KCDF, Kagiso Africa complete landmark share transfer to secure long-term community funding

The Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF) and Kagiso Africa Investments (KAI) have completed a strategic transfer of shares aimed at strengthening long-term, locally owned financing for community development in Kenya.

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The formal handover took place at a ceremony in Nairobi on February 18, bringing to a close a partnership journey that began in 2012.

The transfer sees KCDF assume full ownership of the shares previously held by KAI, a subsidiary of the South Africa-based Kagiso Trust.

Leaders at the event described the move as a rare and positive example of cross-border, business-for-development cooperation between African institutions.

In a statement released after the event, the two organisations said the handover marked “a major milestone in community-owned development finance” and reaffirmed their shared commitment to locally rooted and sustainable development solutions.

KCDF Executive Director Grace Maingi described the transfer as a turning point for the foundation’s long-term independence.

“This transfer symbolises a new chapter for KCDF,” Maingi said. “It reflects our shared belief that locally owned investment structures are critical to achieving lasting social and economic impact. This milestone strengthens our ability to secure long-term financial independence in support of community-driven development.”

She told guests that the KCDF–Kagiso partnership was never just a financial arrangement but a meeting of values.

“When Kagiso and KCDF joined hands around 2010, it was not merely a joint venture; it was a meeting of minds,” Maingi said. “This partnership represents a bridge — one built on the belief that local resources, local wisdom and local leadership are the most sustainable engines of change.”

Maingi said KCDF was now pursuing an ambitious 10-year sustainability plan focused on self-sufficiency, diversification and responsible growth. She noted that the foundation aims to finance at least 85 per cent of its operational and investment needs from internal sources, while significantly reducing reliance on external donors.

Ms Grace Maingi, KCDF Executive Director, speaking during the share transfer ceremony in Nairobi on February 18, 2026/ HANDOUT

“Our goal is for KCDF to finance at least 85 per cent of its operational and investment needs from internal sources,” she said.

“We also aim to drive 200 per cent growth in our endowment fund, making it the primary source of grants and operational support.”

Kagiso Trust Chief Executive Mankodi Moitse reflected on the organisation’s long history and why investment-led sustainability has remained central to its work.

“We were established in 1985 in the midst of assisting communities deal with the transition, deal with exclusion, deal with installing their dignity,” Moitse said. “Our advantage in dealing with the transition was that at least we had an investment arm that allowed us to decide on the type of programmes that we would pursue.”

He said financial independence had enabled Kagiso Trust to design and implement long-term programmes in education, socio-economic development, civil society empowerment and local governance.

“Transformation is not an overnight initiative,” Moitse said. “It takes some time, it requires patience, it requires concerted effort, but also financial independence enables us to begin to think of programmes that are impactful.”

Moitse said partnerships had been central to Kagiso Trust’s approach and were key to the KCDF relationship.

“We recognised that we can only achieve these through a strengthened partnership collaboration,” he said. “So part of our implementation put partnership at the centre of our implementation process.”

The ceremony was also attended by Kenya and South African government representatives, philanthropists, investors and civil society leaders.

Speaking at the event, Acting South African High Commissioner to Kenya Ernest Kgopa said the share transfer reflected both strong institutional cooperation and broader bilateral ties between the two countries.

“The relationship between these two entities mirrors South Africa’s foreign policy vision of a prosperous, peaceful, democratic, non-racial, non-sexist and united Africa,” Kgopa said. “It also reflects the cordial and strategic bilateral relations between Kenya and South Africa.”

Kgopa said the handover demonstrated how locally owned investment structures could support long-term development beyond government action.

“Today’s official handover of shares from KAGISO Investment to KCDF speaks to a mutually beneficial partnership,” he said. “It marks a new chapter of empowerment and sustainability for KCDF, enabling it to deepen its investment strategy and secure long-term financial independence for community initiatives.”

He added that without organisations such as Kagiso Trust and KCDF, constitutional promises risked remaining unfulfilled.

“Without NGOs such as KAGISO Trust, KAGISO Capital and KCDF to complement government efforts, those rights risk remaining ideals on paper,” Kgopa said.

The share transfer is being viewed as a landmark example of African institutions building and transferring capital for social impact across borders. Organisers said it was one of the few cases where a South African trust has formally transferred investment ownership to a Kenyan community foundation.

KCDF, founded in 1997, is East Africa’s first homegrown community foundation. It supports community-driven development initiatives across Kenya, with a focus on local ownership and long-term sustainability.

Kagiso Africa Investments is part of the wider Kagiso Trust group and focuses on building sustainable enterprises and investment structures that contribute to inclusive growth and social impact across the continent.

As the evening closed, Maingi reminded guests that the work ahead would require patience and shared responsibility.

“Community development is a marathon, not a sprint,” she said. “Tonight, we celebrate the power of local. We celebrate the idea that when we invest in people, the returns are infinite.”