The Vuya Foundation is a non-profit organisation operating in the Western Cape of South Africa. Our aim is to better the lives of previously disadvantaged individuals and communities by addressing the desperate need in our country for education and job creation.

The Vuya Foundation was founded by visionary businesswoman, Mercia Isaacs – the CEO and chairperson of Vuya Investments, which is a broad-based, women-led investment company. Vuya Investments owns a shareholding in Henkel South Africa and has several shareholders including Agile Capital, TÜV Rheinland.

Vuya Investments is a level 1 Black Economic Empowerment company and the Vuya Foundation has a beneficiary base which holds a 100% Socio-Economic Development recognition.

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OUR FOCUS

25 years since the birth of our democracy, our country is still troubled by massive inequality. Many communities suffer because our government is overburdened and cannot always deliver effectively. Therefore, we address social challenges in rural areas.

Early childhood development in rural areas

We foster early childhood development by building, operating or maintaining crèches, as well as upskilling teaching staff.

Women-led small and medium enterprises

Projects to create jobs and empower SMMEs through skills development and training programmes.

Tertiary education: bursaries for underprivileged learners

Through local partnerships, we identify promising talent whom we can help through job creation or bursaries.

VIEW OUR PROJECTS

Our Difference

CREATING SOCIAL ENTERPRISES

  • We believe that the combination of business strategies with social objectives is the best way to approach modern social challenges in South Africa.
  • We hand-pick social partners in the communities where we work to provide a more comprehensive network of resources.
  • Our unique financial structure allows for all operational costs to be covered through smart partnerships.
  • Each project is run as a social enterprise (part NPO, part business), allowing for more flexibility when tackling social challenges.

Our continued success in building sustainable ventures rely on constant sponsorship and support from both public and private sectors.

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PARTNERS AND DONORS