Surplus People Project

What Surplus People Project does

Surplus People Project (SPP) is a South African nonprofit social justice organization founded in the 1980s during apartheid to support and publicize community struggles against forced removals, documented in a seminal five-volume SPP report series. It is headquartered in Observatory, Cape Town with regional offices in Vredendal (Western Cape) and Springbok (Northern Cape), and operates with a staff complement of 15 across these two provinces. SPP serves farmworkers, farm dwellers, small-scale farmers, rural women, and youth through community-led accompaniment, with named beneficiary networks including Farmworker Forums in Citrusdal and Matzikama, small-scale farmers in Malmesbury, and Cederberg Emerging Farmers. The organization is governed by its own board, has no parent company or institutional investors, and reaches national scale through its affiliation with the Tshintsha Amakhaya initiative alongside 10+ civil society partners.

SPP's core offerings are organized around three pillars: Movement Building, In-Community Support, and Advocacy & Policy Change. Programmatic focus areas include agrarian transformation, agroecology, food sovereignty, and land tenure support. The organization produces media such as the Voices from the Land documentary series, runs campaigns including Agroecology in Action and What's On Your Plate?, publishes annual reports (2017-2025), and operates a digital services storefront offering Go-To-Market Strategy and Digital Marketing Consultation. No proprietary technology platform exists; the underlying capability is a long-term, trust-based community organizing model supported by political education, research, and convening power. The 2025-2028 strategic direction formalized the shift toward Community Power Plans and movement building.

The business model is donor and grant funded. SPP charges no fees for community organizing, advocacy, or support services, and does not publicly disclose revenue. Funding derives from donations, grants, and partnerships with civil society organizations. Notable partners include SERI, CSAAWU, Legal Resources Centre, Corruption Watch, ACT Ubumbano, Witzenberg Justice Coalition, the South African Human Rights Commission, UN Human Rights representatives, the African Centre for Biodiversity, Biowatch South Africa, the Institute for Economic Justice, HEALA, the University of Cape Town, the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development, the Department of Water and Sanitation, the Cederberg Municipality, and the Support Centre for Land Change. CEO Brian Adams leads the organization, with specialized staff including Research Associate David Neves (Farm Worker Equity Schemes) and team members contributing to agroecology, gender justice, and food systems work.

Name

Surplus People Project

Legal name

Surplus People Project

Website

https://spp.org.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Surplus People Project is a South African nonprofit founded in the 1980s that supports farmworkers, farm dwellers, small-scale farmers, and rural women and youth across Western and Northern Cape through community organizing, land rights advocacy, agroecology, and movement building for agrarian transformation and food sovereignty.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Justice and Land Rights Non-Profit Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Community Food Services (62421)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Rural Livelihoods & Economic Empowerment (BPAGABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Land rights advocacy
• Agrarian transformation
• Food sovereignty programs
• Community organizing services
• Agroecology training

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donor and Grant Funding: SPP operates as a nonprofit social justice organization funded through donor support, grants, and partnerships with civil society organizations. The organization does not charge for its community organizing, advocacy, and support services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Surplus People Project is a non-profit social justice organization that provides community organizing, advocacy, and capacity-building services to farmworkers, farm dwellers, small-scale farmers, rural women, and youth in South Africa's Western and Northern Cape. Its core offerings include long-term in-community support, movement building (political education, leadership development, forums), and advocacy connected to land reform, agroecology, and food sovereignty policies. All services are provided free of charge and funded through donations, grants, and civil society partnerships.

Product overview

Surplus People Project (SPP) is a social justice organization, not a technology product company. Its offerings consist of community organizing and advocacy services centered on agrarian transformation, food sovereignty, and land justice. The core service portfolio includes Movement Building, In-Community Support, and Advocacy & Policy Change programs, alongside specific focus areas in Agroecology, Food Sovereignty, and Land Tenure Support. SPP also produces media content including the 'Voices from the Land' documentary series, runs advocacy campaigns such as 'What's On Your Plate?' and 'Agroecology in Action', and maintains a digital store offering consulting services (Go-To-Market Strategy, Digital Marketing Consultation). The organization publishes annual reports and maintains a blog for sharing community stories and analysis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Agrarian Transformation Programs Community-led program supporting land redistribution, food sovereignty, and sustainable rural livelihoods through agroecology, land rights education, and cooperative initiatives. It is targeted at farmworkers, farm dwellers, small-scale farmers, rural women, and youth in the Western and Northern Cape.
• Movement Building Grassroots organizing service that strengthens collective power among farm dwellers, small-scale farmers, women, and youth through political education, leadership development, and community forums. It is aimed at rural communities in South Africa's Western and Northern Cape.
• In-Community Support Long-term relational support partnering with rural communities for land access, food sovereignty, and dignified livelihoods through trust-based engagement and Community Power Plans. It is targeted at farmworkers, farm dwellers, small-scale farmers, women, and youth.
• Advocacy & Policy Change Community-grounded advocacy service connecting grassroots struggles to national policy conversations on land justice, agrarian reform, agroecology, and food systems transformation. It is aimed at government, civil society, and human rights institutions.
• Agroecology Ecological farming approach combining traditional knowledge with sustainable practices including seed saving, soil restoration, water-wise farming, and community-controlled food systems. It is targeted at small-scale farmers and rural communities.
• Food Sovereignty Initiative strengthening community control over food systems through local food production, seed sharing, local markets, and community-led food networks. It is targeted at rural communities and small-scale farmers.
• Land Tenure Support Support service helping farm workers and farm dwellers understand land rights, organize collectively, and defend against eviction threats and land insecurity. It is targeted at farm worker and farm dweller communities in the Western and Northern Cape.
• Voices from the Land Documentary Series Documentary series bringing forward stories of struggle, resilience, organizing, and survival from rural farm worker and farm dweller communities. It is a public-facing advocacy and media output aimed at amplifying rural voices.
• What's On Your Plate? Campaign Artivism campaign exploring the hidden costs of food through symbolic plates representing land, hunger, seeds, pesticides, labour, and dignity. It is targeted at the general public and policy audiences.
• Agroecology in Action Campaign Campaign connecting everyday experiences of food, land, and labour to the systems that shape them through storytelling, political education, research, and community organizing. It is aimed at rural communities and the broader public.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• African Centre for BiodiversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Partnered with SPP and farmer representatives for national engagement on seed governance and farmers' rights, connecting local farming realities with broader debates on seed sovereignty and biodiversity.
• Biowatch South AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Partnered with SPP for national engagement on seed governance and community control over food systems.
• ACT UbumbanocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Partnered with SPP and Witzenberg Justice Coalition to facilitate community dialogues exploring accountability, local governance and citizen participation across multiple communities.
• Witzenberg Justice CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Partnered with SPP and ACT Ubumbano to facilitate community dialogues and support community leaders to analyse local challenges and strengthen organizing.
• Department of Water and SanitationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 September 2025Participated in Clanwilliam Dam stakeholder engagements focusing on water allocation and support for historically disadvantaged farmers.
• Corruption WatchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025Partnered with SPP and Legal Resources Centre to host community feedback sessions with beneficiaries of Farm Worker Equity Schemes, discussing research findings, accountability processes and options for redress.
• Legal Resources CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025Partnered with SPP and Corruption Watch to host community feedback sessions with beneficiaries of Farm Worker Equity Schemes relating to one of South Africa's most significant land reform failures.
• Support Centre for Land ChangecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025Partnered with SPP to host community feedback sessions with beneficiaries of Farm Worker Equity Schemes, discussing research findings and accountability processes.
• Institute for Economic JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025Participated in national Food Systems Civil Society Convening focused on strengthening collaboration around food sovereignty, agroecology, climate justice and policy advocacy.
• HEALA (Healthy Living Alliance)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025Participated in national Food Systems Civil Society Convening alongside organizations working on food sovereignty, agroecology, and policy advocacy.
• South African Human Rights CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Partnered with SPP in a human rights workshop examining unlawful evictions, labour exploitation and service delivery failures affecting farm workers and farm dwellers.
• United Nations Human Rights representativescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Participated in human rights workshop examining unlawful evictions, labour exploitation and service delivery failures affecting farm workers and farm dwellers.
• Cederberg MunicipalityminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 June 2025Engaged with municipality on proposed commonage policies affecting access to agricultural land for emerging farmers.
• University of Cape TownminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Academic partner engaged with emerging farmers on commonage policies and land access research.
• Department of Land Reform and Rural DevelopmentcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 May 2025Stakeholder in intergovernmental process relating to land allocation, infrastructure and relocation planning for 53 small-scale farmers in Malmesbury.
• SERI (Socio-Economic Rights Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 February 2025Co-hosted the Farm Dweller Indaba alongside CSAAWU and SPP, bringing together farm workers, farm dwellers, legal practitioners, government departments, Chapter 9 institutions and civil society organisations to address illegal evictions, tenure security, and access to justice.
• CSAAWU (Commercial, Stevedoring, Agricultural and Allied Workers Union)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 February 2025Co-hosted the Farm Dweller Indaba focused on illegal evictions, tenure security, access to justice and strengthening accountability for the rights of farm workers and farm dwellers.
• LandNNESS NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Participated in national dialogues exploring the relationship between climate change adaptation, land tenure security and just food systems through the Land Network National Engagement Strategy.
• University of Cape Town (Department of Public Health)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Partnered in 2005 to investigate health effects of pesticides on farm workers, leading to SPP's strategic shift towards agroecology and food sovereignty.
• National Land Committee (NLC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive affiliate contributing to the formation of the Landless People's Movement (LPM) and broader land reform advocacy efforts.
• Tshintsha AmakhayacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational reach initiative collaborating with 10 civil society partners, movements, and community formations to address land and agrarian reform.
• Food Sovereignty Campaign (FSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMostly rural-based agrarian social movement that SPP has contributed to developing a critical mass of activists and stood in solidarity with.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Biowatch South Africa: A non-profit working on agroecology, seed sovereignty, and food sovereignty in partnership with smallholder farmers. Biowatch's agricultural biodiversity, farmer-led research, and food systems advocacy closely overlap with SPP's agroecology and seed governance programs.
• Food Sovereignty Campaign (FSC): A mostly rural-based agrarian social movement that SPP has contributed to and stood in solidarity with. FSC's rural activist base, food sovereignty framing, and agrarian justice focus make it a closely aligned movement peer.
• African Centre for Biodiversity: An advocacy organization focused on seed sovereignty, agroecology, and food systems policy in Africa. ACB's work on farmers' rights, seed governance, and biosafety is highly comparable to SPP's national engagement on seed governance and farmers' rights.
• Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS): A leading research unit at the University of the Western Cape producing policy research on land reform, rural livelihoods, and agrarian change in South Africa. PLAAS's research-policy interface and Western Cape presence make it a direct academic and policy counterpart to SPP.
• Association for Rural Advancement (AFRA): A KwaZulu-Natal-based land rights organization supporting farming communities through advocacy, research, and organizational development. AFRA's focus on tenure security and rural livelihoods makes it a strong direct comparable in the South African land justice ecosystem.
• SERI (Socio-Economic Rights Institute): A South African non-profit litigating and advocating on socio-economic rights including housing, land, and tenure security. SERI's Farm Dweller Indaba co-hosting with SPP shows directly aligned mandates on illegal evictions, tenure security, and access to justice.
• Trust for Community Outreach and Education (TCOE): A South African non-profit focused on rural community development, land rights, and agrarian transformation across multiple provinces. TCOE's rural accompaniment model, federation structure, and policy advocacy work closely parallel SPP's community-led organizing and land justice mandate.

Broad incumbents

• Legal Resources Centre (LRC): South Africa's largest public interest law clinic, engaged in landmark land, housing, and tenure rights litigation. LRC's co-hosting of Farm Worker Equity Scheme community feedback sessions with SPP reflects overlapping mandates on land accountability.
• GRAIN: A global non-profit supporting small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled, biodiversity-based food systems. GRAIN's work on seeds, land grabbing, and agroecology aligns with SPP's seed governance and agroecology agenda.
• La Via Campesina: The global peasant and small-scale farmer movement advancing food sovereignty, agroecology, and land rights worldwide. La Via Campesina provides the international movement umbrella that connects SPP's local work to global agrarian justice campaigns.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/surplus-people-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Surplus People Project