South Africa
South Africa (South Africa, Lesotho, and Namibia) CRWRC has been working in South Africa since 1999. This ministry is carried out in close partnership with Partners Worldwide, the Reformed Church of America, and the Uniting Reformed Church of Southern Africa. Together, this partnership focuses on economic development, leadership development, stewardship, and overcoming HIV/AIDS. South Africa is also the home of Mbonambi Khuzwayo, CRWRC’s Justice and Service Learning Coordinator for the Eastern & Southern Africa region.
Fast Facts
Population: 49,052,489 (July 2009 est.)
Area Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Literacy Rate: 86.4%
Life Expectancy: 48.98 years
Population below the poverty line: 50%
Gross domestic product per capita: $10,100 (2008 est.)
Religions: Zion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Catholic 7.1%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%, Muslim 1.5%, other Christian 36%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 census)
Languages: IsiZulu 23.8%, IsiXhosa 17.6%, Afrikaans 13.3%, Sepedi 9.4%, English 8.2%, Setswana 8.2%, Sesotho 7.9%, Xitsonga 4.4%, other 7.2%
(From the World Factbook. Click here for more information on South Africa.)
Partners
CRWRC has two major partners in South Africa:
Uniting Reformed Church of Southern Africa (URSCA)
CRWRC’s overall implementing partner in Southern Africa is the Uniting Reformed Church of Southern Africa (URSCA). URSCA has 758 congregations organized in seven regional synods. Many congregations have 10 or more preaching branches. The diaconal committees in congregations are the ones who carry out CRWRC-funded programs.
CRWRC works with seven regional synods to assist with training, networking, and access to resources. We help these synods identify local champions for development, and build up their leadership skills. This, in turn, helps churches grow in their ability to reach out and meet the needs of people in their communities.
CRWRC also helps churches hold workshops on stewardship development. As a result of the workshops, action plans are developed. Increased stewardship, in turn, leads to increased resources for development programs.
Partners Worldwide
CRWRC and Partners Worldwide work together to address the severe unemployment and underemployment of Southern Africa. Economic development is addressed in two ways. First, through a program called Investment for Africa(IFA). IFA provides loans to emerging entrepreneurs as well as mutual mentoring, networking, and support. An emerging program for even smaller loans is a saving program for small business owners. Secondly, CRWRC and PWW provide a week-long Micro-MBA program to small business owners. This course teaches the essentials of business-planning, market research, pricing, and managing one’s business.