The National Development Agency (NDA) has been in the process of repositioning and reorganising itself to adapt to the required socioeconomic and political changes so as to fully service the nation’s disadvantaged communities through the civil society sector. Since its inception, the NDA has been providing grant funding and capacity-building to civil society organisations (CSOs). The strategic shift that the NDA has adopted for the Medium-term Expenditure Framework (MTSF) period primarily focuses on CSO development as the main anchor for building a comprehensive approach towards strengthening, enhancing and sustaining the capabilities of CSOs working within poor communities in South Africa, particularly in the most deprived and prioritised wards. The NDA is therefore beginning to decentralise its services to the district offices located close to communities to ensure access to government services.

The NDA is also aware that globally, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will also set the development agenda in South Africa, prompting them to play a meaningful role in achieving the SDGs. It is very clear that development will not achieve its full potential without a viable and capacitated civil society sector.<