A look at how social entrepreneurship is fueling community transformation in East London, South Africa
July 30th, 2024 | Lindsey Vanzant
A central street in one of the 12 townships that surround East London
In difficult places around the world, cycles of poverty and oppression can make lasting transformation seem impossible. We often see the vast needs - but can get overwhelmed with how to address them.
East London, South Africa is a city ravaged by a complex web of poverty. The lasting generational effects from Apartheid racial segregation still exist in cycles of violent crime, poor education, food insecurity and environmental hazards. There are no quick fixes.
Meet Scott Worley, who has served as the Area Director for One Collective's work in South Africa for over 15 years. In addition to living and working full time in South Africa, Scott leads One Collective’s global team of Strategists, a group of leaders who serve as critical resources to staff and partners in over 40 countries - covering specialized topics like Community Development, Business Development, Health, Education, At-Risk Women and Children, and Discipleship.
Scott spent the first 7 years of his ministry building a coalition of local leaders - a group that eventually grew to 50 local leaders who were passionate about finding solutions in East London that addressed unemployment for young adults and offered an alternative to crime and drugs.
In 2015 Scott got reconnected with Joshua, a colleague from Ghana, who had experience teaching young adults entrepreneurial skills and business fundamentals. Joshua had some prior experience with waste recycling, so in 2018 he and Scott combined their passion for entrepreneurial mentoring with a strategic need in the community, and began a small business.
Aerial view of a township in East London, South Africa
The business centered around recycling discarded street waste - which brought in revenue to fund their vision for training and creating jobs. Young adults would receive employment and would contribute to a needed service that helped the community to thrive. One Collective donors provided funding for start-up costs and purchased a recycling baler that got the business off the ground and brought their idea to life.
For the first few years progress was slow and often discouraging. Equipment failures and complications with scaling were challenging - and the business relied on outside donations to survive. Though the business was functioning - both Scott and Joshua believed in achieving a sustainable revenue model that would allow them to grow and pass on a healthy example for others in the community.
In 2021, things began to change when Scott & Joshua received a grant from the One Collective Visible Fund - a resource that provides funding for larger-scale projects and initiatives across communities globally. Grants are focused on creating long-term sustainability, and revenue generated helps to fund future projects and initiatives around the world.
Receiving this funding allowed Scott and Joshua to hire a key leader to work on expanding their social media presence and professional networks. This visibility catapulted their recognition in the community and gave the recycling center credibility with neighbors and businesses.
The business began to grow exponentially in the years that followed. What began with residential recycling collection grew to include environmental cleanup with an adopt-an-area program funded by local business partnerships.
Now, in the seventh year of the enterprise - the team provides over 1,000 homes with recycling collection services and have formed formal partnerships with 55 local businesses that together have adopted 20 clean-up sites citywide. They employ more than 20 previously unemployable youth and continue to expand into additional services.
This growth and visibility eventually opened doors to further investment from Mercedes Benz of South Africa as a key part of their Corporate Social Responsibility program.
Their vision for education has also grown to a formal Entrepreneurial Training Center, which uses a “Life in 4D” approach – providing personalized support to help aspiring young entrepreneurs Discover their purpose (through identity in Christ), Define their vision, Develop their enterprise, and Dignify their communities (through reinvestment in local transformation).
The primary trainer at the center is Sibusiso (S’bu) who was raised by his grandparents in a nearby rural community. S’bu is a business owner who also has a heart for helping disillusioned youth become entrepreneurs and has developed a nine month internship program that recently graduated an inaugural class of thirteen youth. Three of these young adults have formally registered and started their own small recycling businesses.
Video: Social Entrepreneurship in South Africa
In a community that has historically struggled with cycles of poverty and oppression - this new cycle stands out as a sustainable way forward for the next generation.
The recycling center is a flourishing example of how social enterprise can mobilize multiple stakeholders such as neighbors, local businesses, non-profits, government and international donors to sustainably drive community-wide transformation that integrates spiritual, economic, social and environmental change.
“This is the impact you create as a part of One Collective. In communities around the world, leaders are launching innovative new strategies centered on the ways of Jesus - and communities are experiencing change that lasts.”
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