The Independent Philanthropy Association of South Africa’s (IPASA) Annual Review of South African Philanthropy 2025 reflects on a year of crisis that has brought with it great opportunity for philanthropy.
The withdrawal of USAID and PEPFAR funding, alongside declining European aid, has fundamentally reshaped South Africa’s development landscape. Rather than simply scrambling to fill funding gaps, the philanthropic sector has used this disruption to reimagine how it operates. IPASA executive director Louise Driver notes that the crisis has “ultimately strengthened” the sector, catalysing a shift toward more sophisticated local leadership and innovative financing models.
Editor Yogavelli Nambiar highlights one of the opportunities emerging from the funding crisis as the opportunity for philanthropy to decolonise its approach, arguing that patterns of giving must shift from colonial legacies toward truly participatory models where communities lead.
Marking a decade since IPASA’s establishment, the review highlights what can be achieved through the collaborative practice among independent funders. It notes how funder partnership FLOAT has contributed to early-grade literacy through coordinated investment, while the Initial Teacher Education group tackles quality challenges at the source. Climate action has seen 12 IPASA members sign the organisation’s Funder Commitment on Climate Change, evolving from individual initiatives to collective impact through partnerships such as the South African Early Years Climate Action Alliance.
The publication features contributions from sector thought leaders and examines innovations across sectors, from building bridges through the arts to exploring new economic models and advancing African philanthropy leadership. Case studies on education and climate change demonstrate practical impact, while analysis of nine diverse basic education collaborations reveals the insight that collaborative success is driven by transformational individual leaders who can connect disparate elements and operationalise complex partnerships.
Read the full report: 2025 IPASA Annual Review of South African Philanthropy
