Community services with compassion

Mfesane NPC is a leading Christian Development Agency offering Community Based Health Care and Support Services to families as well as Skills Training and Education, empowering communities through sustainable partnerships.

We reach out to communities in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Cape West Coast.

Serving South Africa communities for more than 40 years

On 26 November 1975 Mfesane was registered as a result of an initiative of the Dutch Reformed Churches. Existing projects dating back as far as 1959 were incorporated as Mfesane community projects. Official links with the Dutch Reformed Church in Africa continued until 1985 when Mfesane became a fully independent Ecumenical Christian development organization.

In 1988 our humble Christian community development agency shifted focus from the homelands to urban areas in South Africa in anticipation of the large-scale urbanization of Black South Africans. By 1992 we had started an in-depth strategic planning process in anticipation of the new political transformation in the country and the challenges and opportunities this presented a Christian development agency.

This comprehensive process of organizational development and renewal still continues today. Mfesane works closely with
local communities, churches, government organizations, other non profit organizations and businesses to build capacity into local communities to respond to their own needs sustainably.

OUR VALUES

Communication, Initiative, Creativity, Accountability
and Action Planning

As a Christian development agency, these values are embedded in our performance management systems and culture:

Transparency - Trustworthiness - Excellence - Inclusivity - Sibanye
(working together for one common goal)
Compassion - Stewardship - People-centered - Community-driven

OUR VISION

Our vision is empowered communities, sustainable families.

FULFILLING THIS VISION
By serving local communities we aim to build the capacity of communities to respond to their own needs sustainably.

Our focus is on using internal and external knowledge and resources, and facilitating networks and partnerships with the community and other development organizations.

Board of Directors

Mfesane's Board offers wisdom, guidance and good governance.
The current board comprises Rev O Ntshanyana (Chairperson), Rev GEG Louw (Patron), Mrs Yolandi Afrika (CEO),
Mrs NL Baba, Rev EZ Myeko, Mr N Pretorius, Dr N Bowers-du Toit, Mrs N Walker–Woodard and Mrs NL Sopotela.

Mfesane's CEOs over the last 40+ years: Mrs N. Baba (left), Rev.
Almero (middle) and current CEO, Mrs Y. Afrika (right)

Successful community work starts with the right team

Mfesane has over 300 staff working to help those in need and to empower communities. It is these individuals whose hard work and dedication makes what we do possible.
Just as our staff members have invested their time in serving the community, so we invest in our staff through constant skills training. Training also ensures that no matter what project we are working on, we do it with knowledge and professionalism.

The Cape Town Team

The Port Elizabeth Team

Mfesane's Saldanha Bay Municipality Teams

Community Health Workers
Vredenburg and Louwville

Isibindi 1
Middelpos team

Isibindi 2
Laingville team

Isibindi 3
Hopefield team

Nelson Mandela Bay is a major seaport and automotive manufacturing centre located on the south-eastern coast of Africa. It is the economic powerhouse of the Eastern Cape Province and home to more than 1,2 million people. The most common home language spoken is isiXhosa and over 40% of homes are headed by women.

Approximately 60% of employable adults do not have jobs and 2020 statistics for Nelson Mandela Bay record that 49.6% of the total population live in poverty.

Mfesane’s office is in the coastal city of Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth).

Saldanha Bay Municipality is a local municipality located on the West Coast of South Africa, approximately 140 kilometres north of Cape Town. It covers an area of 2,015 km ²; 93.5% of the land is rural land. The population is estimated to be approximately 130,000 with over 45% living in poverty. The most prevalent language spoken is Afrikaans, followed by isiXhosa and English. 25% of households live in informal dwellings and 33% of households are female-headed. 25% of the population are children under 15 years of age.

Mfesane’s office is centrally located in Vredenburg. Mfesane works within both the Saldanha Bay and the adjacent Bergrivier Municipalities.

The City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality is situated in the southern peninsula of the Western Cape province. It has a coastline of 294km and covers an area of 2,446km², stretching from Gordon’s Bay to Atlantis, including the suburbs of Mitchell’s Plain and Khayelitsha. Cape Town is South Africa’s second largest economic centre and second most populous city after Johannesburg.

Mfesane’s head office is in Khayelitsha, which is the fastest growing township in South Africa and one of the most economically challenged areas of Cape Town. Approximately 75% of Khayelitsha’s estimated 2.4 million inhabitants live in informal dwellings; many families are migrants from the Eastern Cape and southern parts of Africa. 76% of Khayelitsha’s population is under the age of 29, 1 in 3 people has to walk 200m or more to access water and 89% of households are moderately or severely food insecure.
It is estimated that more than 70% of young people in Khayelitsha are unemployed.