Release
systemic chokes that trap us in inequality
Systemic chokes are the failures of policy, whether by design or consequence, that hinder the ability of individuals and communities to access and leverage innovation for human development. These often take the form of social ills such as binge drinking, gender-based violence, or of institutional systems that exclude marginalised groups from equitable access to welfare services and mobile data.
These systemic chokes are making it difficult to attain our country’s socio-economic development goals. So, our work aims to disrupt these trajectories of exclusion by reducing alcohol harm and gender-based violence, improving financing systems for social welfare services and removing the obstacle of high data costs for vulnerable groups.
There are ‘easy twists’ that keep being overlooked, which could open new pathways of development.
Much of the ‘choke’ on innovation in South Africa is psychological, due to years of marginalisation and disempowerment. We must find ways to stimulate people, organisations and communities to have a sense of pride and aspiration that will help to further unlock opportunity.
Our strategy is to advocate for the implementation of the “five best buys” of reducing alcohol harm, endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO). This entails strategic public advocacy, policy reform for alcohol harm reduction and an effective ban on alcohol advertising in South Africa.
In addition, we need to remove the obstacle of high data costs for vulnerable groups by delivering a solution to implement the new spectrum licence condition for mobile network operators. This will ensure access to free educational and socio-economic development content provided by public benefit organisations.
We also aim to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of welfare financing through the Sector Funding Policy, and to support initiatives that will improve the lived experience of women in South Africa.
Our goal is to remove the chokes that stifle innovation because some groups of people cannot fully participate in our economy and society.
What we are working on…
- Implementing effective zero-rating of mobile content and services provided by public benefit organisations.
- Modelling a comprehensive alcohol harms reduction strategy that the government can adopt.
- Establishing a fair and effective interface between government and NGOs providing welfare services.
- Demonstrating effective strategies to reduce gender-based violence in our country.
Vuyokazi Kana takes her daughter to attend a playgroup in Duncan Village. Groups like this can benefit from DGMT’s Social Welfare Financing Reform project.
Escaping the inequality trap requires a twist in our thinking.
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Flagship projects addressing this opportunity
Civil society projects addressing this opportunity
These projects are by no means a comprehensive list of the work of civil society. This list represents a small selection of organisations that will be updated from time to time
Home-based support for healthier pregnancies and children
Philani is a home-based care service driven by community health workers to reduce stunting and alcohol-related harms in low-resource communities in Cape Town. In many of these communities, pregnant women face health risks associated with alcohol abuse and poor nutrition, resulting in fetal alcohol syndrome and children with low birth weight. These women are supported by Philani through mentoring programmes to ensure pregnancies are safe and children grow up healthy.
Medicine & talking therapy for an effective treatment
SAHARA (Smoking And Alcohol Harms Alleviation And Rehabilitation Association) was born from the need to respond to challenges faced by the communities of George which include interpersonal violence and motor vehicle collisions which are directly caused by the levels of smoking, harmful alcohol use, and substance abuse. The integrated family support structure for children has disintegrated due to economic hardship, and social, class and cultural factors, and increasingly the family home and immediate environment is becoming unsafe leading to community degradation. The programmes provided by SAHARA work with communities of George and are free of charge to service users. These programs cover a spectrum of interventions in health and generate the paradigm shift required to achieve sustained change within communities in relation to harmful substance use.
Communities where people thrive
The project provides rehabilitation to senior citizens with disabilities in some of the most vulnerable communities in Cape Town. The focal communities for the project are Khayelitsha, Dunoon, New Crossroads, Gugulethu, Phillipi, Langa, Nyanga and Delft. The dual approach of having a club-based model and community-based workers allows for the development of an individualised care plan while sustaining engagement with seniors through the clubs. Home-based care is crucial in this case as it mitigates a number of issues such as transport to the clinic, and long waiting periods. This type of care helps seniors rehabilitate in an environment where they feel safe while receiving necessary healthcare services. When needed the organisation also accompanies the seniors to clinic or doctors' appointments. With this intervention, the burden on the family members and caregivers is reduced, whilst offering fundamental care services.
Direct and accessible treatment & support
Social Transformation Action Defined (STAND)’s School-Based Early Intervention Programme (EI) for Alcohol and Substance Use Prevention is designed to advance early intervention approaches to reduce the risk of progressed harmful drinking patterns and addiction and to promote the health and wellbeing of the young people in the region. Additionally, STAND works to support Gender-Based Violence (GBV) survivors and change the way that policy-makers, providers, communities, and families think about, talk about, and address youth alcohol and substance use.
Ensuring dignified, comprehensive care for survivors of sexual violence
Masimanyane Women’s Support Centre works to eradicate gender-based violence by ensuring that women and children have access to safety, justice and their full human rights. Through its long-standing partnership with Thuthuzela Care Centres, Masimanyane provides 24-hour first-responder support to rape survivors at Cecilia Makiwane Hospital (Mdantsane) and Grey Hospital (Qonce). Trained staff walk alongside survivors through medical and forensic processes, ensure access to post-rape care and treatment, and provide linkages to ongoing psychosocial support. DGMT supports Masimanyane to strengthen these vital response services, helping to ensure that survivors receive compassionate, timely and comprehensive care. This work reinforces a critical part of the GBV response ecosystem — reducing secondary victimisation, supporting healing, and enabling pathways to justice.
Strengthening child-protection systems through accountability and enforcement
SECTION27 is a constitutional rights organisation working to advance social justice through strategic litigation, advocacy, research and community mobilisation. A key focus of its GBV and child-protection strategy is strengthening the National Child Protection Register — a critical but under-enforced tool for preventing violence against children.
DGMT supports SECTION27 to improve the efficacy of the Register by ensuring that disciplinary and criminal cases are reported consistently to the Department of Social Development, and by making it mandatory for education authorities to consult the Register before appointing teaching and non-teaching staff. By closing these systemic gaps, the initiative aims to prevent known perpetrators from entering school environments and reduce incidences of GBV and sexual assault against learners.
Tackling GBV and alcohol harms through community-led change
Social Transformation Action Defined (STAND) works to reduce alcohol- and drug-related harms, with a strong focus on women and youth in remote regions. Their approach combines gender-responsive education, stigma-free access to treatment, linkage to care, and early-intervention support for school learners. DGMT supports STAND’s “Breaking the Cycle: Gender Norm Transformation and Alcohol Harm Reduction in the Western Cape” initiative, which addresses the intertwined drivers of GBV and alcohol harms in historically underserved rural communities. The project uses a phased, place-based strategy across the Overberg, Garden Route and West Coast, empowering local leaders to drive cultural rethinking, community advocacy and behaviour change. Through mobile outreach, multi-sector collaboration and community-led training, the initiative strengthens access to services, challenges harmful gender norms, and supports safer, more resilient environments for women, youth and families.
Improving survivor-centred GBV response in police stations
The Greater Nelspruit Rape Intervention Project Group (GRIP), provides critical, survivor-centred support for people affected by gender-based violence in Mpumalanga, with a particular focus on children and adolescents who make up the majority of reported cases. Through counselling, healthcare linkage, legal support and coordinated case management, GRIP works to reduce secondary trauma and help survivors regain control over their lives.
A growing trend of survivors being turned away or dismissed at police stations highlights the urgent need for strengthened first-response systems. GRIP collaborates with SAPS, prosecutors, shelters and social workers to ensure empathetic statement-taking, consistent follow-up, and a dignified, trauma-informed reporting process. DGMT supports GRIP’s efforts to improve survivor protection, strengthen justice pathways, and ensure that those seeking help receive comprehensive, respectful and effective support.
Strengthening public health through effective alcohol policy reform
The Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance (SAAPA SA) works to reduce alcohol-related harm by advocating for stronger, evidence-based regulation that protects public health and community wellbeing. As part of a regional network of civil-society organisations, SAAPA SA draws on global and cross-border lessons to promote policy measures aligned with WHO recommendations—particularly those that regulate alcohol’s availability, marketing and price. Through this project, SAAPA SA strengthens community awareness of rights, mobilises local action, and pressures provincial liquor authorities to operate with greater accountability and transparency. It also leverages its growing alliance of partners to accelerate national policy reform, including the long-delayed Liquor Amendment Bill. DGMT supports SAAPA SA’s efforts to deepen community voice, improve regulatory responsiveness, and advance policies that reduce alcohol-related harm and safeguard the wellbeing of all South Africans.
Linking vulnerable women to real-time protection and support
Memeza Shout Crime Prevention strengthens safety for women and girls in high-risk communities through technology-enabled GBV prevention and rapid response. Founded by survivors, Memeza deploys proven safety devices and alert systems directly linked to SAPS, Community Policing Forums and South Africa’s largest private security network—ensuring real-time support at the press of a button. Working across three national GBV hotspots, the programme reaches 38 000 beneficiaries with integrated interventions that combine safety technology, awareness campaigns, strengthened response networks, and local job creation for women and youth. DGMT supports Memeza to expand community-based GBV prevention, deepen multi-sector response capability, and improve protection outcomes in vulnerable township and informal settlement communities.
Community-led alcohol harms reduction across high-risk provinces
The South African Catholic Bishops Conference strengthens community-led responses to heavy episodic drinking across KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Mpumalanga. Through its Justice and Peace Commission, the programme mobilises local leaders, tavern owners, youth forums, schools and traditional authorities to address the drivers of alcohol-related harm—including violence, risky sexual behaviour, and short- and long-term health impacts. Using a combination of advocacy, counselling, community dialogues and targeted behaviour-change activities, the initiative supports safer, more resilient communities while expanding access to support services for individuals at risk. DGMT funds SACBC to deepen its provincial reach, enhance its community mobilisation model, and test the programme’s potential for broader adaptation and impact within South Africa’s alcohol harms reduction system.
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