That question will take centre stage at the 2026 Serious Social Investing (SSI) Conference, where business and social investment leaders will examine how money, expertise and partnerships can be used more effectively in a difficult economic environment.
Under the theme “doing more with less”, this year’s conference will challenge corporate South Africa to look beyond simply increasing investment.
Instead, the focus will be on making existing resources work harder, smarter and with greater purpose.
The conference, facilitated by Tshikululu Social Investments, takes place on 7 October 2026 at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) in Johannesburg.
The FirstRand Empowerment Foundation joins as headline sponsor, with support from Tiger Brands, Discovery and SPAR.
Making every resource count
The 2026 SSI Conference will create a platform for dialogue around one of the most pressing questions facing social investment: how can organisations achieve meaningful results when resources are under pressure?
The programme will examine how organisations can pool expertise, reduce duplication and direct funding towards results that can be demonstrated.
That conversation will also remain closely connected to the realities facing communities.
These include reliable access to food and healthcare, as well as opportunities for employment and enterprise.
The message is clear: social investment is not only about how much is committed. It is also about how effectively available resources are used.
Partnerships move to the centre
Partnerships will be a major focus throughout the conference.
Kone Gugushe, Head of Social Investing at FirstRand Group, will feature on the programme with an address focused on the business of social impact.
The session will examine how businesses can bring together capital, skills and influence to support inclusive growth.
It will also explore how organisations can draw on resources across different partners rather than working in isolation.
Gugushe says doing more with less requires businesses to consider the full contribution they can make.
“Doing more with less means making the full contribution of business count.”
Alongside funding, Gugushe highlights expertise, networks and access to markets as resources that can add value when aligned with capable partners and community priorities.
The conference will explore how that collaboration can support livelihoods and create lasting economic opportunities.
Technology enters the conversation
Better social investment also depends on making informed decisions about how programmes are designed and delivered.
Leanne Emery-Hunter, CEO of Tshikululu Social Investments, will address artificial intelligence and advanced technology as part of the programme.
The discussion will examine the potential of AI to drive social innovation, improve delivery and advance equity.
However, the session will also consider the risk that technology could reinforce existing inequalities if it is not deployed intentionally.
For Emery-Hunter, doing more with less starts with understanding what actually makes a difference.
“We need to use evidence to guide our decisions, share what we learn and work with partners whose strengths complement our own.”
She says every investment should have a clear purpose and a way to assess progress, helping organisations direct limited resources towards lasting improvements in people’s lives.
From food security to healthcare
The conference will take the broader theme into specific sectors through its breakaway sessions.
Food security discussions will explore how partnerships can strengthen local production and distribution.
Healthcare sessions will focus on prevention, data and stronger connections between communities and services.
Infrastructure discussions will examine coordinated investment in public spaces, service delivery and local opportunities.
Across these areas, the focus will remain on how different partners can contribute towards shared goals.
Protecting livelihoods and creating opportunity
The conversation will also extend into livelihoods.
A case study involving the FirstRand Empowerment Foundation and Red Meat Industry Services will examine how animal health support can protect the livelihoods of communal farmers while improving access to markets.
Other discussions will consider how skills development, procurement and business partnerships can contribute to entrepreneurship and job creation.
The programme will also recognise the role of sustained investment in arts, sport and culture.
Together, these discussions place livelihoods and economic opportunity alongside the broader social investment agenda.
Getting the governance right
Doing more with less is not only about where money goes.
It is also about the systems used to manage, report and evaluate social investment.
A workshop on the International Non-Profit Accounting Standard will introduce harmonised grant reporting aimed at simplifying and strengthening financial reporting for both funders and recipients.
The programme will also feature sessions on ethical leadership and accountability, examining the trust required for partnerships to work effectively.
Tshikululu’s monitoring and evaluation session will bring the conversation back to results.
The session will examine how organisations distinguish between immediate outputs and lasting change, while using evidence to guide future resource allocation.
A closer look at impact
Ultimately, the 2026 SSI Conference will ask social investors to look more closely at how they work, where they invest and who they choose to partner with.
The objective is not simply to do more.
It is to make better use of what is already available and to judge success by the benefits communities actually experience.
In an environment where resources are under pressure, the “doing more with less” theme places effectiveness, collaboration, evidence and accountability at the heart of the social investment conversation.
And on 7 October, those questions will take centre stage at GIBS in Johannesburg.
