What works in South Africa
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Quality scores are 0–100 rubric scores; “strong evidence” reflects study design; adoptions count documented replications elsewhere. Know more
Evidence snapshot for South Africa
South Africa demonstrates innovation across multiple sectors. Thuthuzela Care Centres achieve conviction rates of 77–89% in sexual-violence cases, exceeding the 72.5% national average across 66+ centres serving 44,000+ survivors annually. Working for Water has cleared 2.5+ million hectares of invasive plants while employing 300,000+ people since 1995. Digital inclusion efforts include SmartCape, which provides free internet and skills training to 500,000+ registered users across 104 library branches, and Zenzeleni Networks, a rural cooperative ISP offering internet 20–40x cheaper than incumbents. These practices show measurable outcomes, though most rely on descriptive or observational evidence rather than randomized trials.
Drawn from: Thuthuzela Care Centres — Integrated One-Stop Sexual Violence Support, South Africa · Zenzeleni Networks – Rural Cooperative-Owned ISP · SmartCape – Cape Town's Municipal Library Digital Access and Skills Programme · E.A.R.S. — AI-Powered WhatsApp Teacher Training for Early Hearing-Loss Detection in South African Schools · Working for Water (South Africa) · Cape Town Central City Improvement District — 25 Years of Levy-Funded Urban Turnaround · VPUU — Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading in Khayelitsha, Cape Town · Harambee's Skills-Information Intervention — Closing South Africa's Youth Job-Matching Gap
Generated from this place's cited practices only. Always check the linked sources.
Strengths & weaknesses vs peers
Strengths
Evaluation evidence +36 pts 80 here · 44 average
Equity & inclusion +32 pts 85 here · 52 average
Transparency, ethics & data protection +22 pts 70 here · 48 average
Fire resilience — risk reduction, evidenced +17 pts 24 here · 7 average
Biodiversity — conservation / improvement, evidenced +16 pts 67 here · 50 average
Water & soil — retention, infiltration, erosion control +13 pts 64 here · 50 average
Curator validation +11 pts 86 here · 74 average
Weaknesses
Demonstrated reach -16 pts 60 here · 76 average
Carbon — sequestration / storage, evidenced -19 pts 12 here · 31 average
Effectiveness -20 pts 57 here · 77 average
Impact on gender equality -23 pts 57 here · 80 average
Efficiency -30 pts 14 here · 44 average
Score profile vs peers
Coloured bar: South Africa. Grey bar: peer average across the corpus. Both on a common 0–100 scale.
Points compare this place's average on each dimension with the average across all evaluated places, on a common 0–100 scale. Know more
Top good practices here
Thuthuzela Care Centres — Integrated One-Stop Sexual Violence Support, South Africa · 96
Zenzeleni Networks – Rural Cooperative-Owned ISP · 96
SmartCape – Cape Town's Municipal Library Digital Access and Skills Programme · 96
Working for Water (South Africa) · 87
Cape Town Central City Improvement District — 25 Years of Levy-Funded Urban Turnaround · 86
VPUU — Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading in Khayelitsha, Cape Town · 86
Harambee's Skills-Information Intervention — Closing South Africa's Youth Job-Matching Gap · 81
Each number is the practice's overall 0–100 quality score against its catalogue's rubric. Know more
Cities with evaluated practice
Where the documented practice in South Africa concentrates — each city has its own evidence profile.
Recommended to adopt or replicate
Transferable practices from elsewhere that address this place's gaps.
Ciudad Mujer — El Salvador's Integrated Women's Services Programme · fit 100/100
- Rated highly transferable
- Backed by strong evidence
- Addresses this place's weak dimensions
Already adopted in 3 other places
SASA! Community Mobilisation Programme against Intimate Partner Violence — Uganda · fit 100/100
- Rated highly transferable
- Backed by strong evidence
- Addresses this place's weak dimensions
Already adopted in 4 other places
Digital Green — Video-Mediated Agricultural Extension · fit 100/100
- Backed by strong evidence
- Addresses this place's weak dimensions
Kartu Prakerja – National Digital Skills and Financial Inclusion Programme · fit 100/100
- Backed by strong evidence
- Addresses this place's weak dimensions
Rwanda's Land Tenure Regularization Programme — Titling Land in Women's Names · fit 90/100
- Rated highly transferable
- Backed by strong evidence
- Addresses this place's weak dimensions
- Rated highly transferable
- Backed by strong evidence
- Addresses this place's weak dimensions
Already adopted in 6 other places
Abolition of Chhaupadi — Ending Menstrual Exile Huts in Nepal's Far- and Mid-Western Districts · fit 82/100
- Rated highly transferable
- Addresses this place's weak dimensions
Guyana's One-Third Gender Candidate Quota — Two Decades of Sustained Representation · fit 82/100
- Rated highly transferable
- Addresses this place's weak dimensions
Fit estimates how well a practice matches this place, 0 (poor) to 100 (excellent); the list is ordered to favour practices that address this place's gaps. Know more