The University of Cape Town deeply embeds social responsiveness and SDG-aligned community engagement in its mission through structured partnerships with non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Through student volunteering, co-created research, and development of tools and educational resources, UCT works with civil society actors to advance sustainable development in local communities. This multi-modal collaboration amplifies UCT’s impact on SDGs such as health (SDG 3), gender equality (SDG 5), reduced inequalities (SDG 10), quality education (SDG 4), and partnerships (SDG 17).

Examples of UCT–NGO Collaboration

  1. GBV First-Responder Training with Rape Crisis NGO
    • In 2024, UCT’s Office for Inclusivity & Change (OIC) ran a first-responder workshop in collaboration with the NGO Rape Crisis to equip students, advisors, and staff to support survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). This collaboration strengthens UCT’s capacity to respond to GBV (SDG 5), builds a more supportive campus environment, and connects the university community with specialist civil-society expertise.
  2. Community-Based Research via UCT Knowledge Co-op
    • UCT’s Knowledge Co-op is a formal channel linking community-based organisations (CBOs) / NGOs to academic research. For example, the NGO Living Hope partners with the Co-op to have UCT students evaluate its parenting, psychosocial, and gender-based violence programmes. All these programmes are aimed at providing maternal health education to parents, particularly teenage parents; providing support to parents who are part of the programme to enable them to raise children in a healthy manner; and [facilitating] psychosocial groups such as health awareness, protective behaviours and gender-based-violence groups.

This co-creation of research supports SDG 3 (health), SDG 5 (gender equality), and SDG 10 (reduced inequalities), by ensuring that NGO programmes are evidence-based and continuously improved.

  1. Development of Clinical Decision-Support Tools (PACK) for Frontline Health Workers
    • In 2024, UCT’s Knowledge Translation Unit (KTU) developed the Practical Approach to Care Kit (PACK), a clinical decision-support tool for primary healthcare, specifically tailored for resource-constrained settings. PACK supports primary healthcare professionals in the face of mounting disease burden across the global South. PACK is used in partnership with public health systems and NGOs to strengthen health delivery (SDG 3), improve access, and reduce inequities in care.
  2. Student Volunteering through SHAWCO (Health & Education)
    • SHAWCO, the Students’ Health and Welfare Centres Organisation, is a long-standing student-run NGO based at UCT. It organizes students to run health clinics and education projects in underserved communities in Cape Town. In the UCT Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS), SHAWCO includes staff and students from multiple disciplines (e.g. social work, psychology) in providing community clinic services. SHAWCO’s education & law division (SHAWCO Law) runs mentoring / teaching programmes taught by UCT law students in community high schools (Grade 8/9) on constitutional rights, and socio-economic topics. Through SHAWCO, UCT students directly contribute to SDG 3 (good health) and SDG 4 (quality education) by providing health and learning services in low-income areas.
  3. Social Responsiveness via Architecture / Community Restoration Projects
    • In 2024, UCT’s School of Architecture collaborated with local communities and NGOs to refurbish Bong’s Inn in Macassar as a community hall and storytelling space. This project builds social infrastructure, preserves heritage, and promotes community agency, contributing to SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) and SDG 10 (reduced inequalities).

UCT demonstrates robust and diversified engagement with NGOs to address the SDGs: through student volunteering (SHAWCO, UNASA), research co-creation (Knowledge Co-op), capacity-building tools development (PACK with public health NGOs), and community infrastructure projects (architecture for Macassar). These partnerships operate at scale, are grounded in community need, and align directly with key SDGs (3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 17), evidencing UCT’s deep institutional commitment to socially responsive SDG action.