The Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI)
In a world where Africa’s story of giving has often been told through external lenses, a powerful shift is underway.
Deep inside the University of the Witwatersrand’s Business School, a bold centre is rewriting the rules of philanthropy not as charity, but as a vibrant, indigenous force of empowerment.
The Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI) is not just an academic hub; it’s a movement reclaiming Africa’s rich traditions of generosity and social investment, and positioning the continent as a leader, not a recipient, in the global philanthropic landscape.
Officially launched in 2017, CAPSI is charting a course that challenges old narratives, uplifts African knowledge systems, and nurtures the next generation of visionary philanthropy leaders.
It is here, amid rigorous research and engaged dialogue, that philanthropy is being reimagined on Africa’s terms.
Rooted in African Ownership
CAPSI’s origin reflects the same values it champions: collaboration, continental leadership, and knowledge rooted in African realities.
Its foundation was laid through a bold initiative by several philanthropic leaders on the continent: the Southern Africa Trust, TrustAfrica, the Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF), and the African Women’s Development Fund.
These institutions, together with the University of the Witwatersrand, established the first-ever Chair in African Philanthropy, which provided the academic infrastructure that would later evolve into the Centre.
From this partnership, CAPSI emerged not only as a research hub but as a symbol of what African-led philanthropy can look like when grounded in indigenous knowledge systems and institutional autonomy.
Leading this effort is Dr. Bhekinkosi Moyo, a respected voice in African philanthropy and the Centre’s founding Director.
Under his stewardship, CAPSI has grown into a thought leader influencing how giving is understood, taught, and practised across the continent.
The Centre also benefits from the guidance of Alan Fowler, who serves as Honorary Chair and brings decades of experience in development and philanthropy research.
Challenging Dominant Paradigms
For decades, the philanthropic discourse in Africa has been dominated by large international foundations and aid institutions.
Terms like “donor,” “beneficiary,” and “impact” have often obscured the more nuanced, deeply embedded forms of giving that flourish within African societies, forms rooted in community, kinship, reciprocity, and solidarity.
CAPSI challenges this narrative.
Its research explores how African communities, both rural and urban, as well as religious and secular, formal and informal, mobilize resources to solve their problems.
Whether through stokvels in South Africa, harambee in Kenya, or rotating savings groups across the continent, CAPSI highlights that philanthropy in Africa was never imported; it was inherited.
Through this lens, the Centre doesn’t just study giving; it interrogates the knowledge systems that define it.
Its work insists that academic inquiry into philanthropy must acknowledge and respect African epistemologies.
From Research to Influence
At the heart of CAPSI’s work is rigorous research.
The Centre produces policy papers, case studies, and comparative analyses that not only document but also critique the flow of philanthropic capital on the continent.
It explores how funds are distributed, who gets to decide, and how power is negotiated in the process.
Its work on decolonising philanthropy has sparked critical debates across boardrooms and conference halls.
CAPSI doesn’t shy away from asking hard questions about accountability, equity, and the ethics of funding.
Why are African NGOs still shaped by external reporting systems? How can philanthropy become less extractive and more empowering? What role should communities play in defining what success looks like?
These questions are more than academic; they are political. And CAPSI is positioning itself as the thought leader driving this reckoning.
Education as Activism
Beyond research, CAPSI is equally committed to education as a form of activism.
The Centre offers a robust curriculum through Wits Business School, including Africa’s first Master’s and Postgraduate Diploma in African Philanthropy and Resource Mobilisation.
These programmes are designed not just to educate but to inspire.
The students drawn from nonprofits, foundations, governments, and social enterprises are taught to critically assess the philanthropic ecosystem, to lead organisations ethically, and to design funding models that prioritise African agency.
This educational pipeline is essential in building a workforce that understands the continent’s unique needs and rejects one-size-fits-all solutions.
CAPSI also runs short executive courses for professionals across the continent, making knowledge accessible to those already in the field.
Investing in capacity building ensures that African philanthropy is led by African expertise, not imported frameworks.
Local Knowledge, Global Reach
While CAPSI’s work is deeply rooted in African contexts, its influence reaches far beyond.
The Centre collaborates with universities and think tanks across the Global South and North, contributing to a broader movement for knowledge equity.
Its thought leadership has found resonance in global philanthropy spaces, where calls for inclusion and equity are growing louder.
CAPSI is frequently invited to global roundtables, policy summits, and research partnerships not just as a participant, but as a provocateur.
And yet, it remains grounded. It centres the continent in everything it does not as a place of need, but as a laboratory of solutions.
This local-global balance allows the Centre to challenge global philanthropy to rethink its role in Africa, while also equipping African actors to lead on their terms.
Bridging Policy and Practice
One of CAPSI’s most powerful contributions is its ability to bridge academia with practice.
Its convenings draw stakeholders from across the philanthropy value chain, researchers, funders, policymakers, and grassroots organisers, to discuss real-world challenges.
These dialogues are not box-ticking exercises; they are fertile ground for collaboration, learning, and innovation.
The Centre has also supported the development of national philanthropy strategies, advised ministries on social investment policies, and contributed to regional frameworks that promote ethical giving.
Its policy work is rooted in one conviction: philanthropy must serve the public good, not perpetuate private interests.
A Vision Rooted in African Realities
CAPSI’s vision is bold but clear to transform African philanthropy from a peripheral concern to a central pillar of development.
This means reimagining how wealth is defined, how resources are shared, and how social change is funded.
It also means embracing uncomfortable truths.
Philanthropy, like any system, is shaped by power.
And unless that power is questioned, redistributed, and ultimately restructured, it will continue to reproduce the inequalities it claims to solve.
But CAPSI offers something rare in this space: hope grounded in evidence.
Its work reveals an Africa that is already giving, already innovating, and already leading. What it needs is recognition, resources, and respect.
