South Africa’s SDG Index Score is 63.7 out of 100, ranking 108 out of 163 countries, and is only on track to achieve two SDGs (gender equality and responsible consumption and production) by 2030. The country continues to struggle with social challenges, from rising youth unemployment, and strains on its utility infrastructure, particularly in the electricity and water sectors, to unacceptable levels of stunting malnutrition. Like most African countries, South Africa faces the ongoing challenge of declining aid and strained government resources. This, therefore, begs the question, “What are the alternative funding sources for the country’s social challenges?”
Private capital markets and innovative financing structures like blended finance and catalytic pooled funds are necessary to help bridge this funding gap. AVPA, in collaboration with the FirstRand Empowerment Fund (FREF) and Deloitte, has undertaken a comprehensive study to understand the current state of Innovative Finance in South Africa. This research maps out South Africa’s current Innovative Finance landscape, identifying bottlenecks and opportunities for innovation, scalable interventions and areas of future research.
Join us as we present the report, exploring how Innovative Finance could be used to address South Africa’s dynamic challenges and drive the country’s sustainable development and attainment of the 2030 SDG targets.
Date: 1 September 2023
Time: 2 to 3:30 SAST