured as follows: The Main Meal - A ±30-minute podcast The Takeaways - Instructions for a ±30-minute group reflection based on what you listened to. To learn more about the work that we do, go to www.dgmt.co.za

24 min
10/16/2025

The Learning Lunch - The economic value of free books

Owning books can change a child’s life trajectory. This is a profound statement rooted in evidence from research around the world. Toddlers who are read to learn more words, aiding their ability to speak and read when they start school, and children who read for enjoyment perform well academically. The advantage of owning books is significant — children with books at home have the edge on children who don’t, irrespective of their parents’ income or educational attainment. But many South Africans, mostly in poorer communities, are not experiencing the positive impact of book ownership since a quarter of households have no books at all. There is a solution — giving books to children for free to support their early language development and emergent literacy. Other countries are already doing this; for instance, the United Kingdom gives families free books to encourage reading to children at home. In this podcast, we talk about the value of owning books and whether our country needs a national book giveaway programme for our poorest children. Our guests are Kwanda Ndoda, Project Lead of Umncedi, Ongeziwe Nxokwana, Innovation Manager at DGMT and Dorette Louw, Director of Programmes and Operations at Book Dash. Visit www.dgmt.co.za/the-economic-value-of-free-books to read more and access the takeaway instructions. The Learning Lunch podcast features three types of episodes: Deep Dives; Nourish & Flourish; and Best Bites. Each podcast/learning lunch session is structured as follows: The Main Meal - A ±30-minute podcast The Takeaways - Instructions for a ±30-minute group reflection based on what you listened to. To learn more about the work that we do, go to www.dgmt.co.za

32 min
10/16/2025

The Learning Lunch - The hidden dimensions of poverty

Youth development practitioners often focus on the supply and demand side of unemployment: greater investment in skills development and quality education on the one hand, with job creation and economic growth on the other. However, in South Africa, a country with high rates of poverty and inequality, we often miss an important part of the conversation — the experience of poverty on a young person’s ability to identify, connect with, and hold on to opportunities. Poverty is not just about material deprivation; it impacts every aspect of a young person’s life, including their confidence. The inner or hidden dimensions of poverty also require policy attention and investment in evidence-based interventions. In this podcast, we explore how the inner dimensions of poverty reinforce the everyday material hardships experienced by out-of-school and unemployed young people. We talk to Simone Peinke, project lead of FETCH and Anwar Parker, Psychologist for the Year Beyond programme, about how these compounding challenges trap them in cycles of exclusion and what we can do to help them break free. Visit www.dgmt.co.za/the-hidden-dimensions-of-poverty to read more and access the takeaway instructions. The Learning Lunch podcast features three types of episodes: Deep Dives; Nourish & Flourish; and Best Bites. Each podcast/learning lunch session is structured as follows: The Main Meal - A ±30-minute podcast The Takeaways - Instructions for a ±30-minute group reflection based on what you listened to. To learn more about the work that we do, go to www.dgmt.co.za

35 min
07/20/2025

The Learning Lunch - Is there an app for that?

Mobile apps are designed to simplify and digitise almost every aspect of our modern lives. You can buy groceries from your couch, order take-out, catch a ride within minutes, or find a date online. Apps are not only convenient, but they have the potential to solve real-world problems, which is why civil society organisations are turning to technology to magnify the impact of their work. In recent years, civil society organisations have shown eagerness to invest in tech solutions to address the everyday challenges of those working with young children. In response, DGMT invested in developing a suite of digital tools that could serve the needs of multiple organisations and cover a range of early childhood development services. With the support of behavioural scientists and experts, ECD Connect was born. The base version is free to use and customisable, allowing it to be utilised by a broad community of people, from early learning practitioners to community health workers. In this podcast, we discuss the challenges and benefits of developing tech solutions for civil society from the perspective of the developers of ECD Connect. We talk to the project’s lead, Peter Schutte, about the evolution of the app; its social purpose and its potential to radically change the traditionally paper-based environment of early education and community health. Visit www.dgmt.co.za/is-there-an-app-for-that to read more and access the takeaway instructions. The Learning Lunch podcast features three types of episodes: Deep Dives; Nourish & Flourish; and Best Bites. Each podcast/learning lunch session is structured as follows: The Main Meal - A ±30-minute podcast The Takeaways - Instructions for a ±30-minute group reflection based on what you listened to. To learn more about the work that we do, go to www.dgmt.co.za

27 min
07/20/2025

The Learning Lunch - Thinking on the edge

South Africa has a constitutional responsibility to uphold children’s rights. The government does this in different ways, by setting laws, delivering public services, allocating funding from the national budget and by taking decisions that affect children’s lives. What’s been missing for a long time is a shared vision for all children and teenagers which effectively places their interests at the centre of government decision-making. This is where the National Strategy to Accelerate Action for Children (NSAAC) comes in — a high-level, shared vision aimed at improving the wellbeing and life outcomes of all children and teenagers in South Africa, particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns that disrupted public services and people’s livelihoods. This new strategy can only succeed if everyone gets behind it, including civil society organisations, many of whom are already delivering services in areas where government capacity is poor or limited, reaching people in their homes and remote communities. In this podcast, we explore the type of strategic thinking needed to galvanise different sectors of society behind a common vision, with Noxolo Gqada, Strategy Lead for the Hold My Hand Accelerator, a project that supports the vision and priorities of the NSAAC. She talks about how the Accelerator is thinking about fast-tracking change for children. Visit www.dgmt.co.za/thinking-on-the-edge to read more and access the takeaway instructions. The Learning Lunch podcast features three types of episodes: Deep Dives; Nourish & Flourish; and Best Bites. Each podcast/learning lunch session is structured as follows: The Main Meal - A ±30-minute podcast The Takeaways - Instructions for a ±30-minute group reflection based on what you listened to. To learn more about the work that we do, go to www.dgmt.co.za

34 min

The Learning Lunch is an opportunity for NPO teams to be exposed to new ideas, discover what others are learning, and reflect on what that means for their implementation and strategy. Visit www.dgmt.co.za/resources/learning-lunch for the full experience and to access the podcasts and instructions for a ±30-minute group reflection.

Creator

The DG Murray Trust
Years Active

2025 - 2026
Episodes

37
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026 The DGMT Learning Lunch
Show Website

The DGMT Learning Lunch