The Solidarity Fund
Uniting South Africans to overcome COVID-19 together
The Solidarity Fund
Uniting South Africans to
overcome COVID-19 together
Standing together against COVID-19
The Solidarity Fund was formed as an expression of the courage and unity of South Africans who came together to face a new unknown enemy that was causing havoc across the world - the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Fund was the largest mobilisation of private funding and support ever seen in South Africa. From its rapid inception in March 2020 to its scale down in April 2023, it provided a vehicle for South Africans to pool resources and unite the country in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Fund was unique, bringing together government, business, and civil society with unprecedented speed. Through the selfless generosity of so many, it reached R4bn in available funds to effectively and meaningfully strengthen the country’s response to the pandemic and other national crises in 2021 and 2022. Having achieved its mandate, the Fund now remains in a scaled down state, ready to mobilise rapidly should the need arise again.
Read the full story of the Fund in our consolidated report.
Standing together against COVID-19
The Solidarity Fund was formed as an expression of the courage and unity of South Africans who came together to face a new unknown enemy that was causing havoc across the world - the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Fund was the largest mobilisation of private funding and support ever seen in South Africa. From its rapid inception in March 2020 to its scale down in April 2023, it provided a vehicle for South Africans to pool resources and unite the country in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Fund was unique, bringing together government, business, and civil society with unprecedented speed. Through the selfless generosity of so many, it reached R4bn in available funds to effectively and meaningfully strengthen the country’s response to the pandemic and other national crises in 2021 and 2022. Having achieved its mandate, the Fund now remains in a scaled down state, ready to mobilise rapidly should the need arise again.
Read the full story of the Fund in our consolidated report.
Partnering for greater impact
Critical to the Fund’s success was its ability to mobilise partnerships. All sectors of society contributed to the Fund, including ordinary South Africans who donated generously from their dwindling financial resources or who volunteered their time, offering countless hours of technical experience and expertise to help the Fund succeed.
The Fund’s entire operations were run through these partnerships and the willingness of corporations, civil society, academia, government, philanthropic organisations and individuals to support the Fund to fulfil its mandate. The Fund is immensely grateful for this support, without which it would not have been able to achieve the impact it did.
Browse the Knowledge Hub to learn more about the Fund, its operations, partnership model, and the lessons it learned along the way.
Partnering for greater impact
Critical to the Fund’s success was its ability to mobilise partnerships. All sectors of society, including ordinary South Africans who shared what little they had, donated unparalleled financial contributions, as well as countless hours of technical experience and expertise through volunteer and pro bono support.
The Fund’s entire operations were run through these partnerships and the willingness of corporations, civil society, academia, and individuals to support the Fund to fulfil its mandate. The Fund is immensely grateful for this support, without which it would not have been able to achieve the impact it did.
The story of the Fund, its operations, its partnership model, and the lessons it learned along the way is available in the knowledge hub.
Our projects
The Fund was organised around focus areas or pillars chosen for their potential to reach the areas of highest need and have the greatest impact. Projects were implemented through a range of civil society, private, and public sector implementing partners with the capacity, expertise, and reach to ensure success. See the projects page for details on the pillars and projects, or visit the knowledge hub for more information on our project implementation approach.
Our projects
The Fund was organised around focus areas or pillars chosen for their potential to reach the areas of highest need and have the greatest impact. Projects were implemented through a range of civil society, private, and public sector implementing partners with the capacity, expertise, and reach to ensure success. See the projects page for details on the pillars and projects, or visit the knowledge hub for more information on our project implementation approach.
HEALTH
PILLAR
Strengthening the health system response to cope with the surge in demand from the pandemic, protect those on the front line, and support the vaccine rollout.
HUMANITARIAN
PILLAR
Protecting those at increased risk of hunger and gender-based violence due to the pandemic
BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATIONS
PILLAR
Promoting positive behaviours to help slow the spread of the virus and get vaccinated
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS RELIEF FUND
PILLAR
Providing economic recovery and humanitarian assistance to those impacted by the July 2021 civil unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng
FLOODS RESPONSE PILLAR
Providing humanitarian assistance to those displaced by the 2022 flooding in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of the Eastern Cape
Our impact
Our impact
1.39m
COVID-19 vaccinations enabled between July 2021 and June 2022
71 308
households enabled to grow their own food through the farming input voucher programme
90%
of adult South Africans (±35m people) reached through 2 national COVID-19 information campaigns
±9 604
jobs saved through the civil unrest business recovery initiatives
300
beneficiaries provided financial support to rebuild their homes destroyed in the floods
Learn more about the Fund’s impact in the detailed project reports.
Ready to serve again
The Solidarity Fund’s mandate was to provide a short-term, yet impactful and significant mechanism to augment the Government’s national response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It created a foundation for future action, empowering a significant number of national and community-level partners to continue, and in some instances to grow. With the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccines the emergency has subsided. The Fund has fulfilled its mandate, and leaves behind a blueprint for future rapid responses. As such, the Fund has scaled down its presence and activities, and will remain in this limited state ready to mobilise and respond rapidly should a crisis of a similar nature arise in the future.
Ready to serve again
The Solidarity Fund’s mandate was to provide a short-term, yet impactful and significant mechanism to augment the Government’s national response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It created a foundation for future action, empowering a significant number of national and community-level partners to continue, and in some instances to grow. With the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccines the emergency has subsided. The Fund has fulfilled its mandate, and leaves behind a blueprint for future rapid responses. As such, the Fund has scaled down its presence and activities, and will remain in this limited state ready to mobilise and respond rapidly should a crisis of a similar nature arise in the future.
