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From a Safe Place to a Growing Harvest: Hope Takes Root in Limpopo In Maphosa Village, Limpopo, one woman’s concern for children after school grew into something that now supports families in more ways than one: a safe place for children, help with their learning and meals to share — alongside a community farming project creating jobs. Johanna Mailula founded the Maphosa Drop-in Centre in 2016 after seeing children spending afternoons without adult supervision. A report published by SAnews on 2 September 2026 says the centre now supports 68 vulnerable children. Over time, the initiative has grown beyond its original purpose. Alongside care for children, it is helping address some of the pressures facing local families, including unemployment and food insecurity. CARE THAT GROWS WITH THE COMMUNITY The centre provides children with homework assistance, psychosocial support, educational enrichment, life-skills development and nutritious meals. Those everyday forms of support can make a real difference. A place to go after school, someone ready to help with homework and a meal at the end of the day can give a child more space to feel safe, learn and look ahead. FROM SUPPORT TO SUSTAINABLE WORK Recognising how closely children’s wellbeing is connected to their families’ circumstances, the organisation expanded into agriculture. The farming project now creates 17 permanent jobs, as well as seasonal and volunteer opportunities. Its vegetables attract customers from across Limpopo, and the Traditional Council has allocated five hectares of land to support future growth. The centre’s progress shows how one community initiative can respond to needs that are linked: caring for children, improving access to food and creating ways for people to earn an income. A PARTNERSHIP TO HELP THE HARVEST GROW In 2026, support facilitated by the National Development Agency helped the centre partner with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The partnership provided R1.3 million for the Green Harvest Project. The funding strengthened the centre’s farming capacity through irrigation, boreholes, water storage, fencing and shade-net structures, alongside seedling production and crop cultivation. Training and mentorship are also helping the organisation build its food production and market access. Mailula hopes to grow the project further and reach markets beyond South Africa. A VISION THAT STARTED CLOSE TO HOME The Maphosa Drop-in Centre began with a simple but powerful response to what was happening in the community: children needed a safe place and caring support after school. Today, that commitment reaches further — helping children, creating work and laying foundations for more sustainable livelihoods. Sometimes, lasting change begins when someone notices what their neighbours need — and decides to start. https://trustoria.co.za/article/from-a-safe-place-to-a-growing-harvest-hope-takes-root-in-limpopo #Trustoria #LocalNews

I’ve always wondered why it’s so easy for people to complain about what’s wrong in our country… but so hard for them to step up and be part of the solution. We talk about unemployment. We talk about corruption. We talk about the economy struggling. But when it comes to supporting the small business down the road, sharing a local entrepreneur’s post, or choosing to spend our money within our own communities — suddenly there are excuses. Change doesn’t start in Parliament. It starts in our daily decisions. Every time you support a local entrepreneur, you are helping someone feed their family. You are helping someone create jobs. You are keeping money circulating inside South Africa instead of sending it elsewhere. If we want a better country, we cannot sit on the sidelines. We cannot only talk. We must participate. Support local. Encourage builders. Share opportunities. Be the reason someone’s business grows. A stronger country begins with stronger communities — and stronger communities begin with us.

The Circle We Keep Living In Life has a way of moving forward — slowly, steadily — yet somehow it feels like we remain in the same circle. Every day, millions wake up carrying weight you cannot always see. Small business owners fighting to survive another month. Young people searching for opportunity. Families trying to stretch what little they have just a bit further. And while the economy inches forward, the real question remains: Are we moving forward together? Growth is happening. Innovation is happening. Deals are being made. Companies are expanding. But unless we begin to look beyond immediate comfort and short-term gain, the larger challenges — like unemployment and economic inequality — remain standing exactly where they were. Sometimes we believe that a once-off donation, a quick gesture, or a temporary fix closes the gap. It helps in the moment, yes. But the deeper issue is not a moment. It’s a system. It’s a mindset. It’s a pattern. Real change requires more than reaction. It requires vision. It requires courage. It requires collaboration. Not everyone starts from the same position in life. Not everyone receives the same opportunities, support, or connections at the right time. But progress accelerates when those who have capacity choose to see the bigger picture — when businesses support ecosystems, when entrepreneurs take calculated leaps, when communities think long-term instead of transactional. Imagine what would happen if more of us chose partnership over hesitation. If we supported local initiatives before they were “proven.” If we invested in growth before it was convenient. If we looked at unemployment not as someone else’s problem, but as a shared responsibility. The truth is simple: We cannot solve systemic challenges with isolated thinking. The pace at which we address unemployment, economic pressure, and business survival depends on how willing we are to step beyond our comfort zones — whether as companies, entrepreneurs, or individuals. Some will agree. Some will disagree. That’s life. But one thing is certain — if we continue walking in the same circle, we should not be surprised when we arrive at the same place. The bigger picture is there. The opportunity to build differently is there. The question is whether we are ready to take the step together.

There are moments when partnerships are formed simply for visibility — and then there are partnerships formed for purpose. ImpactSA Foundation is proud to officially partner with MySA in a collaboration built on action, accountability, and real change. This is not a symbolic alignment. It is a working commitment to confront the challenges facing our country and to implement practical, measurable solutions that will leave a lasting positive impact. Our work will extend across every province, every community, and every space where help is needed most. South Africa faces serious and complex issues — poverty, unemployment, inequality, community breakdown, lack of access to opportunity. These are not problems that disappear through conversation alone. They require coordinated effort, strategic planning, and long-term thinking. Together with MySA, ImpactSA Foundation will not only respond to immediate needs but focus on sustainable interventions. That means identifying root causes, introducing preventative solutions, empowering communities with resources and education, and building structures that continue working long after the initial project ends. We are not interested in temporary relief that fades with headlines. We are focused on reducing negative impact by replacing it with opportunity, stability, and empowerment. True change happens when you solve the problem today and reduce the chances of it happening again tomorrow. This partnership is about building systems that uplift families, strengthen communities, and create environments where progress becomes normal — not exceptional. We believe that legacy is not what you say, but what remains after you act. And through this partnership, we intend to leave a legacy of measurable change, restored hope, and long-term solutions that shape a stronger South Africa for generations to come. We are proud. We are committed. And we are just getting started. #ImpactSA #MySA

Yoh, South Africa really never has a dull week hey. One moment we’re stressing about whether Rabada’s ankle will hold up in the ODI, the next we’re waiting to see what FIFA decides about that player mess-up 😅. Then you hear about 4,000+ possible job cuts at ArcelorMittal and it hits hard—so many families could be affected. #SA #Unemployment

Too often, we focus on the problems around us without realizing the powerful role we can play in shaping the solutions. The truth is: real change begins when we choose to get involved. The technologies and initiatives being introduced across our communities aren’t just about innovation — they are about people. They are designed to uplift, to empower, and to create opportunities that directly address the challenges we face, especially unemployment. But these solutions can only succeed if we, as citizens, step forward to participate. South Africa stands at a turning point. Each of us has a golden opportunity to contribute to something bigger than ourselves — to strengthen our local economy, to open doors for those seeking work, and to show what is possible when communities rally behind initiatives that are built to support them. It’s easy to stand on the sidelines and criticize, but the real impact comes when we roll up our sleeves and engage. By supporting local programs and embracing the opportunities presented, we help build a future where hope is greater than hardship, and progress is stronger than complaint. Let’s be part of the solution. Let’s support, participate, and uplift — because together, we can make a lasting difference. #NewEra #MySA #MysaTech #SA

Unemployment is not a single country issue but something that affects millions of people globally. In South Africa this problem is one of the key factors that directly links to crime and the unstable economy. It needs to be remembered that unemployment is something that links to all of us, regardless if you are in the lucky position to be employed. In the end we can make a different and MySouthAfrica is taking the step forward that many wish to turn a blind eye to. Keep an eye on us as we are going to expand all our programs, partnerships and projects to help more people find employment. If you are unemployed then make sure to join this network or if you know someone that is unemployed, we ask you to also join and help them by just being online. #Unemployment #MySA

Crime is so bad that they just break your car window at the robots with a brick and take anything they can grab. I understand that here is a high number of unemployment, but they do not care who they rob or what it does to that person or their family. It feels unsafe to leave your own home at times

It is so sad to see so many people without work these days There are less opportunities these days it seems and companies are struggling to survive in the local economy The only entities that have it easy are these corporate groups that control the markets. If only they could share 5% of their market with the smaller groups then we can make a bigger difference for so many people. #unemployment #HelpSA

The only AI we should be supporting is the AI of human hands. Yes creating automated systems might be a good thing and increase productivity and profits, but the flip side of the coin it creates more unemployment. Removing the human factor will remove the human connection #AI #unemployment