As I reflected on the role of corporate social investment (CSI) in South Africa, one thought struck me: over the past 30 years, how much have we really built? How many schools, classrooms, laboratories, and libraries have been created through CSI, and what could we achieve if we shifted focus to universities — the institutions that prepare young South Africans to participate fully in the economy?
Let’s start with the numbers. Corporate South Africa has consistently prioritised education in its CSI. In 2025, total CSI across all sectors was R13.1 billion, with education accounting for roughly 40%. Looking back from 1994 to 2025 — 32 years — cumulative CSI spend totals approximately R218 billion, of which around R87 billion was directed to education.
Historically, only 16% of education CSI went toward permanent infrastructure — schools, libraries, laboratories. That means R13.9 billion over 32 years has been spent on structural education projects. To put that into context, assume a fully equipped school costs around R20 million. Dividing the structural spend by the cost per school:
-
13,900 ÷ 20 = 695 schools
So, over the past 32 years, CSI could have built approximately 695 fully equipped schools — classrooms, libraries, laboratories, and all. That is the tangible, lasting legacy of structural CSI spend, in contrast to the vast majority of funding (R73 billion) that went to programmatic initiatives such as bursaries, teacher development, and ICT support.
Now, let’s pivot to the future. The CSI Indaba has a bold vision: over the next 30 years, corporate South Africa should focus on building three universities by 2055. These are not ordinary universities — each would require modern lecture halls, laboratories, libraries, student housing, research facilities, and digital infrastructure. Rough estimates suggest that constructing a single university of this scale could cost R10–15 billion, meaning three universities would require roughly R30–45 billion.
How can we get there? The structural spend that historically represented 16% of education CSI must increase to 30% by 2040. By making this shift, corporate CSI can move from reactive, programmatic impact to strategic, structural change. Simply put: if companies increase the proportion of their education budgets allocated to permanent infrastructure from 16% to 30%, they would have the resources to fund the construction of three universities over the next three decades.
To illustrate, consider Woolworths, which spent R52 million in cash CSI in 2024–2025 alongside R857 million in food donations. Feeding people is essential, yet a portion of these funds could be applied to building universities, creating a generational impact that far surpasses programmatic spending alone. Even a commitment of 10% of annual CSI cash spend toward this structural vision could accumulate significantly over decades.
The impact would be profound. Each university could enrol between 8,000 and 12,000 students per year, provide thousands of academic and administrative jobs, stimulate regional economies, and equip graduates with skills in science, technology, business, health, and the humanities. Research centres could foster innovation, incubators could support new enterprises, and graduates would enter the economy capable of creating value and reducing inequality.
Stellenbosch University, for example, receives over 100,000 applications for only 6,000 first-year places. The bottleneck is structural — insufficient lecture halls, laboratories, housing, and facilities. Redirecting CSI toward building universities addresses this challenge directly, moving South African CSI from reactive programme support to visionary, long-term infrastructure investment.
To recap the numbers:
- Historical education CSI (1994–2025): R87 billion
- Historical structural spend (16%): R13.9 billion → ~695 schools
- Programmatic spend: R73 billion
- Future structural target (30% by 2040) → enough to fund three universities by 2055
- Estimated cost: R30–45 billion for three universities
This is the kind of transformational, generational CSI that the Indaba calls for: moving beyond temporary programmes to permanent, systemic impact. Feeding people today is essential, but building universities for tomorrow feeds minds and creates opportunity for generations.
Corporate South Africa has the resources. The question is vision: will it commit to shifting structural CSI from 16% to 30% and fund the universities our country needs? The time to act is now. CSI should no longer be measured by bursaries awarded or kilos of redistributed food — it must be measured by the permanent institutions it creates and the opportunities they unlock.
The call to action is clear: join the conversation, be part of the solution, and see how corporate South Africa can lead systemic change. Buy your ticket to the CSI Indaba 2026 today and help shape the vision of building three universities that could transform the country over the next three decades. The next generation of South Africans deserves nothing less.
Leave a Reply