Thought Leadership

The Seriti Institute explores participation, economic inclusion and livelihoods

Behind South Africa’s devastating unemployment numbers are young people trapped in a revolving door of short-term contracts. Seriti Institute is using the green economy, agriculture and agri-nodes to turn temporary jobs into sustainable pathways.

Digital platforms like Community Fresh are demonstrating how technology can advance South Africa's highly informal farming communities toward sustainable economic opportunities. The increasing adoption of innovative technologies is helping to advance South Africa's informal farming sector and gradually delivering green shoots.

As South Africa awaits the national budget speech, the debate is already framed around familiar themes: fiscal consolidation, debt stabilisation, and constrained revenue. These are legitimate concerns. But the deeper question is whether this budget will meaningfully shift the development model toward communities, where unemployment, hunger, and climate shocks are most acutely felt.

Public employment programmes are often framed as temporary relief. In reality, they are among the most effective economic tools available to a country facing structural unemployment, deep inequality, and fragile local economies. When designed well, public employment does not drain the fiscus. It activates it.

FOUR years ago, Standerton, like many towns across South Africa, was still reeling from the aftershocks of COVID-19. Jobs had disappeared, household incomes had collapsed, and hope was in short supply. Young people, in particular, were left wondering where their futures might lead. Food insecurity deepened, illegal dumping spread across open land, and public spaces became symbols of neglect rather than pride.

Established in 2009, Seriti is a development facilitation agency that connects communities, businesses, and government to build systems that endure beyond individual projects. Rather than delivering stand-alone interventions, Seriti realigns partners around shared outcomes – turning short-term initiatives into sustainable livelihoods.

Komati is shifting from its coal-mining past toward a resilient, diversified future. Through the SEF initiative, the Seriti Institute is strengthening food security, restoring community confidence, and laying the groundwork for a technology-enabled local economy.

A community-led agricultural model in Deelpan, North West, is