Open Society Foundation for South Africa

The Open Society Foundation for South Africa promotes open society values by supporting institutions and civil society organizations that work in the areas of criminal justice, media, governance, human rights, and democracy building. The foundation has supported projects on gun control, violence against women, public health, and journalistic freedom and access to information.

With press freedom under attack in recent years, harkening back to some of the censorship tactics of the apartheid era, the foundation has been a powerful advocate for independent media in South Africa. Much of its work in this area focuses on providing direct support for independent voices and analysis. This has been accompanied by a complementary effort to urge Parliament to reform its media policies.

The government’s inability to manage South Africa’s deepening HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis epidemics have led the foundation to promote civil society efforts to help strengthen local health systems and increase access to treatment. It has also been a strong supporter of outreach initiatives targeting vulnerable populations, such as sex workers.

The foundation has been a leader in calling for a more effective and humane criminal justice system. While the South African government’s deeply punitive response to high crime rates has both violated human rights and failed to curb crime, the foundation has brought together a coalition that promotes alternatives to imprisonment, including noncustodial sentencing, and offender reintegration programs.