Contributors: Thula Zondi | Margo le Roux | Pascale Du Toit
The Social Employment Fund (SEF) is helping bridge South Africa’s digital divide by combining meaningful work opportunities with digital skills development, connectivity, and access to technology. Through its network of Strategic Implementing Partners, the programme is equipping participants with the tools and knowledge needed to thrive in a digital economy while supporting community development across sectors such as education, healthcare, agriculture, community safety, and the creative industries.
From community Wi-Fi networks and digital mapping initiatives to digital health screenings and online learning platforms, the SEF is demonstrating how technology can create pathways to employment, entrepreneurship, and social impact. By placing digital inclusion at the centre of social employment, the programme is building a scalable model for empowering communities and enabling broader participation in South Africa’s economic future.
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Case Study: Komati After Coal
What the Social Employment Fund Reveals About a Just Transition When Komati Power Station closed in October 2022, it became South Africa's first major test of what a just energy transition looks like in practice. As the pilot site for Eskom's Just Energy Transition...
Practice Note: Beyond Employment Outcomes
Practitioner Perspectives on Pathways and Measuring Success in Public Employment Programmes Public employment programmes (PEPs) are increasingly expected to prove their value in a constrained fiscal environment — often judged by a single yardstick: how many...
Social Employment Network: Strengthening Pathways Beyond Participation
Written by: Thula Zondi The Social Employment Fund (SEF) Annual In-Person Workshop, convened by the Social Employment network on 6–7 May 2026 at the IDC Head Office in Sandton, brought together Strategic Implementing Partners (SIPs), government representatives, and...