In Western countries giving means donating large sums of money; in South Africa, it is much more, according to a fundraising consultant, Kate Crane Briggs, who is the founding director of Culture Connect SA.
“In South Africa giving is not always formal in the sense of donating large sums of money to charities. This is because of there is a strong sense of community giving and Ubuntu. Ubuntu refers to the essential human virtues: compassion and humanity,” she explains.
She refers to South Africa’s very mixed landscape, with more giving done informally, for instance helping a gardener pay his children’s school fees or donating a Santa Shoe Box.
Another interesting aspect Briggs raises is the income-to-giving ratio between low income and the wealthy. “Low income South Africans don’t have much compared to the very wealthy, but they give much more,” she says
