Topic outline

  • General


  • Peer Connect Support Series

    • Join the Movement!

      Social Enterprise Connect is an exciting new Community of Practice (COP) for social entrepreneurs in South Africa. The COP was born out of a partnership between Social Enterprise Academy Africa (SEAA) and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC).

      To kick off this COP we are setting up an online intervention programme known as the Peer Connect Support Series.  The series will have three cohorts of Peer Support Connect sessions. 

      Join a small group of peers to explore ways of supporting each other to find constructive ways of responding to the current situation.


      Who is it for?

      The Peer Connect Support Series are intended to help social impact leaders and managers to come to terms with the current situation and use peer support to develop ways of thinking, planning, acting and leading in the current situation.

      The Peer Connect Support Series are set up as small groups of fellow social entrepreneurs who come together on a weekly basis to work through how they can navigate this crisis, both personally, for their social enterprise and for the communities they are part of.

      The Peer Connect Support Series topic areas will be guided by the group based on these 4 key themes:

      • Responding personally: Self-care, resilience and staying positive; moving beyond stress, fear and anxiety
      • Leading your organisation’s response: Pivoting your offering, finding new ways to engage, safeguarding the organisation and its impact, focussing on sustainability
      • Leading teams in times of change: leading and supporting others through the crisis; stepping into your best leadership; leading a remote team towards new outputs; change leadership
      • Collaborating in the sector to respond and emerge: Forging new ways to work together; developing new pathways towards a fairer, greener and more compassionate South Africa


      Programme Details

      Time                                             Starting September

      Duration                                     Six 90-min sessions  (6 weeks)

      Cost                                              Bursary is valued at R7 500  


      My understanding of the current situation has improved through the programme. I was able to reflect through the sessions and understand exactly how our pivots have been appropriate and helpful to our beneficiaries.


      Click the button below to apply to be part of these Peer Connect Support Series. You can also download the programme information below to find out more about Social Enterprise Connect and the community of practice. 

      Apply Now Download Programme Information

      Why develop a community of Practice?

      Within South Africa, social enterprise is an emerging and growing field.  Currently, most social enterprises are small – only 12% have an annual income of more than R1m. However, 65% of social enterprises report growth above inflation and 67% plan for significant growth in the coming 2 years.

      Social enterprises provide a unique opportunity to solve many of the prevalent social and environmental problems in our country, whilst at the same time contributing to economic growth and job creation.


      More Information

      Jacqueline Mhlanga | jacqui@socialenterprise.academy