Programme
Koeksister
Build. Renew. Thrive.
The Koeksister project is a local economic development model that acknowledges the need for ecological rehabilitation and social justice to build resilient towns, from the ground up. Just like the unique South African dessert, the Koeksister is shaped like a rope a symbol of weaving together three concepts: doughnut economics, transition towns, and commoning which strengthen community, sustainability, and build resilience.
Overview
The world is facing problems which our current systems cannot fix. If Covid-19 and weather events like droughts have taught us anything, it is that our communities are not strong enough to cope with shocks to our economy, load shedding and extreme weather events like floods and droughts resulting from climate change. South Africa has long-faced deep inequality, joblessness, and poverty challenges that the Covid-19 pandemic only made worse.
South Africa needs a local model of economic development that asks how we can build resilient towns and ensure that all their people have the opportunity to prosper within the ecological boundaries. The Koeksister project will look at food sovereignty, energy security, and a social-led economy that cares for its people.
Striving to overcome the legacies of colonialism and apartheid, through community discussions and storytelling, we will use public information to paint a picture of what each area could contribute to the local economy if we grow demand for the products and services of local independent businesses and build supply chains closer to home. For each area, we look to identify potential job creation points within the supply network and assess their impact on local and regional development.
We will also highlight the barriers to relocalising in each area. Finally, we will track the exit points for money in key sectors to better understand how money flows through our towns and how we can keep more of it circulating locally. We are working to build a society where people from different backgrounds can work together to build a stronger resilient future.