SayPro – Eastern Cape Public Works and Infrastructure Partnership

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The SayPro – Eastern Cape Department of Public Works and Infrastructure Partnership is a strategic and socially-driven alliance focused on enhancing youth development, community upliftment, and public infrastructure delivery throughout the Eastern Cape. By combining the Department’s infrastructure mandates and job creation programmes with SayPro’s community training, youth empowerment, and skills development expertise, this partnership delivers meaningful impact in under-resourced areas across the province.

At its heart, this collaboration supports the dual mission of improving public infrastructure while also equipping young people with the skills, experience, and employment opportunities necessary to become self-reliant and active contributors to the economy.


Purpose of the Partnership

The partnership addresses key social and economic challenges in the province, including:

  • High youth unemployment and lack of skills
  • Underdeveloped infrastructure in rural and township communities
  • Limited access to career pathways in construction, civil engineering, and maintenance
  • Inadequate community involvement in public works planning and delivery

By working together, SayPro and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) aim to:

  • Create short- and long-term employment through infrastructure projects
  • Deliver technical and vocational training in construction, maintenance, and public asset management
  • Promote inclusive and sustainable public infrastructure
  • Support entrepreneurship through emerging contractor and cooperative development
  • Enable youth to earn, learn, and grow within their own communities

Key Focus Areas

1. Youth Skills Development & Learnership Programmes

SayPro facilitates structured training programmes in:

  • Bricklaying, plumbing, painting, electrical work, carpentry
  • Road and building maintenance
  • Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) and site management
  • Construction Project Management and tender readiness

These training programmes are often accompanied by stipends, practical experience, and formal accreditation, enabling participants to enter the job market or start their own ventures.

2. Infrastructure Delivery Through Community Participation

The partnership supports labour-intensive public works projects that:

  • Upgrade schools, clinics, community halls, roads, and government facilities
  • Employ local youth and small contractors
  • Use Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) principles to ensure fair wages and skill transfer
  • Encourage community ownership of public assets

This approach boosts infrastructure access and local economic activity simultaneously.

3. Small Contractor and Cooperative Development

SayPro identifies and supports emerging contractors and community-based enterprises by providing:

  • Business registration and compliance assistance
  • Mentorship in pricing, project costing, and tender processes
  • Linkages to government procurement opportunities
  • Basic financial and operational management training

This component helps stimulate entrepreneurship in the construction and maintenance sectors.

4. Green Infrastructure and Sustainability Projects

The partnership also promotes eco-friendly and sustainable infrastructure practices, including:

  • Waste recycling and management
  • Water-saving systems and plumbing maintenance
  • Tree planting and greening public spaces
  • Community awareness on environmental stewardship

This aligns with both national environmental priorities and local needs for sustainable development.

5. Community Development and Public Participation

SayPro ensures that community members are not just beneficiaries, but active participants in the development process by:

  • Hosting community planning and feedback sessions
  • Recruiting local labour from within project areas
  • Facilitating youth forums, women’s groups, and local leadership involvement

This results in infrastructure that reflects real community needs and builds trust in public service delivery.


Signature Initiatives and Activities

  • “Build My Future” Youth Learnership Programme: Combines practical work experience on infrastructure sites with formal training
  • Public Asset Maintenance Brigades: Teams of trained youth maintaining community infrastructure on a rolling basis
  • SMME Bootcamps for Local Contractors: Workshops and one-on-one coaching to boost tendering skills and compliance
  • Green Villages Initiative: Beautification and greening of schools, parks, and clinics by local youth cooperatives
  • Women in Infrastructure Drive: Promoting female participation in construction and technical trades

Measurable Outcomes

  • Hundreds of young people trained and employed in public works
  • Numerous public facilities repaired, maintained, or upgraded
  • Dozens of SMMEs and cooperatives registered and operational
  • Increased participation of youth and women in the construction sector
  • Stronger sense of community pride and ownership in public infrastructure

Long-Term Vision

This partnership envisions a province where:

  • Youth are skilled, employed, and empowered
  • Public infrastructure is maintained and improved sustainably
  • Local businesses are able to grow through government contracts
  • Communities are engaged, proud, and self-sufficient

It contributes directly to the goals of the National Development Plan (NDP), Public Works’ Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), and the Eastern Cape’s Provincial Development Plan, all while reinforcing SAYPRO’s mission of unlocking potential through service, education, and opportunity.


Conclusion

The SayPro – Eastern Cape Public Works and Infrastructure Partnership is a blueprint for impactful, inclusive development. By bringing together technical expertise, community participation, and youth empowerment, the partnership ensures that infrastructure development goes hand-in-hand with human development. It is not just about building roads and facilities—it is about building futures.

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