stokvel

It is estimated that the total amount invested in stokvels is R5.61 billion.*

But money is not and should not be everything…

Join our stokvel…

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What is a stokvel?

A stokvel is a collective saving and resource generation scheme, popular in rural and township communities of Southern Africa. A common practice among women [over 50%], a stokvel consists of an average of 6 members. Most of the time members are individuals representing a family. Family is very important for consent because each month a stokvel rotates from family to family. The host family prepares food for the stokvel members and their families. The host family is offered a lump sum collected as a monthly/fortnightly/weekly fixed contribution. Furthermore, the host family can sell drinks, invite outside people from the stokvel, sell wares and explore ways to generate more resources using the event, including an entry fee.

Stokvel-Towards a Redefinition

In Detroit, community organizations such as Detroit Summer adopted a popular practice called Potluck into a community dialogue space. A Potluck is a gathering of people, each one expected to bring a dish of food to share with others, thereby sharing the costs and planning responsibilities. Detroit Summer’s Breakin’ Bread Community Potluck Series takes potlucks to another level by inviting dj’s, breakdancers and storytellers to each event. Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly, community organizations are invited to speak about their missions, victories and needs. For Detroit Summer’s Jenny Lee** , a potluck represents an opportunity for “a point of contact for hundreds of different people who otherwise might never have met, of all ages, doing all kinds of amazing work in every corner of the city and beyond”. Furthermore, conversations may include activities and workshops that lead to tangible outcomes such as collages, zines, murals and such. Inspired by the informal cooperative economics ethos of stokvel, and the capacity building nature of Detroit Summer potlucks we propose a model for grassroots collectives practicing in Jozi.

Relevance

Most music, design, art and performance collectives in Jozi attend each other’s events, and appeal to more or less the same audience. It becomes evident that collectives are absorbed in their planning and implementation that they cease attending other collective’s events. This is problematic in the long run because networking opportunities gets limited. Stokvel creates a united industry based on trust and support, builds solidarity and suggests a movement that strives for a sustainable, alternative economic practice.

Invitation/methodology

Collective/organizations are invited to take part in a cooperative economics pilot project based some of the stokvel/potluck principles. I suggest 8 key objectives for stokvel participation

1. A commitment to a realistic monthly stokvel contribution

2. Clearing of venue for hosting each stokvel event

3. Involving three or more community organizations

4. Arranging catering for stokvel event

5. Arranging licensing issues around the sale of food and drinks

6. Application of a creative conceptual & ideological theme for each stokvel event

7. A compelling branding, marketing and resource generating effort

8. Commitment to full-on support to each member’s stokvel event

Research for development

I suggest we must learn through action and reflection. Experiences should point to other areas requiring development, such as land, technology and leadership. The stokvel project should be a space that gives birth to organic spin offs: fashion shoots, workshops, games, once-off performances, trade shows, exhibitions and auctions, all with a common purpose of creating and sharing sustainable economic models for community organizing. Having said all that, no order should be the ultimate, because each event has to inhale its own air in order to breathe new knowledge to others.

please get in touch if you wanna be a part of this pilot project

peace and love,

keleketla!team

078 764 4741

073 548 9441

keleketla@gmail.com