People & Lifestyle
Global Citizen publishes report on pledges one year after ‘Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100’
Mandela 100, which took place at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on 2 December 2018, brought together Global Citizen’s largest contingency of heads of state, dignitaries, celebrities, musicians, artists, influencers and over 70,000 Global Citizens to celebrate the centenary of Nelson Mandela. Mandela 100 was Global Citizen’s biggest and most profoundly impactful campaign in the world to date, and drove more than 5.2 million actions in Southern Africa alone.
Mandela 100 galvanised 16 governments, 8 international institutions and foundations and 12 corporates to commit over $7.2 billion (over R104 billion). Over $3.7 billion (R54 billion) is aimed at positively impacting the lives of 6.24 million South Africans, while the remainder will benefit Africans in countries including Namibia, South Sudan and Nigeria, as well as people in the Middle East and Asia.
One year on from Mandela 100, Global Citizen has found that over $2.55 billion (ZAR 36.71 billion) has been disbursed or allocated in South Africa and around the world. This represents a 35.27% progress towards the complete delivery of commitments made at Mandela 100. This progress is consistent with the targets and timelines that each commitment set at the outset, and over 80% of commitments are on track to deliver on schedule.
Key Commitment Facts & Figures
- In response to 86,000 actions taken by Global Citizens, the South African Government committed 157 million Rand (USD $11.1 million) to a sanitary dignity program which is now providing sanitary pads and menstrual education to girls in grades 4 through 12 including in areas in Eastern Cape, Limpopo, and KwaZulu-Natal.
- In response to 51,000 actions taken by Global Citizens, the South African Government also committed 2.8 Billion Rand to eradicate unsafe pit-latrines. So far 700M Rand has been allocated, of which over 600 schools have been targeted, including the Govani Primary School in Limpopo which now has new toilets.
- In response to over 19,000 actions taken by South African Global Citizens, Nedbank has supported more than 16,000 children and 1,300 pregnant women to access healthcare, including vaccines, through community workers trained by the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund.
- The Motsepe Foundation committed $100 million to advance the provision of quality education and reduced inequalities among youth. Allocated for this current financial year is a sum of $20 million towards education with a focus on science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics and entrepreneurship.
- Norway committed $2.07 million to UNFPA Supplies. This commitment is complete as Norway has disbursed the top up to UNFPA Supplies. It is estimated this additional funding has affected 235,000 people with family planning access and services.
- Denmark committed an additional $7.6 million to UNFPA Supplies. The pledge has been disbursed in full and the Danish government estimates that this will have saved the lives of an estimated 21,000 women by preventing 8.7 million unintended pregnancies and 2.7 million unsafe abortions.
- Procter & Gamble committed $30 million in corporate spend with South African women-owned businesses over three years, in partnership with WEConnect International. The company will be able to analyse and speak on the progress by mid-2020.
- The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria committed $369 million to South African initiatives in the next three years. $39.5 million has been disbursed to HIV and tuberculosis programmes and impact data from the first six months of implementation will be available at the end of 2019.
- PEPFAR committed $1.2 billion to HIV/AIDS in South Africa to support the government’s initiative to reach 2 million more South Africans with treatment over two years. The pledge was upped to $1.4 billion and PEPFAR continues to aggressively fund HIV prevention activities in South Africa.
- Cisco made a five year commitment to train 10 million people to work and thrive in the digital economy through its Networking Academy, including in South Africa. Over the past year, over 2.15 million people have received this training.
- The City of Johannesburg committed to increase its spend on primary healthcare by R50 million ($3.4 million). We expect to renew discussions on impact delivery in early 2020 once the mayor and leadership transition is complete.
- The South African Government pledged to prioritise menstrual health and has allocated 157M Rand ($11.1M USD) to provide sanitary pads and menstrual education to girls in non-fee-paying schools from Grades 4 to 12 in provinces including Eastern Cape, Limpopo, and KwaZulu-Natal.
- BeyGOOD and Tyler Perry committed $1 million to provide 50 young Africans from marginalized communities a paid year-long fellowship to cultivate and advance their digital and social entrepreneurial skills. Ten fellows have been onboarded this year.
- Vodacom committed R500 million ($34.8 million) on tackling gender-based violence, teacher and learner digital literacy, and early childhood centres. Twelve “educational ecosystems” have been established in previously underprivileged communities and six early childhood development centres have been upgraded with sanitation, digital and safety infrastructure.
Kweku Mandela, House of Mandela and co-Founder of Africa Rising International Film Festival stated, “As my grandfather famously said, “The truth is that we are not yet free; we have merely achieved the freedom to be free, the right not to be oppressed. We have not taken the final step of our journey, but the first step on a longer and even more difficult road. For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. The true test of our devotion to freedom is just beginning.”
Dr Patrice Motsepe, Founder and Chairman of the Motsepe Foundation said, “We are pleased with the success and progress on the commitments made at the Mandela 100 Global Citizen Festival, relating to education and the inclusive land, agriculture, farming and agribusiness projects. Numerous meetings were held in each of the 9 provinces in South Africa involving traditional leaders, kings, black and white farmers, government, farm workers, and other stakeholders to establish sustainable partnerships in agriculture, farming and agribusiness. The Motsepe Foundation has allocated $20M for education for 2019/20, focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics and Entrepreneurship, led by our CEO, Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe. $50M has also been allocated for the inclusive land, agriculture, farming and agribusiness projects. We are confident that the partnership of the Motsepe Foundation, Global Citizen, government, traditional leaders, rural and urban communities and other stakeholders will improve the living conditions of tens of thousands of people in South Africa and on the African Continent.”
Ivy McGregor, Director of Social Responsibility, BeyGOOD said, “Last year BeyGOOD forged a partnership with Global Citizen and our partner Tyler Perry to establish a fellowship program to serve young people throughout Africa, to empower educate and equip this generation of young people with an opportunity for a year-long paid fellowship to cultivate and advance their social enterprise skills. In believing, Africa’s time is NOW, we are committed to our visits to see the progress being made and are delighted our inaugural group of fellows will graduate in March. We will welcome our next 2020 fellows in April.“
Currently, there are 435,000 Global Citizens across the African continent, who have taken 6.65 million actions since Global Citizen launched in South Africa. Powered by Global Citizen’s office in Johannesburg, Global Citizens in South Africa, and across the region, continue to take action to hold commitment makers to account and earn rewards to festivals, concerts, and unique VIP experiences year round.
For more information about Global Citizen, and to join the movement, please visit www.globalcitizen.org and follow @GlblCtznAfrica on Twitter, and @GlblCtzn on Facebook and Instagram using #GlobalCitizen.