What is it? It’s a growing field of financial and social innovation. In short, it is, “investment where specific social objectives are set and measured,” says Sir Ronald Cohen, chairman of the International Social Impact Investment Taskforce, formed at the G8 Social Impact Investment Forum in June 2013. This is an important point: in order […]
Impact investing: A closer look
By Aunnie Patton and Justine Joseph
![Author]()
Inside | Aunnie Patton and Justine Joseph
First she was an investment banker. Then she was a social investment banker. Now she’s a Dean’s Fellow at the Saïd Business School, Oxford. She’s consulted with the UK government, Big Society Capital, the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and social enterprises the world over. In June 2013, she moved to Cape Town to be a Fellow at the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Aunnie’s social investment in Africa. Read more about her work at: www.apsocialfinance.com
She’s a scientist by training, but editor of Inside|Out by profession. She has a Bachelor of Science (Medical) Honours from the University of Cape Town and 10 years experience as a health and science journalist. She was a Mondi Magazine Award finalist and the international winner of the 2006 Novo Nordisk Media Prize for Excellence in Diabetes Writing. In 2011 she co-authored The Story of the Fly and How it Could Save the World with enviro-entrepreneur Jason Drew. She’s contributed to various publications including Shape, Men’s Health, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, The Oprah Magazine, Discovery and Hip2B2.
How to give your impact measurement a makeover (#1)
By Elena Mancebo Masa
![Author]()
The numbers are telling. While 86.9% of organisations in South Africa’s development sector consider impact measurement a crucial process, a whole 61.7% of them recognise that they don’t do enough of it. Let’s think about why this may be. And while we’re at it, let’s look at some impact-measurement case studies and practical tips on […]
Inside | Elena Mancebo Masa
She is senior researcher at Creative Consulting & Development Works (www.developmentworks.co.za), a research, evaluation and communications consultancy servicing the development sector in South Africa and the region. Elena is a seasoned development practitioner with expertise in socio-economic research, monitoring and evaluation. She’s been trained in Social Return on Investment by the SROI Network. She has also consulted with many organisations on how to improve business operations while contributing to a community’s social and economic change. Elena loves to hike in Cape Town’s beautiful mountains. Her latest pastime, however, is motocross bikes, which her two-year-old son chose for her.
African innovation: The leapfrogs and left-behinds
By Dr Jolyon Ford
![Author]()
For all the excitement about innovation in Africa, one cannot simply use it to “leapfrog” over all problems. And where does that leave the role of society and state? First, some questions: 1 Is the term “innovation” being abused in the contemporary African growth story? 2 How do tech-based innovations and other “leapfrogs” relate to […]
Inside | Dr Jolyon Ford
Originally from Zimbabwe, Jo is an associate of the Global Economic Governance programme at Oxford University. His PhD was on “Peacebuilding and the Private Sector: regulating business after conflict,” and he’s worked extensively in government, intergovernmental projects, civil society, academia and consulting. Mainly, Jo’s focus is on sub-Saharan Africa, and in navigating society’s changing expectations of business, from “resource nationalism” to an innovative blend of “people, planet and profit”. This article is partly drawn from a May 2014 post on Jolyon’s insightful blog, www.privatesector-publicworld.blogspot.co.uk.
Innopinion 2: Make frontline innovation visible and change the system from the inside out
By Anjali Sastry
![Author]()
Across the planet, every day, nurses, doctors and their colleagues wrestle with the challenge of delivering healthcare to those who most need it. Many agree that to enable improvement, we need to learn what works and support innovation. There’s wide consensus that management and business tools could help. Organisations in low-resource settings could benefit from […]
Inside | Anjali Sastry
Anjali is a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management and the Director of the Groundwork Initiative and GlobalHealth Lab.
Destination Education (#1)
By Emma van der Vliet and Justine Joseph
![Author]()
Despite significant government spend, the education system in South Africa is failing our learners. Results are significantly weaker than those of learners in our poorer sub-Saharan neighbour, Zimbabwe, which seems baffling on the surface. But let’s try to make some sense of it. Let’s examine the trending areas of challenge and the potential changes that […]
Inside | Emma van der Vliet and Justine Joseph
Dr Emma van der Vliet is a teacher, writer and former coordinator of the Center for Educational Innovations (CEI) hub in South Africa. She also has a Masters in creative writing, a PhD in Film and Media Studies, two published novels and some very lucky kids who get to call her Mom.
She’s a scientist by training, but editor of Inside|Out by profession. She has a Bachelor of Science (Medical) Honours from the University of Cape Town and 10 years experience as a health and science journalist. She was a Mondi Magazine Award finalist and the international winner of the 2006 Novo Nordisk Media Prize for Excellence in Diabetes Writing. In 2011 she co-authored The Story of the Fly and How it Could Save the World with enviro-entrepreneur Jason Drew. She’s contributed to various publications including Shape, Men’s Health, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, The Oprah Magazine, Discovery and Hip2B2.
Why social change is Altino’s business
By Carol Williams
![Author]()
He was born and grew up in Belhar, Cape Town, in a community characterised by gangsterism and drugs. He’s faced various personal, social and financial challenges, but always had a positive attitude and innovative spark. Altino Louw stoked that spark in the 2013 RAA class and in a business that manufactures quality products from household […]
Inside | Carol Williams
She’s a qualified music therapist (one of only 47 in South Africa) and also the personal development facilitator at the Raymond Ackerman Academy of Entrepreneurial Development. She’s passionate about social justice, social development and working with fellow South Africans to create a more just society. This is why she loves her job. She also loves music, the beach, a good laugh and a good book. And writing, too, which is great for Inside|Out.
Social franchising (to KFC or not to KFC)
By Heather Parker
![Author]()
Social and commercial franchising share the goal of achieving quality-consistent business quicker, easier and with less risk. But can social enterprises truly be replicated and franchised like commercial chains? And if so, will the result be (finger-lickin’) good? [wooslider slider_type=”attachments”] Kentucky Fried Chicken and Nando’s are like birds that migrate to new and distant lands. […]
Inside | Heather Parker
Heather Parker is a journalist, editor, UCT MBA-graduate and lover of her home city, Cape Town. She’s also the Legacy Officer in the World Design Capital 2014 team at the City of Cape Town. The team is working with the City to identify and further develop design-thinking culture within City structures. Heather clearly loves her job.
The story of social impact bonds
By Aunnie Patton
![Author]()
In 2012, Jim Clifford knew that the Consortium of Voluntary Adoption Agencies (CVAA) in the UK was extremely effective at placing challenging children with adoptive parents. More effective than government programmes that wait for aspirant parents to approach them. As head of the not-for-profit advisory at accounting firm Baker Tilly, and an adoptive parent himself, […]
Inside | Aunnie Patton
First she was an investment banker. Then she was a social investment banker. Now she’s a Dean’s Fellow at the Saïd Business School, Oxford. She’s consulted with the UK government, Big Society Capital, the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and social enterprises the world over. In June 2013, she moved to Cape Town to be a Fellow at the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Aunnie’s social investment in Africa. Read more about her work at: www.apsocialfinance.com
Inside | Out is published by The Bertha Centre for Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship, hosted at the Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
© 2013 Inside | Out. All Rights Reserved.