The Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment promotes social change by serving as a source of knowledge, network of partnerships, and a motivation.
On July 17, 2025, Wits Business School’s Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI) will host an event titled “Women in Philanthropy: Liberation, Activism and Leadership”.
The hybrid gathering—open to both online and in-person participants—seeks to honour and critically reflect on the roles African women have played in philanthropy, resistance movements, and social leadership across generations.
Held at the Donald Gordon Auditorium in Johannesburg and streamed virtually, the event forms part of a wider pan-African initiative known as Adɔyɛ—a CAPSI programme designed to uplift and document the diverse contributions of African women to philanthropic thought and practice.
A Timely Gathering
With growing momentum around decolonising philanthropy and centring African voices, this event promises to bring together women who have led from the frontlines of political change, institutional innovation, and community empowerment.
Programme Highlights
The event will feature a powerful lineup of speakers and performers:
- Keynote Lecture by Dr Barbara Masekela
A respected cultural leader, poet, and former South African ambassador to the U.S., Masekela will reflect on the intersections of gender, liberation, and cultural stewardship. Her leadership during and after the anti-apartheid era has long exemplified the transformative power of African women’s activism.
The Fireside Conversation will feature
- Sibongile Mkhabela, Executive Director of the Barloworld Empowerment Foundation and a historic figure from the 1976 Soweto Uprising.
- Gugu Xaba, CEO of Save the Children South Africa, is known for her child-focused development and governance leadership.
- Moderator: Theo Sowa, Co-Chair of the Equality Fund and former CEO of the African Women’s Development Fund, with deep expertise in global feminist philanthropy.
- Cultural Performance by Andréas Deolinda
The journalist and storyteller will use performance to evoke the layered ways African women preserve memory, transmit leadership, and foster healing.
Closing Reflections will be delivered by:
- Prof Bhekinkosi Moyo, Director of CAPSI
- Dr Jacob Mati, CAPSI’s Deputy Director
Adɔyɛ: Love in Action
This event is part of CAPSI’s Adɔyɛ Dialogue Series. The word Adɔyɛ is drawn from the Akan language (spoken in Ghana) and means “love in action”.
It reflects a deep African philosophical belief that love, care, and solidarity are not passive feelings but are best expressed through meaningful acts of service, resistance, and reciprocity.
Adɔyɛ is more than a dialogue platform—it is a multi-pronged programme CAPSI launched in 2023 to centre African women in philanthropy, both in theory and practice.
The initiative recognises that women across the continent have historically led and sustained community-based giving, social movements, and formal institutions, but have rarely received visibility in dominant philanthropic narratives.
Adɔyɛ focuses on four categories of women:
- Everyday givers: Women who give informally through care, time, and solidarity.
- Civic and nonprofit leaders: Those active in structured civil society organisations.
- High-net-worth givers: Women with financial capacity to influence structured giving.
- Professional contributors: Scholars and practitioners in philanthropy and development.
Its mission includes:
- Generating Africa-led research and knowledge
- Elevating women’s voices and networks
- Supporting policy advocacy and field-building
- Offering fellowships, mentorship, and community learning spaces
The July 17 event embodies Adɔyɛ’s goal to reflect and connect, bringing lived experience, institutional leadership, and cultural expression into one space of collective learning.
Why Wits? Why Now?
CAPSI, housed at Wits Business School in Johannesburg, is Africa’s first academic centre dedicated exclusively to the study and advancement of African philanthropy and social investment.
Founded to challenge Western-centric models of giving, CAPSI is reimagining the philanthropic landscape through African worldviews, indigenous knowledge, and locally rooted practice.
CAPSI’s strength lies in its commitment to both scholarship and practice, building bridges between funders, activists, researchers, and community organisers.
The Adɔyɛ initiative is a natural extension of this vision: investing in a knowledge system where African women are not simply “beneficiaries” of philanthropy but are seen and respected as architects, critics, and changemakers.
Attend and Engage
- Date: Thursday, 17 July 2025
- Time: 11:00 – 13:30 SAST
- Format: Hybrid (online + in-person at Wits Business School, Johannesburg)
- Registration:
https://www.wbs.ac.za/events/women-philanthropy-liberation-activism-and-leadership
Whether you are a student, practitioner, academic, or activist, this event offers a space to listen, learn, and contribute to the reshaping of philanthropic futures on African terms.
