IBIS Southern Africa

Foto: Gitte Jakobsen

IBIS Southern Africa focuses on three countries: Angola, Namibia and South Africa. IBIS has long-standing ties with each of these countries. IBIS supported their liberation movements and currently engages in the development and democratic challenges faced by post-war Angola and post-apartheid Namibia and South Africa.

IBIS Southern Africa works in four broad fields:

Education – ensuring access to good quality education remains a key challenge in Angola, Namibia and South Africa. Education is vital in building the capacity of people to lift themselves out of poverty and to engage in the economic and political developments in their countries.

HIV/AIDS – the pandemic poses a formidable challenge to development in Angola, Namibia and South Africa. It undermines their economic development, and it threatens to derail the consolidation of their young democracies and their efforts in building a human rights culture – in short all the main objectives that IBIS, amongst other development actors, is working to achieve.

Shack Dweller and Urban Poor – these are some of the largest, most impoverished and marginalised groups in all three countries. They lack adequate shelter and basic infrastructure – such as water and sanitation - secure land tenure, education and employment opportunities, and basic health services. In addition, shack dwellers and urban poor often live on the fringe of economic and political influence, and are vulnerable to exploitation, abuse and crime.

Support to Civil Society Organisations – IBIS works with a variety of governmental and non-governmental actors in Angola, Namibia and South Africa in the fields of education, HIV/AIDS, and shack dwellers and urban poor. Across these three fields, a special emphasis is put on supporting civil society organisations and movements to help local people mobilise and play a more prominent role in the economic and political developments in their countries.

IBIS Southern Africa currently has 1 regional programme:

Regional HIV/AIDS Programme