Despite the vital role of CAOs in South Africa, the vast majority of these offices receive little-to-no state support for their work. The majority of offices rely on donor funding from international or local grantmakers and generate their own income through various community-based projects.

CAOs offer free advice services and operate predominantly in poor and marginalised communities. They struggle to maintain operations solely from donations and local income generation due to an unstable economic base in many of these communities.

Though donor funding helps fulfil the majority of CAO activities, funding support is inconsistent and not evenly distributed in the country. A lack of sustainable funding has caused many CAOs to close, while others continue to operate with minimal resources.

In order for people in poor and marginalised communities in South Africa to have access to reliable and effective CAOs, the sector requires a sustained and comprehensive national funding mechanism.

The establishment of such a mechanism is one of Nadcao’s key strategic objectives for 2013.

The CAO sector requires a consistent funding base that would provide long-term financial security and sustainability. This reliable funding base would enable community advice offices to provide a more reliable and permanent service to their clientele.

The creation of a dedicated fund for the long-term sustainability of the CAO sector offers a number of opportunities:

• Common donor objectives focused on the improvement of communities, access to justice and building civil society can be aligned in a single funding mechanism;
• Creation of a fund specifically aimed at addressing the unique funding needs and requirements of CAOs;
• Pooling of resources, administration and monitoring processes; and
Simplifies funding application and reporting process for CAOs.

Donors and organisations began meeting in mid-2011 to discuss the process of a donor partnership and secure ways to advance the process to enable the establishment of a sustainable fund. These organisations include:

• Atlantic Philanthropies;
• CS Mott Foundation;
• Foundation for Human Rights (FHR);
• Humanistic Institute for Co-operation with Developing Countries (HIVOS)
• Multi-Agency Grants Initiative (MAGI);
• National Alliance for the Development of Community Advance Offices (Nadcao);
• National Development Agency (NDA);
• National Lotteries Board (NLB); and
• Social Change Assistance Trust (SCAT).

In addition to serving the immediate needs of donors and the general advice office sector, the sustainability fund will demonstrate that it can:
• Efficiently identify beneficiaries and deliver resources and support to those beneficiaries; and
• Provide the additional benefit of improved performance and impact of the sector.

The provincial forums are non-profit umbrella organisations representing CAOs in all 9 provinces in South Africa. Each provincial forum is independent and has an Executive Committee. These Committees represent the AOs in their respective provinces and create partnerships with relevant stakeholders for provincial funding.

Eastern Cape Advice Office Forum
Established: March 2009
Number of advice offices: 60
Secretary: Lungile Kwaza
PO Box 132
Barkley East
9786
Eastern Cape
Tel: 045 971 8253

Free State Advice Office Association
Established: June 2009
Number of advice offices: 15
Chairperson: Samuel Mosikili
PO Box 18073
Witsieshoek
9870
Free State
Tel: 058 713 4880

Gauteng Paralegal Advice Office Forum
Established: November 2009
Number of advice offices: 27
Chairperson: Seth Mnguni
Ntsu Advice Office
696 Block U
Mabopane
Soweto
0190
Gauteng
Cell. 073 243 0758

KwaZulu-Natal Advice Office Association
Established: November 2010
Number of advice offices: 57
Chairperson : Sabelo Mfeka
Ukhahlamba Advice Office
PO Box 6391
Bergville
Kwazulu Natal
Cell. 072 866 1156 / 079 256 2287

Limpopo Paralegal Advice Office Forum
Established: December 2009
Number of advice offices: 17
Coordinator: Albert Makwela
PO BOX 3266
Tzaneen
0850
Limpopo
Tel: 083 728 4170 / 083 763 2386

Mpumalanga Paralegal Advice Office Consortium
Established: December 2007
Number of advice offices: 13
Contact Person: Zwelibanzi Hlatshwayo
PO Box 408
Leandra
2265
2265
Mpumalanga
Tel: 017 683 1501

North West Advice Offices Cluster
Established: March 2006
Number of advice offices: 25
Coordinator: John Moerane
PO Box 15881
Lethabong
0263
North West
Tel: 012 270 2053

Northern Cape Coalition of Community Development Agencies
Established: April 2010
Number of advice offices: 20
Coordinator: Paul Kock
Kimberly Advice Office
EG 25, Lerato Park Mankurwane
Kimberly 8345
Northern Cape
Tel. 058 871 443 / 082 512 8702

Western Cape Community Based Advice Office Association
Established: December 2007
Number of advice offices: 40
Chairperson: Ben van Rooy
1 Sipres Avenue
Clanwilliam
8135
Western Cape
Tel: 027 482 1290 / 078 3604 317

At the 2012 year-end Nadcao national meeting, the National Working Committees agreed that in order to achieve the realisable dream of having an institutionalised advice office structure by 2013, an interim organisational advice office structure would need to be in place.

As part of the sector institutionalisation process, members agreed to form a new membership organisation to serve as the national voice of the CAO sector: the Association of Community-based Advice Office of South Africa (ACAOSA).

ACAOSA will serve as an operational body, unifying the sector through national leadership and committees. The organisation will work effortlessly to act as the national voice for community-based advice offices, focusing on the interests and issues that impact the current 320+ advice offices in all 9 provinces.

ACAOSA will benefit the sector through:

Streamlined communication from the national level to the individual CAOs;
Unified campaigns and strategic opportunities;
Strengthened interaction and networks;
Regulating the quality and standard of training;
Increased participation;
Fundraising support; and
Involvement in leadership processes.

ACAOSA brochure

This brochure provides insight into the newly formed organisation, ACAOSA, including its vision, objectives and goals for the future of the CAO sector.
Click here to download (pdf 278KB)

Kopanong Report

This report details Nadcao’s 2012 national evaluation and reporting workshop held in Johannesburg. Along with recapping Nadcao’s progress over the year, the workshop was instrumental as members agreed that in order to fulfil its goal of an institutionalised advice office structure by 2013, an organisation would need to be formed. It was at this workshop where members agreed to develop the ACAOSA structure.
Click here to download (pdf 2.6MB)

The launch of ACAOSA will take place on 28 November 2013.