Four organisations committed to creating sustainable development in townships across South Africa (SA) have consolidated under the newly established entity, Rhiza Holdings, primed to galvanise formidable change across the country.
A culmination of a decade of work by philanthropists and experts driving community and economic development in SA’s vulnerable communities, Rhiza Holdings is set to bolster a new era of holistic solutions to socio-economic challenges.
Rhiza Babuyile, Township Fleva, Munching Mongoose and The Babuyile Community Development Trust will now fall under the stewardship of Rhiza Holdings, an entity established to finance, support and govern the development of sustainable and innovative organisations that solve SA’s biggest problems: poverty, unemployment and inequality.
Alef Meulenberg, a philanthropist with a longstanding history of establishing sustainable development organisations and driving growth in townships, is the co-founder and Group CEO at Rhiza Holdings. “The formation of Rhiza Holdings will help create and further develop programmes to enhance and amplify the established social impact of Rhiza Babuyile’s initiatives. Rhiza Holdings will cultivate the long-term growth and sustainability of all its subsidiaries,” says Meulenberg.
Rhiza Babuyile, a well-respected community development organisation, has successfully been creating self-sustainability and economic independence in townships in the country for decades. Its impact will now be further boosted by two entities that have successfully been supporting the development of local businesses in the formal and informal sector, Township Fleva and The Babuyile Community Development Trust.
These three township-focussed entities will be complimented by Munching Mongoose, an organic, locally sourced fruit and vegetable delivery business supporting small-scale township farmers selling fresh produce directly to households.
“With the holding structure we can propel and build several organisations that focus on individually solving SA’s biggest challenges. People lack basic skills because of education and inequality leading to unemployment, poverty, and reduced access to sustainable food sources. These impending challenges are front and centre of the mandates of the entities which fall under Rhiza Holdings,” says Meulenberg.
For the past two decades, Rhiza Babuyile has been the flagship initiative of the group, running health, education and skills development programs in various townships across South Africa. Rhiza Babuyile will be headed by Rodney Makube, its Managing Director. Caryn Myers, Managing Director of Munching Mongoose will also lead the Babuyile Community Development Trust as Chairperson, while Meulenberg will hold the position of acting Managing Director of Township Fleva.
By focusing on businesses and organisations that can help address these critical issues in South Africa, Rhiza Holdings is primed to make a significantly positive impact on the country and its people. Regarding how the expansion will impact the existing businesses, Meulenberg says the various entities will continue to operate independently under the Rhiza Holdings umbrella.
“This will help the individual businesses to grow in a supportive environment while still maintaining their unique identities and missions. However, the establishment of Rhiza Holdings will result in some restructuring and changes in operations to better optimise and align its entities with the overall objectives of Rhiza Holdings” says Meulenberg.
Despite the poverty and inequality which blight townships, these communities are home to thousands of thriving small and informal businesses and programmes which form the backbone of vulnerable communities relying on them.
Under a renewed sense of direction and empowerment, Rhiza Holdings plans to usher in a new era focused on collaborative and sustainable innovation bringing people together to create long-term solutions that help vulnerable township communities become self-sufficient, thriving societies.
