R13bn CSI spend signals stability in a tough economy

Findings from the 28th edition of the Trialogue Business in Society Handbook estimate total CSI expenditure for 2025 at R13.1bn. The increase from R12.7bn in 2024 was in line with inflation.

“While real growth remained flat, the continued investment in social impact in 2025, under constrained economic conditions, is encouraging and indicates corporate South Africa’s commitment to social development,” says Trialogue director Cathy Duff.

Trialogue Business in Society Handbook 2025 key findings

• South Africa's CSI spend increased by 3% from R12.7bn in 2024 to R13.1bn in 2025, with no real growth when adjusted for inflation.
  
• The basic materials sector (mining, water, forestry, chemicals) contributed 36% of total CSI spend, followed by consumer services (27%) and financial services (20%).
  
• One hundred of the largest companies accounted for 79% of annual CSI spend, or R10.3bn.
  
• Education remains the priority sector, accounting for 44% of CSI expenditure and supported by 91% of companies.
  
• Health sector support increased significantly, with 46% of companies now funding health initiatives, up from 36% in 2024.
  
• There was a notable decline in companies supporting disaster preparedness and relief, with 44% of companies supporting the sector. This is down from 70% in 2021... At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, average CSI spend on disaster relief was 9%. In 2025, average CSI spend was 3%.
  
• Ninety percent of companies and 77% of nonprofit organisations (NPOs) reported measuring outcomes for all projects.
  
• Just over half of companies (54%) measure the business benefits of their community investments, with improved community relations and improved brand perceptions being the factors most assessed by those companies which measured business benefits.
  
• Over two-thirds (70%) of NPOs received income from companies in 2025. Corporate funds accounted for an average of 29% of NPO income.

The state of CSI in South Africa

While CSI remained stable in 2025, the R13.1bn estimated spend reflects both budgetary constraints and continued commitment to social impact in challenging operating conditions for companies. CSI expenditure has followed an inconsistent pattern since 2014, punctuated by a marked decrease driven by Covid-19 in 2021 and minimal real growth since 2022.

Investment remains heavily concentrated among large companies, with the top 100 companies accounting for R10.3bn. Within this group, 26 companies invested more than R100m each, averaging close to R300m and accounting for 74% of the top 100's spending.

The three industry sectors contributing the most to CSI remained the same as in previous years. The basic materials sector - including mining, water, forestry and chemicals - accounted for the largest portion of CSI expenditure (36%) in 2025, followed by consumer services (27%) and financial services companies (20%).

Education remained the most popular cause, supported by 91% of companies and attracting 44% of CSI budgets. Social and community development remained second, with company support rising notably from 75% to 84%, while receiving 14% of the average spend. Food security and agriculture held third place at 13% of CSI expenditure.

Support for the health sector rose, with the proportion of companies supporting it increasing from 36% to 46% and average expenditure rising from 9% to 11%. Conversely, disaster preparedness and relief support continued its post-pandemic decline, falling to 44% of companies, with average spend at just 3%, down from 70% of companies and 9% of spend in 2021. Fewer companies supported arts and culture, as well as social justice and advocacy, in 2025 than in 2024, and these sectors received the smallest average CSI spend.

Nonprofit organisations remained the primary recipients of CSI, with 97% of companies allocating 68% of their budgets to the sector on average. Schools, universities and government institutions received 20% of average expenditure.

Corporate and nonprofit reputations in South Africa

Vodacom retained its position as the most reputable corporate social investor, as perceived by other companies, for the ninth consecutive year, while climbing to fourth place in the nonprofit rankings. Nedbank held first place among nonprofits for the second year running, while FirstRand was ranked second by both companies and nonprofits.

Gift of the Givers was ranked first by both companies and nonprofits for the fifth consecutive year, with Afrika Tikkun maintaining second place for the third year running. Smile Foundation, FoodForward SA and Reach For A Dream featured in the top 10 of both company and nonprofit rankings.

Nonprofit sector under pressure

South African nonprofits faced an increasingly challenging funding environment in 2025. While 55% reported income increases, almost a third (30%) experienced decreased income, up from 11% in 2021.

Corporate funding remained the largest income source, accounting for 29% of nonprofit respondents’ revenue on average, with 70% of nonprofits receiving company support. However, self-generated income emerged as the second-highest source at 17%, exceeding funding from trusts, government, and private individuals.

While the impact of US foreign aid cuts was felt across the sector, with the African Development Bank projecting a $39.84bn decline in foreign aid to Africa during 2025, only 15% of surveyed nonprofits reported being directly affected. Of these, more than half reported lost income, 38% stopped programmes and 25% retrenched staff. South African CSI budgets, however, remained largely insulated from these international funding shifts.

Measuring what matters

This year, in addition to extensive primary research with companies and nonprofit organisations and relevant local and global research on development and responsible business, the focus turns to the power of impact measurement. The publication examines how monitoring and evaluation (M&E) practices enable companies and nonprofits to maximise the effectiveness of every rand invested in social development.

"The ability to measure and demonstrate real impact has shifted from an exercise in compliance to a strategic necessity for South Africa's corporate social investment sector. This is especially true in the current context of stretched resources and intensifying development needs," says Duff.

Companies and nonprofits are increasingly adopting monitoring and evaluation (M&E) practices to assess programme impact. While 68% of companies now have M&E policies, only 36% allocate specific budgets for measurement, typically 5% or less of CSI spend. Among nonprofits, 30% have M&E budgets, allocating an average of 8% of organisational resources to M&E.

Encouragingly, over 80% of companies partner with nonprofits on all M&E processes, including programme design and planning.

The insights gathered over the last 28 years, coupled with the findings of the 2025 research, indicate the growing maturity and continued resilience of corporate giving and social impact in South Africa.

The Trialogue Business in Society Handbook 2025 can be downloaded for free at https://trialogue.co.za/businessinsocietyhandbook/