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Safer South Africa Foundation mobilizes communities to take an active role in crime prevention and promoting safety. By connecting with us, you can support or participate in initiatives that build awareness and strengthen local capacity to address safety issues.
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    History

    Safer South Africa Foundation

    In keeping with the vision and commitment to a transformed and effective criminal justice structure in South Africa, the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union’s 7th National Congress in 2011 resolved to support the establishment of a charitable foundation.Following a series of consultations and recommendations from a Roundtable Discussion, themed, “Local Communities Taking Centre Stage In The Fight Against Crime,” the Safer South Africa Foundation was established in 2012.

    The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) believes that public participation is pivotal to crime prevention as it provides an opportunity to members of the community to contribute to the protection of their society; thus the Safer South Africa Foundation was founded to mobilise under-resourced communities to build awareness and ability to work together in crime prevention. Since its inception, the Foundation has been supported by the union’s investment arm, the PGC Group (through its flagship brand, Workerslife), whose interests are mainly in the financial services sector.

    Key Milestones:

    February 5
    2012
    • Safer South Africa Foundation (SSAF) is formally registered.
    • SSAF initiates its flagship programme, the Communities and Justice Programme.
    March 3
    2013 – 2014
    • The Communities and Justice Programme is successfully piloted in Khuma Township, North West Province, and later rolled out in Eldorado Park, Gauteng Province, in 2013
    • In 2014, SSAF signs MOU with Gauteng Department of Education and identifies 8 schools to participate in the programme.
    • Communities and Justice Programme implemented in Kagiso, Mogale City.
    • #Youth4SaferSouthAfrica starts trending.
    March 9
    2015
    • Programme implemented in Ekurhuleni North, Benoni and later implemented in Soweto, Central Johannesburg.
    February 9
    2016
    • Programme is implemented in Esikhawini and Eshowe, Kwa-Zulu Natal and later in Tshwane South and West.
    March 14
    2017
    • Programme rolled out in Johannesburg West and East, and was introduced in Tshakhuma, Limpopo Province.
    • Follow-up Sessions introduced to the Programme Schedule.
    January 26
    2018
    • The Founder aimed to drive growth and vitality into the Foundation. After the departure of the previous CEO, a new CEO was appointed, and a strategy focusing on five pillars was adopted: Communities and Justice Programme (CJP), Youth Debates and Leadership Development, Community Crime Prevention Dialogues, Research and Advocacy, and Diverse Crime Prevention Campaigns. The Foundation’s capacity was boosted with more administrative support and coordinators across seven provinces, allowing for the delivery of programmes to three schools annually in each province. SSAF also expanded its partnerships by signing MOUs with organizations like The Banking Association of South Africa and The Human Rights Commission.
    March 6
    2019
    • The new strategy proved successful, leading to exponential growth for SSAF. The team expanded, partnerships increased, and geographic reach broadened. New complementary programs emerged, with rising demand for the Foundation’s initiatives.
    • SSAF entered a new MOU with the Neema Foundation to promote crime prevention within the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community and became a primary partner of the National Silent Walk. The Banking Association, along with its partner banks, launched the Youth Financial Literacy Programme (The Star Saver Programme) as part of the CJP. From 2013 to 2017, SSAF reached over 1,062 learners. In 2018, more than 800 learners benefited from the newly adopted strategy.
    May 13
    2020
    • SSAF expanded to Mpumalanga Province, reaching more schools and learners. The Governing Board grew, bringing valuable expertise, while the staff complement increased. The introduction of social media and marketing boosted awareness, and early sponsors like Pick n Pay School Club, Assupol, and Workerslife Group began supporting SSAF.

     

    • The first StarSaver™ programme was launched in seven provinces with support from banks in the Banking Association of South Africa. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, SSAF reached 710 learners in fourteen schools across eight provinces.

     

    • The first Youth4SaferSouthAfrica Debate and Leadership Development Programme involved 200 learners in 18 schools across eight provinces, showcasing the organization’s resilience.
    March 22
    2021
    • SSAF gains traction with the addition of new partners and sponsors.

     

    • Since its inception, the Communities and Justice Programme (CJP) has reached over ten thousand learners across eight provinces.

     

    • Safer South Africa Foundation becomes a key partner in implementing the Old Mutual Foundation’s 21 Acts of Goodness curriculum support initiative for matriculants in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, North West and Free State provinces.
    March 8
    2022
    • The Foundation continues to embrace new opportunities. In Gauteng, Clinix becomes a key partner, supporting the CJP in schools within communities where their hospitals operate, significantly expanding reach. In the Western Cape, partners like Engen and Spar join to enhance the CJP rollout across the province.

     

    • The board’s governance is strengthened with the addition of two new members. Fundraising efforts drive growth and sustainability for the organization. SSAF introduces the CJP to a School for the Deaf in North West Province.
    July 11
    2023
    • Safer South Africa Foundation partners with mining giants Harmony and Anglo American to implement the Communities and Justice Programme in Gauteng, Free State, and North West Provinces, impacting over 1,000 out-of-school youth for the first time.

     

    • Youth Road Safety becomes a new focus area, with the Foundation teaming up with the Road Accident Fund (RAF) to promote Road Safety Education in twenty schools across four provinces: Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and Limpopo. The program targets both in-school and out-of-school youth.

     

    • The SSAF-RAF partnership also launches community youth dialogues, which lead to the creation of the Youth Community Development Programme. This initiative includes fourteen youth groups offering services like scholar patrols, grass-cutting for safety, and livestock marking, with all participants receiving training.

     

    • SSAF hosts its first Youth4SaferSouthAfrica Debate at Birchwood Hotel in Johannesburg.
    May 15
    2024
    • In 2024, the Safer South Africa Foundation marked a significant milestone in its journey of community empowerment and crime prevention. We extended our partnership with the Road Accident Fund, working with over 150 youth members across four provinces and reaching more than eight communities.

     

    • That same year also saw the successful implementation of the Communities and Justice Programme in the Northern Cape, marking a historic achievement for the Foundation, for the first time since our establishment, we had an active footprint in all nine provinces of South Africa, with all our core programmes running nationwide.

     

    • This milestone reflects our continued commitment to building safer, more resilient communities through education, awareness, and youth empowerment.