What the 2026 Budget Means for Community Organisations and Why Zakah Still Matters

Across South Africa, community organisations play a vital role in supporting families facing hunger, homelessness and unemployment. For many households, these organisations are not a “safety net” — they are often the only support system available.

For organisations like South African National Zakah Fund (SANZAF), this work is both a responsibility and a trust. It is rooted in faith, compassion and the obligation to serve those in need with dignity.

Small Gains in the Fight Against Hunger

The Budget Speech delivered by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana on 25 February 2026 brings some modest relief for struggling families. The increase in the Child Support Grant and the expansion of VAT zero-rated food items will slightly ease household pressure.

But adult support grants remain frozen and food prices continue to rise. In communities like Mdantsane and Delft, many families still rely on community kitchens, food parcels and informal feeding schemes to survive.

SANZAF-supported programmes in these areas regularly see parents choosing between transport to work and buying groceries or between electricity and school lunches. These are daily realities that no budget line fully reflects.

Employment Support That Falls Short

Government employment programmes continue to rely on community organisations to create short-term work opportunities. These programmes help many people earn some income and gain experience.

However, the stipends are low and rarely sufficient to support a household. In areas like Soweto, young people participating in community projects often remain financially vulnerable despite being “employed”.

For many, these programmes are a stepping stone — but without further support, too many fall back into poverty.

Capacity Building Without Sustainable Funding

The budget recognises the importance of strengthening civil society organisations. Training in governance and financial management is valuable.

But what most organisations need is stable, long-term funding that reflects the true cost of service delivery. Without this, many are forced to rely heavily on donations to keep essential programmes running.

This creates constant financial pressure and limits the ability to plan for the future.

Homelessness: An Ongoing Emergency

For organisations working with homeless and displaced people, the budget offers little new support. Shelter subsidies remain low and there is no dedicated national fund for homelessness.

In communities such as Umlazi and Diepsloot, overcrowding, unemployment and the erosion of the nucleus family, continue to push people onto the streets.

While long-term housing projects are important, they move slowly. In the meantime, NPO-run shelters and community centres must respond to urgent needs — often with limited and uncertain funding.

Zakah: A Vital Supplement to Public Support

In this context, Zakah remains a crucial pillar of social protection.

Through Zakah, Muslims are able to directly support the poor, the indebted, the unemployed and those in distress — filling gaps that public funding cannot reach.

For SANZAF, Zakah is not only charity; it is a structured, accountable system of empowerment and a channel of mercy. It supports:

• Food security programmes
• Emergency relief
• Education and skills development
• Small enterprise support
• Family stabilisation initiatives

In many communities, Zakah-funded interventions make the difference between survival and collapse.

In Umlazi, Zakah helps sustain feeding schemes when government subsidies fall short.  In Manenberg, it helps young people access training and mentoring opportunities.

These are practical expressions of faith in action.

Building Resilience Together

Overall, the 2026 Budget offers incremental improvements, but no fundamental shift. Community organisations will continue to serve — often under immense pressure.

For SANZAF and its partners, this reinforces an important truth: sustainable social development requires partnership.

Government support, community leadership, private sector investment and faith-based giving must work together.

Zakah strengthens the social fabric. It complements public resources. It restores dignity. And it enables communities to move from dependence to resilience.

As South Africa faces ongoing economic and social challenges, SANZAF remains committed to ensuring that Zakah continues to be a source of hope, stability and transformation — one family, one community and one life at a time.

Written by Yasmina Francke, Chief Executive Officer of the South African National Zakah Fund (SANZAF).