At the Seriti Institute’s fourth annual networking event, leaders and stakeholders united to tackle South Africa’s development challenges. The event highlighted the crucial need to transition from short-term public employment programmes into sustainable, long-term pathways to dignity and agricultural growth.
South Africa’s development challenges cannot be solved by government, business, civil society or communities acting alone. Building sustainable livelihoods requires stronger partnerships, better connected systems, and a shared commitment to creating opportunities that last beyond the life of individual programmes.
This was the central message emerging from Seriti Institute’s fourth annual partner networking event – Journeys to Possibility: Connecting learning, skills and livelihoods – held in Johannesburg on 1 July 2026.
The event brought together representatives from government, the private sector, philanthropy, civil society, researchers, community organisations and programme participants to explore one important question: How do we create opportunities that continue long after a programme ends?
Moving beyond public programmes
Throughout the day, discussions highlighted that while public employment programmes (PEPs) provide an important foundation through work experience, skills development and income support, sustainable livelihoods depend on what happens next. Participants reflected on the need to strengthen pathways into employment, entrepreneurship, enterprise development and continued learning, supported by stronger collaboration across sectors.
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A defining moment of the event was the interactive session “Mind the Gap”, where participants examined the perceived gaps between government, business, civil society and communities before collectively exploring what becomes possible when those gaps are intentionally bridged. The exercise reinforced that South Africa’s development challenges require trust, collaboration and shared responsibility rather than isolated interventions.
Across the agriculture, early childhood development (ECD) and GreenWorks discussions, several common themes emerged. Participants highlighted the importance of co-designing programmes with communities, strengthening transitions beyond public employment, aligning skills development with labour market opportunities, investing in mentorship and enterprise support, and building partnerships that extend beyond short-term projects.
Designing pathways to dignity
Reflecting on the event, Seriti Institute CEO, Juanita Pardesi, said, “People do not experience life in programmes. They experience life through opportunity, dignity, confidence, and the ability to build a better future. If we want to create lasting change, we must stop thinking in programmes and start thinking in pathways. That requires all of us – government, business, civil society and communities – to work differently, together.”
The event also placed participant voices at the centre of the conversation. Stories shared throughout the day demonstrated how public employment can become a springboard to confidence, leadership, skills development, entrepreneurship, and sustainable livelihoods when supported through intentional partnerships and continued opportunities.
Seriti Institute extends its sincere appreciation to our partner, Standard Bank, for supporting the 2026 Partner Networking Event. The partnership created an important platform for honest dialogue, shared learning, and stronger collaboration across sectors, bringing in lived experience.
As South Africa continues to explore new approaches to inclusive growth, the conversations at Journeys to Possibility reaffirmed a simple but powerful idea: lasting change is built through partnership.
Seriti Institute remains committed to working alongside communities and partners to connect learning, skills and livelihoods, creating practical pathways to opportunity that endure long after individual programmes have ended.
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