Private‑sector partnerships have contributed more than R100m to basic education since 2020, highlighting the role of corporate and philanthropic actors in supplementing appropriated state funds for education.
The disclosure comes in response to a written question by DA MP Nazley Sharif, who asked whether the department of basic education had approached the private sector for partnerships, what the outcomes had been, and the monetary value of such engagements.
The department said the partnerships have supported infrastructure, teacher training, ICT integration, early childhood development and the National School Nutrition Programme.
Funeral service provider Avbob committed R6.5m for school infrastructure, extended to 2026, and Coca‑Cola South Africa pledged R8m for rainwater harvesting projects. Mining company Sibanye-Stillwater allocated R15.9m for sanitation under the Sanitation Appropriate for Education initiative. Siemens committed R100m for a combined science and technology school in Mvezo, Eastern Cape. The Motsepe Foundation pledged R100m over five years from 2012, with subsequent commitments of R117.5m.
Telecommunications firms Vodacom, MTN and Telkom are listed for ICT resource centres, bursaries and teacher development, with Vodacom recording R34m in sponsorships and ICT programmes. Consumer goods companies such as Tiger Brands Foundation, Nestlé, Unilever and Shoprite are tied to the National School Nutrition Programme, while NGOs including Nal’ibali, SmartStart and Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropies are cited for literacy and early childhood development.
Literacy partnerships have delivered more than 1,500 libraries, reading corners and mobile libraries nationwide, with organisations such as Read to Rise, Nal’ibali and Biblionef South Africa providing books and literacy materials.
Infrastructure contributions have funded sanitation facilities in more than 100 schools, boreholes, container classrooms and vegetable gardens, with Sibanye-Stillwater, Avbob and BMW Group South Africa listed for direct support.
The Tiger Brands Foundation, Nestlé, Unilever and Shoprite have supported the National School Nutrition Programme through kitchens, food supplies and awards for best practice.
Vodacom, MTN, Telkom and Huawei have provided resource centres, bursaries, mobile education programmes and equipment to integrate digital learning.
SmartStart, Anglo American South Africa and the Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropies are recorded for contributions to early childhood development centres, teacher training and enrichment programmes.
Hitachi Construction Machinery South Africa and SuperSport have funded multi‑sport fields and school sport infrastructure.
“Education is a societal issue, requiring collaboration across government, business and civil society,” and public education “cannot address historical inequalities without private‑sector and philanthropic support”, the department said.
Five pillars of engagement
It identified five pillars of engagement: volunteer and capabilities, financial, priority programmes, research and innovation, and advocacy. The reply notes that several multiyear agreements remain active while others have concluded as project cycles ended or donor priorities shifted. The department highlighted successes in supplementing state capacity, expanding access to libraries and sanitation, strengthening nutrition programmes and aligning with the Action Plan to 2024 and Schooling 2030.
The department’s baseline funding is substantial but stretched. According to the National Treasury, basic education was allocated R31.7bn in 2022/23, R33bn in 2023/24, and R34.9bn in 2024/25. R36bn is projected for 2025/26. The majority of the funding is directed to Educational Enrichment Services, which includes the National School Nutrition Programme, learner support and curriculum delivery.
South Africa’s public school system serves 13.4-million learners across 24,836 schools. The department’s allocation amounts to about R2,600 per learner per year from the national budget. By contrast, Unesco’s Education 2030 Framework for Action recommends that governments spend 4%-6% of GDP or 15% to 20% of total government expenditure on education. Based on South Africa’s GDP of about R6.5‑trillion, that would imply annual education expenditure of R260bn-R390bn.
OECD data shows that member states spend an average of $10,000-$12,000 per learner annually in primary and secondary education, which at current exchange rates equates to more than R180,000 per learner.
To meet the Unesco benchmark, SA’s per‑learner spend would need to rise from R2,600 to between R19,000 and R29,000, depending on whether the 4% or 6% GDP threshold is applied.
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