Historically known as a railway and agricultural junction connecting regions across South Africa, Noupoort is now working to reconnect something equally important — its people, opportunities, leadership structures, and developmental future. 

As part of the Noupoort Social Enterprise Strengthening Programme, funded by EDF Power Solutions, Khulisa Social Solutions facilitated a series of developmental activities and dialogue engagements in Noupoort between 19 and 22 May 2026, in collaboration with the local municipality and the Department of Social Development (DSD). 

The week-long programme included five Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue Circle engagements involving NGOs, SMMEs, community members, and local stakeholders aimed at openly exploring the systemic social, organisational, and economic challenges affecting the community.  

The dialogue circles reached over 250 community members and stakeholders and focused on key developmental themes, including unemployment and economic exclusion, youth vulnerability and family wellbeing, NGO sustainability and governance, substance abuse and psychosocial support, and agricultural and livelihood opportunities.  

Importantly, the engagements not only surfaced challenges such as poverty, unemployment, substance abuse, organisational instability, and limited economic opportunities, but also highlighted the existing strengths within Noupoort itself. Participants identified strong community relationships, emerging entrepreneurs, active NGOs, available land for development initiatives, and a growing willingness amongst stakeholders to collaborate as key foundations for future change.  

As part of the programme’s long-term sustainability approach, Khulisa Social Solutions has onboarded eight NGOs to provide intensive capacity-building support to strengthen governance, compliance, leadership development, donor readiness, organisational sustainability, and developmental planning. 

In response to the psychosocial and developmental needs identified through the dialogue circles, a resident social worker has also been appointed to provide ongoing support, community engagement, and developmental assistance in Noupoort.  

Evaluation findings from the dialogue circles reflected exceptionally positive feedback, with most participants rating the engagements between 8 and 10 out of 10 and expressing strong support for continued dialogue circles, accredited training opportunities, youth empowerment programmes, NGO capacitation, psychosocial support, and collaborative ecosystem development.  

A recurring theme throughout the engagements was the growing desire for communities to move beyond short-term interventions toward meaningful participation in shaping their own developmental future.  

One participant shared: 

“I think the leaders of Noupoort should be present in these programmes to hear our complaints and make Noupoort a healthier place to live, free from GBV.”  

 Khulisa Social Solutions noted that the findings from the Noupoort engagements reinforce the importance of ecosystem collaboration among communities, NGOs, government, SMMEs, and development stakeholders to address the root causes of social and economic dysfunctionality. Rather than focusing solely on short-term relief interventions, the engagements highlighted the need for long-term developmental approaches that strengthen local leadership, organisational sustainability, psychosocial wellbeing, economic participation, and community ownership.  

 “The people of Noupoort demonstrated remarkable resilience, honesty, and willingness to collectively shape solutions for their community. What emerged most strongly was not only the depth of the challenges facing the town, but the strength of the community voice calling for sustainable change, collaboration, and shared accountability,” said Lesley Ann van Selm, Founder and Managing Director of Khulisa Social Solutions. “The process confirmed that communities themselves hold important insights, assets, and solutions, and that meaningful transformation happens when stakeholders move beyond consultation toward genuine partnership and long-term investment in people, relationships, and local organisations.” 

 The findings from the dialogue engagements will contribute to strengthening future development planning, accredited skills pathways, NGO support programmes, agricultural and livelihood initiatives, psychosocial interventions, and long-term ecosystem collaboration within Noupoort and surrounding communities.