NDA URGES STRONGER ALLIANCES TO EMPOWER COOPERATIVES

By DSD News.

• ⁠NDA Acting CEO Thabani Buthelezi emphasised the role of cooperatives in driving inclusive and sustainable community development.
• The NDA reaffirmed its commitment to empowering grassroots enterprises through partnerships and capacity-building programmes.
• ⁠Strategic collaborations with local and international partners aim to link social protection to economic participation.

Sun City Resort, North West Province – 7 August 2025 – The National Development Agency (NDA) has called for the strengthening of partnerships to bolster the growth and sustainability of cooperatives across South Africa. Speaking at the International Day of Cooperatives celebrations at Sun City Resort, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Mr Thabani Buthelezi, underscored the crucial role cooperatives play in building inclusive economies and resilient communities under the global theme, “Cooperatives Build a Better World.”
Mr Buthelezi affirmed the NDA’s commitment to forging impactful alliances that advance grassroots economic participation. “The NDA is founded on the principle that partnerships are essential for sustainable development. Cooperatives are embedded within our communities and can access even the most remote and underserved areas,” he said.
Through its community-owned enterprises approach, the NDA supports cooperatives with profiling, formalisation, and institutional strengthening, complemented by targeted capacity-building initiatives. Mr Buthelezi highlighted collaborations with key institutions such as Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), the German Cooperative and Raiffeisen Confederation (DGRV), the Small Enterprise Development Finance Agency (SEFDA), the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), and international partners including BRAC and FinMark Trust.
These partnerships are designed to deliver tailored skills development, evidence-based policy support, and pathways from social protection to economic participation — particularly for Child Support Grant beneficiaries in KwaZulu-Natal.
“As we celebrate this important day, we must recommit to forming development alliances that ensure cooperatives not only survive but thrive,” Mr Buthelezi concluded. “Together, we can build a better world and stronger communities.”