Skip to main content
International Finance Corporation World Bank

November 2005, Septi M. Bukula / Social Change Assistance Trust (SCAT)

The Social Change Assistance Trust (SCAT) is is an independent fund-raising and grant-makingdevelopment agency located in the city of Cape Town, in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It was established in 1984 as a response to the resource needs of marginalised, mainly rural, communities. SCATprovides small grants to around 60 small community-based organisations active in human rights, HIV/AIDS and development work in rural communities. In addition to administering grants, SCAT provides training andcapacity building grants to its partners and has a fundraising incentive scheme (FRIS). SCAT also provides support to partner organisations through visits by SCAT fieldworkers to carry out monitoring and provideinput and advice on partner activities. To qualify for funding, partners must meet a set of criteria and, once funded, must meet reporting and accountability requirements. SCAT is actively involved in formulating ruraldevelopment strategies and implementation programmes at provincial, national and regional forums. SCAT also participates in and influences public debate on poverty eradication.

The South African government’s integrated sustainable rural development strategy (ISRDS) describes the condition of the country’s rural areas as characterised by high levels of poverty, low or no income for the population and lack of economic vibrancy. HIV/AIDS poses extensive challenges to the country’s rural development, impacting on a range of developmental factors including economic stability and long-term sustainability, in a context where there are generally more limited resources (such as HIV/AIDS education and health care) available. Farm workers are among the poorest and most vulnerable households in the rural areas. Their vulnerability is increased by their dependence on their employers not only for employment and wages, but also for services such as housing, electricity, schooling, access to medical facilities, water and transport. Wages in the agricultural sector fall well below the minimum living level and seasonal workers (who make up a large part of the agricultural labour force) have the added disadvantage of earning approximately 10% less than permanent workers